Sunday, March 18, 2007
Eccles cakes
Took a chance on the rather odd looking Eccles cakes in the Cheam baker on Saturday. The pastry looked right but there was something slightly odd about the shape - maybe too plump. Eccles cakes should be flat. On closer inspection, later in the day, it turned out that while the outside might have been all Eccles cake, the interior was more mince pie. A sweet sticky mess of dried fruit. But that is not what the real Eccles cake is about. The interior should be hollow, with sundry currants sticking to the roof of the cave as it were. Maybe one thing that the baker in Strutton Ground - who bought all that sort of thing from some commercial baker - got right. As an aside, I have always assumed that the Eccles in question is the one near Salford rather than the one in Kent - which before I checked in Britannica I had confused with Beccles in Suffolk. Maybe I would be better off sticking with Google.
Yesterday to Hampton Court to inspect the daffodills. Pleased to find that they have not decided to charge entrance this year despite the event being advertised in large sheets tied to the railings as Florimania or some such. Picked absolutely the right day this year with the daffodills in full flush. Even flickering in the wind - BH quoted some poem which used a better word but I can't remember what it was. Two tone effect with most of them planted organically, au naturelle, in the woods, but with some of them planted, one variety in a time, en masse in formal beds. They had also introduced some colour - blue and white - into the reproduction formal garden on the giant vine side, the garden being slightly blighted by something having got to the little box hedges around the beds. Probably the frost was too much for the tight clipping.
Exiting by the Lion gate - itself a mass of colour (hyacinths or primulas - it was little more than 24 hours ago but I can't remember what was there) - tried the Italian cafe next to the small garage. The dining room was a bit warm on first arrival but its windows overlooked Bushy Park which worked well. I settled for a spicy fish stew with rice called Jumbalayoo or some such. Very good with a decent amount of fish (mainly shell) - set off by good presentation and good service. Only catch was that I was driving so had to settle for much water bottled at 1400m somewhere in Italy rather than something more interesting.
Today is a roast loin of pork day. We are told by the leaflet in the butcher that the pigs in question have had a very good life. It seems that access to trauma therapists is provided free, as part of the service. They also have a special wooded area for flirtations. Having got to me, five and a half pounds of meat makes nearly three hours in the Radiation Cook Book. We gave it two and a half hours which was slightly too long for my taste. Must make more allowance for the long thin boniness of this cut. Well set off by a beetroot sauce - beetroot puree flavoured with horseradish - acquired from a little Polish shop which has popped up in Garrett Lane. Good stuff which makes a change from the white creamy gear we usually get from Sainsbury - although oddly enough the recommendation came from someone who had come across the stuff in the huge Sainsbury at Vauxhall. Maybe more Poles to the square inch in that part of London.
For once no cabbage. Still tucking into the allotment leeks - from which, unusually, two small slugs had to be removed - together with un orgo carrots and fairly orgo brown rice.
Yesterday to Hampton Court to inspect the daffodills. Pleased to find that they have not decided to charge entrance this year despite the event being advertised in large sheets tied to the railings as Florimania or some such. Picked absolutely the right day this year with the daffodills in full flush. Even flickering in the wind - BH quoted some poem which used a better word but I can't remember what it was. Two tone effect with most of them planted organically, au naturelle, in the woods, but with some of them planted, one variety in a time, en masse in formal beds. They had also introduced some colour - blue and white - into the reproduction formal garden on the giant vine side, the garden being slightly blighted by something having got to the little box hedges around the beds. Probably the frost was too much for the tight clipping.
Exiting by the Lion gate - itself a mass of colour (hyacinths or primulas - it was little more than 24 hours ago but I can't remember what was there) - tried the Italian cafe next to the small garage. The dining room was a bit warm on first arrival but its windows overlooked Bushy Park which worked well. I settled for a spicy fish stew with rice called Jumbalayoo or some such. Very good with a decent amount of fish (mainly shell) - set off by good presentation and good service. Only catch was that I was driving so had to settle for much water bottled at 1400m somewhere in Italy rather than something more interesting.
Today is a roast loin of pork day. We are told by the leaflet in the butcher that the pigs in question have had a very good life. It seems that access to trauma therapists is provided free, as part of the service. They also have a special wooded area for flirtations. Having got to me, five and a half pounds of meat makes nearly three hours in the Radiation Cook Book. We gave it two and a half hours which was slightly too long for my taste. Must make more allowance for the long thin boniness of this cut. Well set off by a beetroot sauce - beetroot puree flavoured with horseradish - acquired from a little Polish shop which has popped up in Garrett Lane. Good stuff which makes a change from the white creamy gear we usually get from Sainsbury - although oddly enough the recommendation came from someone who had come across the stuff in the huge Sainsbury at Vauxhall. Maybe more Poles to the square inch in that part of London.
For once no cabbage. Still tucking into the allotment leeks - from which, unusually, two small slugs had to be removed - together with un orgo carrots and fairly orgo brown rice.
# posted by Jim @ 12:05 PM 
