Get me. I'm boiling milk for Pots au Chocolat. This is the kid friendly pudding for Burns Night. The grown ups are having Cranachan.
A late night sweep round Tesco has me surrounded by many many tubs of double cream, and vanilla, slabs of chocolate, a bottle of whisky and butter. One look in my shopping basket could have given a nutritionist a heart attack.
It's OK; there are no nutritionists in Cheesetown.
Step one on the Pots au Chocolate: bring cream and milk to the boil. And Proust got this thing right - a smell and a taste can take you right back. Watching the bubbles around the edge of the pan of milk I remember making coffee for my dad. "Coffee" was one of the first things I was taught to make. Coffee in those days was boiled milk poured over Nescafe granules. Three spoonfuls of sugar for my dad. Made it every night for him. He wasn't going to sleep at night anyways.
The trick was to catch the milk just as it was boiling up - made it frothy you see.
Cranachan is made by adding malt whisky to whipped cream. Whisky was Wayne's drink. The smell of it takes me right back to the whisky tasting sessions in Aberdeen; nights finishing off a bottle of Laphroaig with Paul and El Rocko; Talisker (mutually agreed to be the best malt) finished in Madrid (because a job worth doing...etc), and the all day walk to get to the distillery on Skye.
My dad died over 20 years ago before I was grown up enough to say sorry. He was 60.
Wayne died over a year ago before I could make it alright again.
Call this Auld Lang Syne then.
29 January 2011 at 11:42
I haven't had an all milk coffee in ages. It is a bit special.
I often have milk and whisky at bedtime, and I dunk a digestive biscuit. Delish.
Sx
29 January 2011 at 11:48
Scarlet - If I were ever to find biccy porridge at the bottom of a coffee cup, rest assured I'd have a Proustian moment remembering you too.
29 January 2011 at 16:39
The Financial Services place where I work Wednesdays and Thursdays, is right near the airport. If the wind is right, I smell the aviation fuel. I'm a small child again, waiting to see Daddy in his captain's uniform.
Yeah, I know those moments.
One of the good things about being a parent myself, is that I now understand what it's like. I also understand that forgiveness is included in the package too. Your dad knows.
And as for Wayne, what a loving thing to do for him. He's knows too. Some things don't require words.
29 January 2011 at 18:41
A friend had a Lurcher called Talisker. She died last year. The Lurcher, that is.
30 January 2011 at 13:51
Ah, the days when boiled milk and Nescafe granules was the height of luxury. Not to mention spam and toad in the hole.
Mmm, I'd love to try some Cranachan, it sounds delicious.
30 January 2011 at 15:35
Roses - If my dad is looking down he probably spends a lot of his days muttering "Told you so.."
Rog - And now your neighbour's got a cat called Vladivar??
Nick - Cranachan = cream, whiskey raspberries and oatmeal. What's not to like?? Unless of course you really really want a spam fritter...
30 January 2011 at 19:41
Need to come round to yours for tea then. And it's always alright, no matter if we say it or not.
31 January 2011 at 07:39
Mme DeF - ANY excuse to bake a cake!
31 January 2011 at 09:29
You have just taken me right back .. making coffee that way...and about your Dad and Wayne? what roses said.....
31 January 2011 at 21:20
Libby - ALL the good cooking tips are here....
31 January 2011 at 23:31
That's a lovely way to remember them. Pass the madelaines please.
1 February 2011 at 14:24
I'm reading this on a day when I need to make it alright again for somebody.
Have a hug for yourself while I'm at it.
2 February 2011 at 20:35
Pat - It'll need to be madeleines... there's no cranachanleft....
Mr Musgrove - Food might help... do you want a recipe for scones??
4 February 2011 at 13:03
No one dies before you can say what you want---
I may not be a religious man but I belive that you can talk forever and they are bound to listen.
Now I see total love here--you have a recipe for scones--I hope that is cheese and mustard scones that my granny used to bake in her wood oven ?
6 February 2011 at 22:38
A hand-made steak and ale pie helped enormously, thanks. It's a good job I have at least one skill about me. :)
8 February 2011 at 00:16
If Proust had cooked, Rememberance of Things Past would have had at least 6 more volumes.
15 February 2011 at 14:52
Hello sweetie, just popping by to say hello.
Sx
20 February 2011 at 11:00
Happy Sunday honey.
Just saying 'hello' and 'read your e-mail'.
xxxx
13 March 2011 at 17:57
Where have you got to gorgeous? Are you okay?
15 March 2011 at 21:45
Hello? Hello?
Is this thing on?
*taps microphone*
Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3...
*sings*
Alll by myse-ey-ey-elf...
Don wanna bee....
20 March 2011 at 20:11
Yeay!!!!! THE BROADBAND IS WORKING... THE BROADBAND IS WORKING....
Settles down with a large well deserved gin before going off to check on unread blogs....