An English delight

Our first holiday together was in Cornwall where we went camping (in the loosest sense of the word, thanks to the spot with the electric supply, the George Foreman grill and the ipod speakers). Aside from the plethora of cornish pasties (I can't believe I went so many years not knowing that the twist at the end comes from making sure that the filling stays inside and that the whole thing can be eaten with one hand, the twisty bit of pastry at the end acting as a handle which was usually thrown away had it become dirty in the process), we had delicious seafood, a fillet steak which G still holds up in this top three and the super English tradition of...

... the cream tea.

Not much evidence left in the picture above, but it was probably the most perfect setting to stop on the coastal path and refuel with light scones, smooth, rich cream and homemade jam. There is a reason that scones are a staple on the food technology (or in my day, home economics) curriculum: they are darned tasty. The savoury yet sweet combination wins every time. Simplicty at its best.

And after a meal comes....

Following a long day of hiking and a fantastic meal with the wonderous Roz and Kamel in Petra, G had a very traditional Jordanian khawa (coffee) where the spoon was all but able to stand on its own. Now, he loves a good espresso does G, but this was a new experience all together. A good one, but one that made us wonder how something can taste so good when you are experiencing it in the country, and taste so different, so unlike anything you remember when back home.

Cardamon features heavily in traditional arab coffee and the smell took me back to my first experience of the coffee ceremony in Aswan, Egypt, as I read Adhaf Soueif's 'Map of Love' and gazed at the gathering fellucas at the edge of Elephantine Island.

You can try to find a recipe which works, to recreate the flavour and the memory of that moment. But the joy isn't simply in the pot, cup or bowl before you: it's in the bustling street outside, the heavy air which clings to your skin, or the pause where you get to sink back and actually expeience every flavour of the day. The joy of trying to recreate the taste is actually the joy of reliving it in your memory, and the joy of having the time to breathe in the experience you were fortunate enough to have in the first place.

Oh Chicago

G was very lucky: I surprised him with a trip to Chicago and New York for his 30th (and we happened to be there for my 30something too). Now, putting it bluntly, we both enjoy a good feed and it appears that if there is good food to be had then it is very likely that some of the good eatin' will be found in Chicago.

We'd heard a number of people mentioning this "awesome" popcorn place, but we discussed and reasoned and decided that, really, how good could popcorn be? During a busy (and cold) day sightseeing, we wandered in to the theatre district (just along from the city centre jail with the roof top jail garden?!), turned a corner and pondered on the long queue before us. Garretts Popcorn http://www.garrettpopcorn.com/ was open for business. And, boy, were they doing business. Popcorn business is booming in Chicago. Crowds of people formed orderly queues and discussed the various recipes they'd tried to come some way to matching the quirky taste of Garretts. But no one knew how, so they kept coming back for more 5 or 6.5 GALLON (yes, GALLON) bags of the prized Chicago mix.

The Chicago Mix - CaramelCrisp® & CheeseCorn™
The Chicago Mix is the culmination of our popcorn tradition! Our chefs gently blend CaramelCrisp® and CheeseCorn™ together to create The Garrett Mix. Take comfort in The Mix’s seductive sweetness and wholesome, savory cheesiness.

"That's just wrong!" you may cry. And we thought so too. But when in Chicago, do as the they do so we did and, well, suffice to say that the taste sensation was something to behold.

We went with the "normal" person's size and it was probably a good thing. For the next two days we both had slightly orange tinges to our fingertips (I imagine the 5 gallon fans will be arming yellow elbows!) and slightly guilty looks of pleasure: caramel and chesse. Wrong, but so, so right.

That evening, we headed for the train journey to New York, a gift from my folks for our birthdays. A small cabin had been booked, complete with fold down bunk beds, toilet, sink, and we were invited to spend the first hour in the VIP section for wine, cheese and biscuits. How very civilised. Our friendly meet and greeter sat us on a table with some other Brits and we greeted eachother with smiles and a shake of their slightly yellowed hands.

The husband grinned at our outstretched hands - "You found Garretts too!"