Me: ‘I’m practically a vegetarian.’ A: ‘Yeah, right.’ (Those two little words, both in the affirmative, tacked together in local vernacular become a loaded judgement, which is altogether negative and gently withering.) Me: ‘But I am!’ (Indignant) A: ‘What about the steak you had on Tuesday night?’ Me: ‘I only eat meat in restaurants.’ A: … Continue reading Bacon Roll
Friday’s vigorous washing and mopping of the stairs in my tenement resulted in me having an exercise hangover. It’s one of my quirks. Some years ago the doctor’s diagnosed me with chronic fatigue syndrome but it has since improved such that episodes like this are, thankfully, a rarity. I’m mildly fit, but fit for certain … Continue reading Fit For Nothing
Plain eating in January hasn't been much of an imposition for me after the feasting of Christmas. Whilst January has many drawbacks, reduced choice at the dinner table, just for a little while, is not one of them. After eating so well, it’s a welcome relief to settle down to a few weeks of plates … Continue reading Bread and Butter
Oh the quirks of living alone! One has all the scope, space and time one needs to acquire, then mature, the strangest habits; time to hothouse idiosyncrasies, let them run unchecked so that, when pointed out as peculiar, you have no idea what your accuser is talking about – like when you begin to see … Continue reading Dine In For One
Haggis is not to everyone’s taste; this is a well-known fact. It seems to be one of those foods against which people take a firm position despite never having tasted it. Although, when compared to the Chinese 100 year old egg, the Japanese Puffer fish or the Icelandic Hákarl (fermented shark), haggis begins to seem … Continue reading Haggis, Sporrans and Nachos
I’m back in Yorkshire for a few days. Mostly I’ve been in York itself, town of snickets and ginnels, inviting little passageways that you might call an alley, close, entry or vennel, depending upon where you come from. Last time I was down here was December and I could barely move through the narrow streets, … Continue reading Yorkshire
P. and E. hosted dinner in a city centre restaurant last night - right in the heart of Edinburgh. We were a party of about a dozen; of all ages, connected by blood and friendship. “Don’t we scrub up well?” E. declared, surveying the table. It was a night for best Indian shot silk, velvet … Continue reading Love Affair
Cheeses: I’ve been researching all of the different types, in other words, I’ve been tasting them. You see, I’m off the hook for cooking dinner on Christmas Day and I’m in charge of the cheeseboard. I’m happy with my task. I reckoned it would be an easy job: one blue, one hard, one soft - … Continue reading Vacherin
‘Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey’, you know the old Drifters’ song? It could be the anthem for Christmas as we enter the annual sugar-fest, gearing-up our already sugar-laden diet to push ourselves beyond the limit of what we know to be good for us. It all looks so pretty though, the shelves … Continue reading Sugar and Spice
Has saying grace before meals fallen out of favour? As a ‘learn-by-wrote’ prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating a meal, I get the feeling it’s a lot less said than it used to be. On the other hand, if we look upon grace as a statement of awareness, a word of thanks, … Continue reading Grace
