Monday Cinco!
A brief list today: 1. I did eat bugs at the weekend, as foretold: buffalo worm pate (or smooshed up caterpillar to be technical). It looked like tapenade and was mild, savoury and a bit moreish on crostini. I like being at the crest of an exciting, paradigm-shifting wave. I also do stupid things for … Continue reading
Burns and other legends
If I were to describe the delicious, wonderful, humble sausage — all juicy and tender and flavoursome — as a pig’s grissle-bits stuffed in its own intestine, you would probably curl your lip and shudder slightly. Likewise, if you ever give serious thought to deep-fried chicken livers or steak and kidney pie, noses would wrinkle … Continue reading
Darkness & Light
Today, 21 December 2012, in Edinburgh the sun will come up at 8:42am. It will go down at 3:40pm. According to people who know such things, I will have 6 hours, 54 minutes and 33 seconds of day. It is easy to feel panicky this time of year. With shopping and parties and frantic getting-ready-ness. … Continue reading
Festive (Quick & Easy) Fudge
Sometimes Christmas presents are a conundrum, but this year takes the cake: my future step-in-laws. The cousins, aunts and uncles of a Bean’s new(ish) step-siblings, including The Baroness (I’m not kidding, the whole affair is honestly out of a novel). I’ve met them twice, including at the wedding. It’s going to be a hoot and … Continue reading
The Holiday Wishlist
Our hybrid holiday continues with treats and tunes and traditions from both our fair nations. Though, sourcing my Americano snackage is always a struggle. While it’s not impossible to get import goods — the Mexican deli runs a good trade in Reeces and flavoured popcorn, and the fancy department store stocks bourbon and poptarts in … Continue reading
The Holiday Spirit : Music
In my ongoing quest to encapsulate our varying British and American Christmas experiences, I’m mulling on seasonal songs. There is nothing that says Christmas to me so much as carols and festive tunes. There is a great tradition, both classical and pop, in both our adopted countries, and it always amazes me that nary the … Continue reading
The Holiday Spirit
While Christmas is constantly bemoaned as overly commercial and increasingly homogenous, I still thrill at little peculiarities, personal traditions, and culture clashes when it comes to St. Nick. I’m not the first, of course. May I strongly suggest you listen to David Sedaris muse on Christmas traditions, particularly in the Netherlands. 6 to 8 Black … Continue reading
Squash, the king of the season
The leaves are turning. The mornings are misty. I can see my breath when I sit in the window. …and I definitely have soup on the brain. This week, I bring you something sweet, but with bite. Something soft and romantic, with a hint of fiery passion. This is made for sharing on long, lazy … Continue reading
Culzean Castle
When Bean moved jobs last summer, his colleagues gave him membership to the National Trust for Scotland as a parting gift. Every property in their care from castles and gardens to ruins and abbeys is now free for us to visit as often as we like for a whole year. We’ve explored the properties close … Continue reading
Que Sera Sara? 