It being St Valentine's Day and all that, there I was hoping for a candlelit meal, some chocolates, or maybe wine and roses. A card would be nice too. The nation has gone into sappy overdrive and there is a premium on anything red - but up here in the small mountain kingdom of Trelystan it's the same old, same old. Sigh.After 35 years when romantic gestures have been kept to a minimum I doubt if the Glam.Ass. is going to change now, so his invitation to stroll round 'Tuffin's Mega Car Boot Sale' was about as good as it was going to get. The sun was shining on the few stalwarts who had laid out their wares - a mixture of pure tat and serendipitous treasure. Better make the most of it then.
Plenty of toys - love this colourful gridlock.
.....and pots and pans. Ideal for cooking the plain, robust and dreary scoff I found in this little recipe book. The Veritas-Perfection & Quick Meal Oil Cooker might have been the microwave of its day (though I suspect not). Here we have some inspiring ideas that 'madam' could expect her 'cook' to bring to table. Oh dear....rarely have so many unimaginative recipes been committed to paper. The recipe for Scotch Broth, calling as it does for '1 sheep's head' is particularly unappealing; do click for a gorge-rising moment. (Surely any recipe which begins 'Remove all slimy parts and nostrils from the head...' makes one consider vegetarianism?)
My eye is caught by a recipe for muffins - I've made blueberry muffins this very afternoon using a recipe from the sainted Delia's 'Summer Collection.' I am in the mood to compare - and contrast. Well - it's not that dissimilar; butter, sugar, flour, milk and egg are roughly the same in quantity. And an egg's an egg, non? But baking powder? The sainted Delia decrees a level ¼ teaspoonful while the Veritas-Perfection cook will spoon in an oven-roof-lifting 4 whole tsps of the stuff. Dynamite.
Finally - how about this insouciant hunk? Tuffin's Car Boot seems to have cornered the market in Action Men - most of them are stripped bare and naked and lie twisted in boxes labelled 'everything 50p'. This guy's loud and proud.Wasn't there somebody in Wham that looked a bit like that?
Don't think I have the energy to ask him to be my Valentine. How sad is that?
10 comments:
No mad gestures over on this side of the pond either, but then I like my professions of love to be rather low key - a trip to a flea market, unasked-for would suit me just fine. This morning it was coffee and toast together in the kitchen.
I think I'll skip the Scotch Broth in your recipe book - I don't clean fish, let alone sheep's head!
It's been ages since I went to Tuffins car boot... The last time I went I had to park in the field, which is probably why I haven't been since. (My little KA doesn't take kindly to fields & unseen pot-holes!).
I think that book would send me veggy! A trip to Barcelona nearly did when I saw a jellied sheep's head in a food market!
Would you like one Mrs DF's chocolates?
Not to worry, he is your Valentine.
As someone who does have memories of romance from past decades (and they are good memories) it's quite fun to read a post like this about what it might be to have years with someone you love, and who loves you, and that you and he still find humor on Valentine's Day.
I'd like to send lots of Valentine's Day wishes to both of you!
xo
Your Glam Ass makes glorious garden baskets and pizza ovens so he's forgiven for a hallmark card and a flea market sounds GREAT - I love them and could mooch for hours on end. Sounds like you had a great day! X
ps: Americans can't possibly poo-poo the sheeps head soup. They sell pigs feet in jars here.
Hmm I imaigne flour may have been different when your tasty treats cooking pamphlet was printed. French flour needs a crate load of raising agent to get it to rise at all and it isn't as refined as Englsh flour so perhaps that is the reason! Oh how I miss car boot sales! Soudns romantic to me!
Love the thought of the Scotch broth....ugh! Here it is quite common to see a head of something on the meat counter, I've never wanted to get too close.
I was used to Spanish markets where everything but the pig's squeak is beautifully arranged for you to decide exactly what any given recipe would benefit from , be it a pig's ear , a calf's
foot or a selection of fresh and salted bones .
In Holland one is lucky to find anything but chops and a request for oxtail is met with disbelief .
But I might hesitate to wipe a sheep's nose .
Amazingly a cellophane entangled bunch of vivid chrysanths and a couple of roses appeared at lunch time on this side of the valley! Still getting over the shock! Now did I ever tell you about my expreience with a pigs head? No? I'll keep it until the 5th then - its foul but funny!
That recipe made my gorge rise YUK. But i really think you ought to have bought all those pots and pans for ME..
No romance here either. xo se you soon
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