There's a strong wind this morning - a constant 50 mph pounding with gusts of up to 70. The window frames shudder under the onslaught. When I come downstairs and open the curtains Sophie can be found sprawled out on the floor. I know she's awake because her tail is gently swishing from side to side. The family diva takes the executive decision to sleep on for another ten minutes. The rug is soft, the room is warm and important decisions can wait until such time as breakfast is ready. Even the worlds greatest guard dog is allowed to cut herself a little slack.
So starts a Saturday morning with a Polish Lowland Sheepdog lady who is determined to enjoy every moment of her day. A trip into town for a coffee and a bacon roll now awaits. Angus has an eight am rendezvous with the barbers.
Every evening, over a glass of wine, we print out a menu and dine virtually. This is a habit we got into during the pandemic and still maintain. This menu has something called Pigeons in Pimlico. It's apparently an 18th century dish. https://mountstrestaurant.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DINNER-MOUNT-ST-MAIN-MENU-3-FEB.pdf How many diners would know what it is ?
13 comments:
I certainly didn't - and I still don't as the site I was taken to required I bought a subscription first ... and that's not going to happen! I did find a couple of recipes for cooking pigeon breasts -I expect they'd be a bit more gamey than chicken? And a deeper red fleshed? I enjoy duck, but I'm not sure I'd get excited about pigeon!
Does Sophie get the scrapings, or is she on a controlled diet?
There's nothing Nobby would enjoy than chasing a wind-blown bobble hat. But will Angus's new hair cut be North Sea gale proof?
I suspect that Angus will hide away in doors if the gales continue. With a lost bobble hat and a new "short back and sides" - there's no way to keep the ears warm. A fur-trappers hat might be more suitable if Arctic conditions prevail.
Sophie, of course, can't understand what all the fuss is about - it's lovely weather out there!
Soft rugs, warm rooms, a yogurt pot and chasing a bobble hat down a windy beach - who could ask for more? Perhaps a good haircut? May the rest of your day be as fine as its beginning.
Well, now I have to think your new tenants are behind the times, as this week's Wirecutter review in the New York Times focuses on electric kettles, a sure sign they have arrived in the US - https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-home-kettle/
Did Sophie catch Angus's hat or has he to invest in a new one? Hope the haircut suits.
May we all start our Saturday determined to every moment our day!
Just picturing an intrepid fashion-conscious curlew sporting a bobble hat...
Lisa in T - Thanks to the link to the NYT. The best rated brand is said to heat the water to the optimal temperature for making teas and coffees. Surely there is only one thing you would want an electric kettle to do which is boil water ? Is there a whole universe of American tea and coffee drinkers out there who make their brews with water that has not boiled ? Does this have some impact on the flavour or do they simply not want to wait for it to cool down ? We have also discovered from the cleaning lady ( who has a toddler the same age as the tenants ) that they have never seen egg cups before. I can't believe this to be true. How else would people eat boiled eggs ?
Angus, some years ago we were in France and at the hotel we encountered a group of Americans on a cycling tour. At the breakfast buffet they were totally bemused by the basket of eggs, a pot of boiling water and egg cups. My husband, who had more or less perfected a perfectly boiled egg, explained to them that the eggs in the basket were raw and exactly how to cook them, and for how long. Much hilarity later when one of the party peeled their egg and ended up with a mess of partially cooked egg - she had decided she didn't want to wait the 4 minutes recommended! My husband cooked one for her and then had to explain how to make "soldiers"!
Yeah, egg cups are not much used here in the US. Eggs are more often poached for about 3 minutes and often served "on" something - toast, hash, etc. Do the gale-force winds concern you in looking into building the "glass room?"
Rottrover - The garden room has large tripled glazed Swedish windows. It also has Swedish prices. The combination will hopefully make it 'weather proof '.
The Swedes have been at this (glass rooms in harsh weather) for a very long time! Looking forward to watching it come together!
Post a Comment