No sex in the city for me

Ann Leary & Jane Green

During my recent interviews, one of the recurring questions was had I been to see the new Sex and the City movie, the assumption being that I would have seen it and loved it, and everyone seemed flabbergasted when I confessed that not only had I not seen it, I probably wouldn't.

Couple of reasons for this. The first is my current movie-going rate seems to be about one movie every two years, and sadly the movies tend to fall quite squarely in the family category. The last two movies I saw in a theatre were Ratatouille and Wall-E. Secondly, I'm not really a Sex and the City girl.

I know, I know, I'm one of the founders of chick lit.

And I know, I know, Sex and the City should be my mantra, but the truth is I'm really not a very...how shall I say this...girly girl.

If I'm honest, groups of women terrify me - going into school for class functions has me tense with nerves - and, bar a couple of episodes in my life, I've never been the sort of woman who hangs out with other groups of women. I avoid Girl's Nights Out like the plague (unless of course they are girl's nights out I've organised, consisting solely of my friends and women around whom I feel entirely comfortable), and although I genuinely enjoy people, and meeting new people, it tends to be on a one-on-one basis, not in a group. I'd rather have real conversations with two or three friends, over dinner in a quiet restaurant, than hit a bar with a pack of ten.

I have a handful, less probably, of friends who I consider inner circle and who I adore, and it is rare for me to gather new people, although recently I have found myself meeting or spending time with women who are truly wonderful, and with whom I have an instant connection, which feels like a true gift. Just yesterday Ann Leary, author of Outtakes from a Marriage and now radio presenter on NPR, came to interview me. I've met Ann a few times, been to her house for a party last Summer, and I warmed to her immediately when we met, and sitting at the kitchen table yesterday afternoon, I realised I could have quite happily sat there gabbing with her for HOURS.

She is everything I adore in the women who are my friends - warm, clever, interested, interesting and funny. Her personality bubbles over and despite being married to the very famous Denis, she's the most down-to-earth person you'll ever meet in your life. She's also a wonderful author, and I've been recommending her book all over the place this summer, and no, it isn't nepotism, but because I genuinely loved it.

So lovely to reach this age and continue finding people you bond with instantly, even when you think you have all the friends you need...

On another note, I've got the menu for dinner tonight. Will post recipes later when I have time, and now Martha Stewart's coming for dinner too (sounds like a movie), so - gasp - the pressure's on. (The last time she came for dinner she opened my fridge and recoiled in horror. I couldn't blame her. My fridge looked like all my neighbours had decided to spring-clean their fridges on the same day and had asked me if they could shove their stuff in mine temporarily. There was so much junk pushed in you couldn't find anything. Plus there were pools of days-old jelly, and various other drips and drops. Put it like this. I'll never have one of those fridges with a glass door).

So far I've made a chilled cucumber and avocado soup, chicken with ginger and almonds and cardamom-spiced basmati rice, lemon tartlets and a honey semifreddo (like ice-cream only easier) for dessert. Unfortunately there's been one disaster already - I forgot to add the egg to the lemon tart filling so it's all sunken and pathetic. I'm thinking I may have to scrape it out and start again...

I did most of the cooking last night - my whole theory around entertaining is nothing has to be perfect (clearly!), and you should always do food that can be prepared well in advance so when your guests are there you can sit and enjoy them rather than slaving over a hot stove.

Wish me luck with those lemon tartlets and will give you the recipes if they're a success...