Curious Diamond Jubilee Spamwich

As the Queen celebrates the 60th year of her reign, the Caravan Club is celebrating its 105th birthday. The organisation reckons that as this year is going to have so many street parties, summer picnics and caravanning holidays, it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce a Caravan Club Sandwich.

One of their members, Samantha Haas, has created a recipe that she feels is perfect for 2012 (see right). I’m not so sure myself, as it includes margarine, Danish salami, cheese, onion and mint sauce… eek!




Now I don’t want to get on the wrong side of the internet regulatory authorities by mentioning Spam, but I’ve been wondering which dishes to make for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations myself, and anything involving this curiously retro ingredient seems rather appropriate – and certainly (even though it's an American import), more associated with our British heritage than salami..

So I’ve come up with an important new recipe for 2012 - The Curious Diamond Jubilee Spamwich. The ingredients are as follows:


 
Two slices of Hovis bread
A dollop of Heinz salad cream
Two Epicure pickled gherkins - sliced
One generous slice of Spam
One leaf of Webb’s Wonder lettuce


You can make this easily yourself at home, using these or any quantities of the ingredients required. You can even add your own personal twist – like toasted with a slathering of Marmite – a version that is especially tasty after an evening at the local pub. 

To get into the Jubilee spirit, why not serve this on a vintage commemorative plate celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897. They're quite a rarity, but one is available at ShopCurious… Order by Friday morning and we’ll make sure it reaches you in time for your Bank Holiday weekend Spamfest.

Will you?

Let them eat Dodo cake...

Last night’s Experimental Food Society event at the Victoria and Albert Museum was full of surprises – even for ShopCurious.

Curious culinary trends included food landscapes and architecture, vegetable cupcakes and edible fashion.

But it was remarkable sugar artist and cake sculptor, Michelle Wibowo, who stole the show. Who would ever have imagined that a curiously cute kid with a passion for baking would grow up to create a severed head cake for a Halloween birthday party?


























Wibowo's latest curiosity cake creation was a giant Dodo, made especially for the Experimental Food Society’s annual ‘Spectactular’ in London last weekend. I say was, because last night we ate it.

And here she is performing the cutting ceremony:

I bet you want to know what Dodo tastes like?

Do you?

Food, style and brains...

Eating out isn’t just about the food. Presentation is also a significant part of the overall culinary experience. The way dishes are put together on a plate has become something of an art. Of course, it helps if the tableware is aesthetically appealing too.








Fresh ingredients, artfully arranged on a plain white plate, can look very appetizing (though excuse my foot, which crept into one of these shots).







Masters of Asian Fusion style, like Nobu, can turn a simple soup into a beautiful work of art.

Rustic plates in earthy coloured glazes (see below) add to the allure of the dishes.



















But ultimately, it’s still the taste that counts. The rather curious looking sloppy brown goo (pictured right) on my plate at the Chelsea Arts Club the other night was absolutely delicious – even though I was a little put off by the thought of eating brains…

I’ll certainly remember the first time I sampled the rather unusual dish of 'curried calves brain, cauliflower puree, rocket and capers'.





If you enjoy cooking up memories, you’ll love this curiously clever food journal from ShopCurious. By the way, whose culinary skills do you most admire?

Do you?

PS Read about the office lunch of the future in my RetroProgressive column this week.

Egg curiosities: from sublime to strange

Happy Easter!

Easter Eggs were originally a pagan symbol of the rebirth of nature in celebrations of spring, but were adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. Eggs favoured include painted hen’s eggs and chocolate or candy filled varieties.

As we’re adopting something of a royal theme this week, I thought I’d also mention Fabergé eggs:



This year, over a hundred masterpieces by Peter Carl Fabergé, the greatest Russian jeweller and goldsmith of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will go on display in a special exhibition at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace (23 July - 3 October 2011). Royal Fabergé will demonstrate how six successive generations of the British Royal Family, from Queen Victoria to The Queen and The Prince of Wales, have shaped the finest collection of Fabergé in the world in terms of size, range and quality.

Items on show will include the Mosaic Imperial Easter Egg acquired by Queen Mary and King George V, 1933, shown left.

And the Basket of Flowers Imperial Easter Egg, 1901 (right) - the style of which reminds me of a rather lovely mother of pearl egg at ShopCurious. (Photographs from The Royal Collection (c) 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II)

Also distinctive and unusual, though a little more commonplace, are pickled eggs. Curiously reminiscent of medical specimens, these are often to be found on the shelves of British fish and chip shops, or sometimes behind the counter at selected pubs. If you’re tempted to pickle your own, a curious website called Egg Pub, offers a basic DIY recipe.



And for the very brave there’s also a spiced up version involving Scotch bonnet peppers.

Both Fabergé and pickled eggs are probably something of an acquired taste, but if offered a choice, I know which variety I’d go for.

Do you?

Curiosities in the kitchen?

This Shrove Tuesday many of us will be delving into our cupboards in search of long forgotten foodstuffs like flour, honey or maple syrup for our pancakes. We’ll possibly find a few curiosities along the way: I unearthed a bottle of pickled walnuts and some mouldy peanut butter… yum!






Eating habits have become much more adventurous over the past couple of decades. Even the French, though fiercely protective of their classic style cuisine, seem to be experimenting more.

I’m not a fan of creperies, which seem to have escaped the 21st century altogether, but the traditional French style café with its checked tablecloths and eclectic mix of local clientele is making a valiant effort to present food in a more arty and appealing manner.



