Coronation supper
Like much of my cooking,
it tasted better than it looked.
What a day! The first British
coronation in seventy years and the Kentucky Derby! I come by my fascination
with the coronation naturally. My father was born in Canada, served in the
Canadian army with British troops during WWI (honest! That long ago!) and was
a dedicated Anglophile all his life. When I was growing up, we ate a lot of lamb
and potatoes, sang “Annie Laurie” around the piano on Sunday nights, and traced our Scottish
heritage back to Gilles McBain, the hero of the battle (slaughter?) at Culloden.
I remember being wakened at
three or so in the morning to listen to Elizabeth’s coronation on a scratchy
radio. At thirteen or fourteen, the significance escaped me, but I sensed from
Dad that it was a momentous occasion. This time I confess I didn’t get up—live coverage
was just ending when I turned on the TV this morning, but I will watch for
re-runs tonight. (A note later: there was no special coverage later in the day--what a disappointment.)
This time, there was a noisy
anti-monarchy faction among the throngs cheering the king. They wore yellow
outfits and shouted, “Not my king!” I dismissed them as low-lifes with no
class. I know the arguments—the monarchy is outdated, the royals live in luxury
while Brits pay high taxes to support their lifestyle. What critics fail to
recognize is that being a part of “the company” is hard work, with countless
charitable appearances required—and donations made. They do many good things not just in England but throughout the world. Beyond that, I like the
symbolism of the monarchy: it stands for unity, something that holds a country
together (most of the country anyway). In America, where we are so divided, we
need something like that that reminds us we are one country, loyal to each
other and to our country. Besides, and maybe this is my heritage, I love the ceremony
and pageantry.
Having those two events on the
same day presented the kind of cooking dilemma I cherish. Should I cook
coronation chicken salad or Kentucky Hot Browns? I chose the chicken salad,
although the British royals eschewed it today in favor of a quiche—how pedestrian!
The chicken salad is in my fridge as I write. It is made with lots of the
flavors of India, reminiscent of the days when the British Empire stretched
from one horizon to the next—curry, chutney, raisins, and toasted almonds (yes,
I had to toast two batches because I burned the first).
My fridge also holds pea
salad, one of those things that I usually make from scratch without a recipe.
But when I came across a recipe, I decided to follow it—after all, I had never
put vinegar and Worcestershire in pea salad. The recipe began
with instructions to cook bacon. I did but with some reluctance. I’m not all
that sure about bacon in pea salad. When I got to the end, you combine
everything but the bacon, chill for hours, and add the bacon just before serving.
So why cook it hours ahead? I had a bacon sandwich for lunch and decided against
adding it tonight!
Kentucky Hot Browns are a draw
though, and I may have to do them soon. Open-faced sandwiches with turkey and
tomato, slathered with Mornay sauce, and topped with bacon—there It is again,
but this time more appropriate to the dish. Of course, if you eat a Hot Brown,
you should drink a Mint Julep. Not being a racing fan (all those dead horses!),
I usually watch the high-tension two minutes at home and don’t go to parties. But
I did one year, drank not one but two (they taste so good), and was home in bed
by six o’clock. Lethal!
Later in the evening
My coronation chicken salad
was delicious—flavors I never would think of, but they worked well together. I
loved it. And the pea salad, with no bacon, was good. Jean announced pea salad
was one of the few things she doesn’t like but she would eat mine, so I have
her a small helping. Quite quickly she asked if it was all right if she helped
herself to more. Win!
Renee came by with her
daughter-in-law, Courtney, who is in town from Austin to babysit the dogs of
our friends Teddy and Sue. Lovely visit. Courtney is a delight and a true
dog person, and we had lots of talk about.
But one clap of thunder, and
they were all out of here almost instantly. I was left wondering what happened
to my nice party. We’ve had lots of thunder since—and one really huge loud clap
that sounded directly overhead. But, no rain. Sophie, however, is keeping close
to me.
How sad to have a day of pageantry, on both sides of the pond, end with yet another mass shooting in Texas. Nine dead, seven injured in a shooting at a mall in Allen, north of the Metroplex. Yes, it was an AR-15. Gov. Abbott was quick to offer all support the state could give, but that's after the fact. He has not done one thing to prevent these tragedies. Indeed, he has loosened laws so that now anyone can get a weapon, without a license, without training. There were children among the victims tonight. Gov. Abbott, blood is on your hands. Texans, we must do something to curtail this senseless killing.
Seems almost inane now to say that tomorrow will be a lazy day,
with leftovers for lunch, and I think Christian is cooking supper. I have a
writing project but I’m not ready to talk about it. And tomorrow night, well
after supper, Jordan will come home. We will all be so glad to have her home
again, but I’m sure she’s a bit nostalgic about ending her adventure. How lucky we are to have this normal life with its moments of joy--for nine people, that will never happen again. I am heartbroken.
