We’ve been on the move again. Our ultimate destination this time was Cornwall, but we had a few days in Hampshire first, with friends. A great highlight has been the day at the Hawk Conservancy. It ended up being just me and Junior-Senior, the others being a bit wiped-out with lurgy, and another little boy and his mother.
I have just returned from a five day silent retreat. Many of the people I know were somewhat horrified when I told them what I was going to do.
Music is so important in our lives at home, I wanted to write a little more about what that means to me.
It’s been a beautiful day. The mist burned away by 9 o-clock, and since then the sun has been beaming down on upon us from a perfectly blue sky such as children would paint. It has been a day for being out in the garden, which means that once the sun goes down, and the children have too, I will be condemned to hours on the computer to finish my work, but it will have been worth it.
We have a family birthday today, and the request has come in for homard (lobster) à l’Amoricaine. I had been to the fishmonger and put in a special order for two live lobsters last week, the other ingredients are lined up, and we are good to go.
There are many versions of course, but this is my family’s, and it is good. We always serve it with a pilaff of white long grain rice, with a little softened onion, and a green salad. If you are lucky there will be some sauce left over, and it is wonderful stirred into good spaghetti.
These are made with buckwheat flour (known as blé-noir, black wheat, or sarrasin in France), and are always served with savoury toppings (or simply with butter, but still as a savoury dish). I have used many recipes over the years, and this has been my favourite for sometime.
Junior-Junior has set me a challenge; he wants “pancakes for tea, pancakes for lunch, pancakes for snack and pancakes even for breakfast”. In a fit of weakness, I said yes. Of course we can’t make the same pancakes for every meal; even Jr-Jr would get bored of that, (probably). So we have a plan, and we’re going global.
In honour of Saint David’s day. Bara brith is the traditional “speckled bread” of Wales, and it is a perfect loaf cake for tea, or breakfast, or just because you want some.
Today is the 1st of March (you probably noticed), Saint David’s day. Saint David is the patron saint of Wales, land of song, rugby, daffodils, leeks, welsh cakes and bara brith.
