Hello Dear Readers..
Have YOU absorbed 'foreign' food into your life or do YOU eat only food from your own country?
Hugo and Constance had both had exposure to many different cuisines before SHE was born and SHE mostly ate Malaysian food until family came back to England in late December of 1953.
Back to England, with rationing still in force and no exotic fruits.. with a climate that was cold and wet, it was all a bit much for small little girl of not yet two and a half years old to take in.. English food was mostly certainly foreign to HER in December 1953!
Constance was born in Madras and although she was sent to England and France for her education, she cooked Northern and Southern Indian, French and some Malay food extremely well, Hugo knew North West Frontier food, he had spent WW2 up on frontier with 12th Frontier Force Regiment and for him and his youngest child.. oh.. hotter was best!
One day in late '50's Hugo and SHE had early lunch in small Indian restaurant in Seymour Place, London W1. Man came to take their order and asked another waiter in his language to bring jug of water to their table.
Hugo smiled at his daughter and then spoke in foreign language to this man.. who squealed with delight and clapped his hands.. much banter was bantered, next thing cook was out of kitchen and clasping Hugo to his chest.. out of all Indian restaurants in London to go into, they had walked into one where cook was soldier from HER father's old regiment.. They ate there A LOT until restaurant closed.
Family moved to East Kent when SHE was mid teens, Constance knew family that owned Whitstable Oyster Company.. oh, SHE has very happy memories of really fresh Oysters and their juice..
There is scrummydumptious food to be found in all sorts of places, there is a chain of small Chicken Restaurants called El Pollo Loco and SHE knows 'all is well' if SHE has a side dish of their Guacamole and White Corn chips and a plate of Chicken..
SHE has travelled a lot throughout America but has not had much opportunity to visit the south, so when invited to Charleston, SC, SHE was very happy to go.. Hostess had to fly back unexpectedly to New York but that was ok, SHE found Charleston to be an enchanting place, scale and buildings reminded HER of houses in Sandwich, Kent and food was delicious..
In England, variety of Tomatoes grown is not HUGE like in America, but finally Seed Merchants are beginning to bring in Heirloom Varieties.
So when season is ending and there are a few green tomatoes left, usually they are made into chutneys and certainly, until very recently, WE did not grow varities of GREEN Tomatoes.. but with title of film to mind, off SHE went in search of Fried Green Tomatoes.. and SHE found jurst heavenly food at JESTINE'S on Meeting Street in Charleston.. They were SO sweet to HER.. Where was SHE staying? Was SHE having a good time in their town.. Had SHE never eaten these before, truly!
They were wonderful.. both staff and Tomatoes!
They sent HER to an old naval place called THE FLEET on Concorde Street for supper.. good thing that SHE had to come home.. otherwise SHE would still be there, eating in those delicious places, meeting charming and hospitable people who were only too happy to recommend another place to 'go try'.
Say Paris and SHE thinks of le Restaurante du Marche, 59. rue Dantzig.. speciality Duck.
Mention Haut-Cagnes and it is Josy-Jo on rue Planastel that comes to mind and their exquite lamb..
If YOU have been concentrating whilst reading MY Blog, YOU will be aware that SHE lurves to cook all different 'types' of food and YOU will remember that there have been fights in el cantina over what food gets cooked and when.
But one thing that SHE has never yet tried to do or make is what Constance made as centre piece for HER 24th birthday dinner party. Buffet table beautifully laid, cutlery and glasses polished.. SHE had wanted to do an arrangement of flowers but Hugo said "Constance has a surprise for you, no flowers needed"..
Guests invited for pre-dinner drinks at 9.30 in evening.. oh, WE are talking Spanish dinner time.. SHE went to bathe and change, came up and Hugo asked if SHE would like a glass to start HER evening off.. He went into yumyum hq to get a bottle and SHE followed him.. and squealed wirh delight!
For there was one of HER mother's masterpieces.. a SUGAR CRYSTAL dish full of fruit.
Dear Readers, YOu may not know what this is.. YOU take sugar and YOU boil it until it reaches a certain temperature, then YOU take a spoonful and working onto a greased upturned bowl or plate, YOU spin moltent sugar like glass.. have to work very quickly, backwards forwards, covering bowl to make sugar crystal bowl which will hold fruit or sweets..
SHE has never seen anyone else do it.. it could be as ancient as mid 1600's when cooking was getting very fancy.. maybe it is 'Foreign'.. Maybe, one day SHE will do it herself..
Foreign food? All food, as long as it is cooked properly is YUMYUM to ME!
GeeGee Parrot.
July 30th, 2012.