And new restaurants are going directly for the novelty factor. Like the Mini Palais – a cabinet of curiosities housed in the Grand Palais art and exhibition space.









With mysterious wall hangings, shelves of antiquities and unusually dramatic lighting effects, this is where eating out meets theatre.






Best of all is the food, which is some of the tastiest and most inventive I’ve sampled in Paris for a long time – even the bread is divinely different. You’ll have to try it…









Or you could always create your own unique ambience. If you’re looking add a touch of quirky retro character to your dining table, may I suggest this collectable Carlton Ware curiosity cruet set at ShopCurious, which is cleverly shaped like a mushroom.










Great for all the condiments required for Pancake Day. Though I’m not sure you'll be needing the French mustard...

Will you?

Last of the Summer sun?

When I saw the photos of Lenorenevermore’s day at the beach in the sun (with fiddly oysters), I felt compelled to revisit my own snaps from last weekend in Cornwall. Am I a masochist or what?

Obviously, I’d paid extra for a room with a sea view. And here is my prime view from a deluxe room. Of course, this is not just fog… this is Cornish fog.

Us Brits are hardy folk - we'd barely bat an eyelid in a hurricane, but once in a while, too much bad weather can get to us.



Anyway, I calmed myself by watching a local fisherman bring in his catch. He’d come back early due to the unfavourable conditions out at sea, though had still managed to pot four trays full of rather lively looking crabs. When he told me how little he’d be selling them for I nearly keeled over.












I’m probably becoming a bit crabby as I get older, but sometimes the prices at ‘quaint’ hotels and restaurants in the middle of nowhere are so astronomical it makes me very curious… If you’ve ever been to Cornwall, you might have noticed the prices creeping up over the years, in much the same fashion as a Cornish fog. So plateau de fruits de mer at £58 a pop is not uncommon.





Ever since Olga Polizzi took over the Tresanton Hotel in St Mawes, the prices of property and hotel rooms in the Roseland Peninsula have sky-rocketed. Of course, St Mawes has always been known as ‘Belgravia-on-sea’ and considered even posher than Padstein, or any other of the northern Cornish Cameroons.








But the St Mawes effect has spread its tentacles all around the coast, leaving almost no part unaffected by London level prices. Which is kind of odd - considering where Cornwall is in the UK, and the availability of crabs…and the fog.








Thankfully, there are still some havens of sense amidst the smugglers’ stew. Whether it’s moules mariniere, fish and chips, or crab and crusty bread you’re looking for, I’d suggest a visit to the Pandora at Restronguet Creek for hearty seafood fare at good old fashioned prices. And if you’re shopping for bargains, remember to check out the ShopCurious sale too, because next week it’s all change - with new stock and wonderful Winter curiosities for the coming colder months.

Typical that now our Summer holidays are over, the sun’s come out again – albeit with a marked autumnal chill in the air. Never mind, there’s always next year to look forward to.

Are you?

Non-salad days

Have you ever had one of those days when you’re feeling pretty dreadful and possibly a little hung over, (as I was after an evening out with friends who were over from Dubai) and, to make up for it, you eat you eat and eat… and EAT!








I can’t tell you what I had for breakfast because I don’t actually remember, but I’d imagine it was somethingorother comforting like Marmite on toast. Then I had a meeting at Borough Market. A cup of coffee hardly ever passes my lips, but on this occasion it was very strong, neat stuff with sugar.




Afterwards, I suddenly felt like exploring the market, but I couldn’t cast my eyes beyond the signs for pig farmers and free bones (presumably for dogs, or stock, rather than weird voodoo ceremonies).











Focusing on the burly guys chopping up racks of ribs and tearing dead animals apart was well nigh impossible in my fragile state.


However, some of the more voluble stall holders managed to lure me over to try out some curries.











Yes, at 11.0 am I was sampling the delights of Thai and Malaysian chicken dishes, full of spices and …



by the time I reached the Caribbean curry my vision was somewhat out of focus and I was beginning to feel a little queasy (though don’t get me wrong guys, the flavours were totally delicious!)








Next port of call was a café on the main road, where I steadied myself with a mid-morning vegetarian calzone toasted sandwich. Yum.








Actually any carbs would have done the trick, but this certainly hit the spot and I was ready to make the trip back to my office, where I polished off a bag of salt and vinegar crisps on arrival.




You’re probably feeling as ill as I was by now, just reading this. Nevertheless, I put in a good afternoon’s work before heading off for … a fish and chip supper at Lord’s Cricket Ground. Perfect!








Armed with my curiously cheap ticket, I entered the hallowed ground, where men strode purposefully towards dinner.








Although dizzy with expectation, it was probably not a good idea to look up at the towering floodlights...












However, the space age stands and media centre were really impressive. Not sure what the bell is for.








Inside was… fish and (not so authentic or hand cut) chips with divinely mushy peas. I didn’t really want you to see the dollop of butter on the side of my plate - evidence that I'd greedily tucked into some bread beforehand too...



And all watched over by arty portraits of cricketing heroes like Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Viv Richards, Imran Khan, Inzamam-ul-Haq and this curiously cricket ball coloured, bare-chested man below, who I think is Brian Lara?









The only thing missing was vinegar.





It was such a pleasure to retire home to bed, though on the way back I stopped to admire this wonderful monument to the marvellously curious game – now also played at night.

It really was rather special and worth remembering – perhaps in a Cooking up Memories journal from ShopCurious. Do check out these lovely books – they’re great as gifts and are totally priceless.

By the way, have you ever had one of those days? Surely I’m not the only one - do tell...

Will you?