Our mother would take us out for meals occasionally when we were children. Sometimes it was Indian, but mostly Chinese. I like the flavours, the textures, the combination of ingredients. Duck with hoisin sauce, chicken chow mein, special fried rice, beef with spring onions and black bean sauce. All kinds of other things. I just like it, although I have read that the Chinese food in the UK is not authentic.
Mom got us to use chop sticks which added to the unique and special feeling it was to eat out. In those days the only other form of Chinese food was Vesta Chow mein which came in a box and you added hot water to it I think, and fried prawn crackers. But they were good memories.
Just back from Llandudno in Wales where my sister bought me a Welsh fruit loaf for a treat. I just had a couple of slices with some butter and a cup of tea. Very nice. Apparently it’s lost favour with younger people but I’d urge you to try it.
Wikipedia says :
History:
Bara Brith derived its name from the Welsh language, bara meaning bread and brith translating as speckled. It was traditionally made in farmhouses by adding fruit, sugar and spices to the basic bread dough to make a sweet treat for special occasions. It has subsequently been used as a colloquialism—to “over spice the Bara Brith” means to do something to excess.
We got two loaves from a little tea and cake shop in Llandudno.
Jelly powder or cubes to make up about a pint of jelly. Choose your favourite flavour.
Fresh fruit, I use raspberries, blueberries or strawberries.
Blancmange powder or if preferred custard powder to make a pint.
Pint of milk.
Two tablespoons sweetner or sugar.
Fresh double cream, choose how much you want.
Toppings, can be glace cherries, or chocolate sprinkled on top or hundreds and thousands.
Make up a pint of jelly /sugar free jelly with about 3/4 of a pint of boiling water and a little slosh of port or sherry and add raspberries or blueberries or strawberries or a mixture of all three (I don’t use sponge fingers as they are too sugary.).
Let cool then store in the fridge overnight to set thoroughly.
Next mix blancmange powder or custard powder with a small amount of milk from a pint and sugar or sweetener to taste.
Put the rest of the milk on to boil, as it starts to boil carefully pour into the custard or blancmange powder mix, stir it in and then pour back into the pan, bring to the boil while stirring and let it thicken on the hob over about a minute.
Turn off the heat and let it cool. To stop it being too hot to pour onto the jelly (it will melt) place the pan of custard/blancmange into a larger pan of cold water (without getting the mixture wet) this allows it to cool, stir it every few minutes to stop it going lumpy and setting. When it is cool enough pour over the jelly.
Finally whisk the cream into stiff peaks and put on top of the custard/blancmange.
The sugar free version is nice to have if you are diabetic but still want a treat.
Serve in nice glass bowls if you can. This gives 6 good sized portions.
Scone, jam, cream and hot chocolate with massive marshmallows! My treat for getting out of the house with my friend after being stuck indoors for a few days. It was very creamy. An overdose of cholesterol. I liked the willow pattern bowl the xlotted cream was in. The sun was shining and it felt really summery.
Credit Moorlands eater photo of a Staffordshire Oatcake.
Today is Staffordshire Oatcake day. According to Google:
“Oatcake Day is celebrated annually on August 8th to honor Staffordshire and its famous oatcake. The day began in 2010. Some people celebrate by visiting Staffordshire Oatcakes in Hanley to learn how the Potteries staple is made. Others share their oatcake creations on social media using the hashtag #StaffordshireDay.”
Basically the Staffordshire Oatcake is a thin pancake style flat tasty disk made of oatmeal flour, yeast, water and possibly other ingredients. It is cooked on a hot griddle in a thin layer so it ends up looking a bit like a lace doily but with fewer holes. You can buy a dozen or half a dozen to take home, or if you get them from an oatcake shop you can have them with various toppings. Mostly cheese and bacon, or bacon and mushroom. My favourite is sausage, cheese and tinned tomatoes. Sometimes with a bit of brown sauce. You can also eat them hot with butter and jam, but that’s probably not acceptable behaviour! And rolled or folded? That’s your choice!
Definitely a Staffordshire specialty. Not to be confused with Scottish oatcakes which are smaller and thicker.
Local artist, poet and author, Arthur Berry wrote “Ode to the Oatcake”…
What’s the most money you’ve ever spent on a meal? Was it worth it?
I went to a Chinese restaurant recently in my home town. We spent a little more than usual. Possibly double the cost than I usually pay? I don’t go out very often anymore unless it’s for a coffee or tea. It was a real treat and gave me a chance of using chopsticks for a change.
The food came in a few courses, starter, then soup, various main selections with rice, then a tasty dessert. Unfortunately I can’t remember the names of the various dishes. But they were all well presented, colourful, and well spiced. It was definitely worth it. I don’t have any photos of the food. It was too nice to waste time on taking pictures.
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?
I’d like to invite Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Carl Sagan and Richard Feynman.
I don’t know if I would be able to understand any conversation between them. But I have noticed that the three men seemed to have funny senses of humour. The two I know most about were Feynman (one of his books is Surely you’re joking Mr Feynman) and Sagan (who wrote Cosmos and Contact among other books).
All of them were interesting people and I hope they would take pity on my lack of knowledge of Physics and the other sciences. Maybe it would be a difficult meal to host. I would research the food they liked and try and replicate it, but I would have to be careful not to cause them stomach problems!
Anyway it’s never going to happen. Fun imagining the guest list though.
Noodles and beansprouts in a spicy sauce with dim sum.?
Enjoyed a lovely meal with a friend. The first time I’ve been to the Thai restaurant since my hubby passed away in December. We didn’t stay very long because memories hurt and I just felt a bit overwhelmed by them. The owner of the restaurant had found a drawing I had done of my hubby when we were there a few years ago. She got it out and put a glass of lager next to it as a sort of memorial. X
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?
I once went for a meal and decided to try Lobster thermidore. It was cooked with a mild cheese and wine sauce.
I don’t know how it was cooked, it was a special treat, but I’m glad I tried it.
I think its 15 to 20 years since I tried it but I still remember it. It was tasty and rich. But I wouldn’t be able to afford it now.
I guess, anything could be delicious if you have not had it before. If you don’t have money or resources you may never get to eat anything than the basic food, that you eat everyday if you are lucky. I’m not sure if I would eat it again now I think about their situation.
Mallaband-Brown 