Have YOU absorbed 'foreign' food into your life or do YOU eat only food from your own country?
Hugo and Constance had both had exposure to many different cuisines before SHE was born and SHE mostly ate Malaysian food until family came back to England in late December of 1953.
Back to England, with rationing still in force and no exotic fruits.. with a climate that was cold and wet, it was all a bit much for small little girl of not yet two and a half years old to take in.. English food was mostly certainly foreign to HER in December 1953!
Constance was born in Madras and although she was sent to England and France for her education, she cooked Northern and Southern Indian, French and some Malay food extremely well, Hugo knew North West Frontier food, he had spent WW2 up on frontier with 12th Frontier Force Regiment and for him and his youngest child.. oh.. hotter was best!
One day in late '50's Hugo and SHE had early lunch in small Indian restaurant in Seymour Place, London W1. Man came to take their order and asked another waiter in his language to bring jug of water to their table.
Hugo smiled at his daughter and then spoke in foreign language to this man.. who squealed with delight and clapped his hands.. much banter was bantered, next thing cook was out of kitchen and clasping Hugo to his chest.. out of all Indian restaurants in London to go into, they had walked into one where cook was soldier from HER father's old regiment.. They ate there A LOT until restaurant closed.
Family moved to East Kent when SHE was mid teens, Constance knew family that owned Whitstable Oyster Company.. oh, SHE has very happy memories of really fresh Oysters and their juice..
There is scrummydumptious food to be found in all sorts of places, there is a chain of small Chicken Restaurants called El Pollo Loco and SHE knows 'all is well' if SHE has a side dish of their Guacamole and White Corn chips and a plate of Chicken..
SHE has travelled a lot throughout America but has not had much opportunity to visit the south, so when invited to Charleston, SC, SHE was very happy to go.. Hostess had to fly back unexpectedly to New York but that was ok, SHE found Charleston to be an enchanting place, scale and buildings reminded HER of houses in Sandwich, Kent and food was delicious..
In England, variety of Tomatoes grown is not HUGE like in America, but finally Seed Merchants are beginning to bring in Heirloom Varieties.
So when season is ending and there are a few green tomatoes left, usually they are made into chutneys and certainly, until very recently, WE did not grow varities of GREEN Tomatoes.. but with title of film to mind, off SHE went in search of Fried Green Tomatoes.. and SHE found jurst heavenly food at JESTINE'S on Meeting Street in Charleston.. They were SO sweet to HER.. Where was SHE staying? Was SHE having a good time in their town.. Had SHE never eaten these before, truly!
They were wonderful.. both staff and Tomatoes!
They sent HER to an old naval place called THE FLEET on Concorde Street for supper.. good thing that SHE had to come home.. otherwise SHE would still be there, eating in those delicious places, meeting charming and hospitable people who were only too happy to recommend another place to 'go try'.
Say Paris and SHE thinks of le Restaurante du Marche, 59. rue Dantzig.. speciality Duck.
Mention Haut-Cagnes and it is Josy-Jo on rue Planastel that comes to mind and their exquite lamb..
If YOU have been concentrating whilst reading MY Blog, YOU will be aware that SHE lurves to cook all different 'types' of food and YOU will remember that there have been fights in el cantina over what food gets cooked and when.
But one thing that SHE has never yet tried to do or make is what Constance made as centre piece for HER 24th birthday dinner party. Buffet table beautifully laid, cutlery and glasses polished.. SHE had wanted to do an arrangement of flowers but Hugo said "Constance has a surprise for you, no flowers needed"..
Guests invited for pre-dinner drinks at 9.30 in evening.. oh, WE are talking Spanish dinner time.. SHE went to bathe and change, came up and Hugo asked if SHE would like a glass to start HER evening off.. He went into yumyum hq to get a bottle and SHE followed him.. and squealed wirh delight!
For there was one of HER mother's masterpieces.. a SUGAR CRYSTAL dish full of fruit.
Dear Readers, YOu may not know what this is.. YOU take sugar and YOU boil it until it reaches a certain temperature, then YOU take a spoonful and working onto a greased upturned bowl or plate, YOU spin moltent sugar like glass.. have to work very quickly, backwards forwards, covering bowl to make sugar crystal bowl which will hold fruit or sweets..
SHE has never seen anyone else do it.. it could be as ancient as mid 1600's when cooking was getting very fancy.. maybe it is 'Foreign'.. Maybe, one day SHE will do it herself..
Foreign food? All food, as long as it is cooked properly is YUMYUM to ME!
GeeGee Parrot.
July 30th, 2012.
Makes me want to be there, in all those lovely places. So nice to have a food guide.
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