Where, after a splendid repast, they tell their host what Toad has been up to.....
Crashing cars, breaking traffic laws, insulting washerwomen, and generally speaking, behaving like a most reprehensible amphibian.
Toad is, as you will readily understand, a cigar smoker.
Very typical of the type.
Unlike Ratty, Mole, and Badger, who are pipesmokers.
Which is not surprising.
The three friends are probably the most famous pipesmokers in all of British literature, and are in any case far more likeable than that other sort-of-well-known chappie, Holmes, and his clueless medical sidekick. Really, why so many people think of that arrogant oofus and his nerdy interlocutor as the quintessential pipesmokers is quite beyond me.
They are extremely unparadigmatic.
Whereas Ratty, Mole, and Badger are examples to emulate.
Capable, reliable, and sensible. Individuals who maintain cozy and hospitable homes, who have civilized habits and hobbies, gallant fellows who do the right thing, and are considerate, kind, and courteous.
Toad (the cigar smoker) steals cars and horses, insults people, and swaggers around self-importantly boasting. A puffed-up little beast.
EELS!
One can imagine having a cup of tea or a glass of sherry with the pipe smokers, but would rather not associate with Toad.
I'm not sure about Otter, though. I've always pictured him with a fag drooping out of the corner of his mouth.
Especially when he and Ratty are talking about eels.
But hookah smokers are complete degenerates. Very shady characters.
As the illustration below proves beyond a shadow of a doubt.
In another few minutes I shall head over to the cigar bar.
To smoke my pipe surrounded by the rowdies.
The caterpillar has sweeter company.
I'm quite envious.
==========================================================================
NOTE: Readers may contact me directly:
LETTER BOX.
All correspondence will be kept in confidence.
==========================================================================
12 comments:
Mijn luchtkussenboot zit vol paling
What, no recipe?
@ London calling,
Are you the same querant as the culinarily curious reader in this comment string?
PALING OP BIER
Eel in beer
Two pounds cleaned and chunked eel.
Two onions, coarse chopped.
Plenty carrot and celery, ditto.
Two bottles of amber ale or Anchor Steam Beer.
Plenty of chopped parsley.
Salt, pepper.
Butter and olive oil.
Marinate the eel with the onion, carrot, parsley, and celery in the beer for half a day. Sieve, reserving the liquid, vegetables, and fish separately. Gild the vegetable matter in the butter and olive oil. Add the reserved liquid, raise to a boil, simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes.
In a separate pan seethe the eel in butter and oil till the flesh is opaque. Pour the flavoured beery broth through a sieve over the eel. Simmer for twenty minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. And serve with new potatoes.
Bon gusto.
Eel can also be dredged and sautéed, then sauced with concentrated fish-stock, white wine or sherry, and a little hot sauce, OR stir-fried with garlic, ginger, and mashed fermented black beans (豆豉 tausi) added after seething with rice wine.
But either way, it can take a longer time on the fire than most other sea creatures, excepting whale.
Marmot pie
1 marmot
1 qt. water
1 pt. vinegar
1 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 oz. pickling spices
1 onion, diced
4 sm. potatoes
4 sm. carrots
1 recipe baking powder biscuits
Cut prepared marrmot into pieces. Mix water, vinegar, seasonings, sugar and spices together. Put pieces in this brine for 8 hours or more. Drain, put in stewing kettle and cover with water. Cook until meat is tender. Add onion, potatoes, and carrots. When all ingredients are tender, remove from broth. Thicken liquid with browned flour and butter and season to taste. Place meat and vegetables in a dish and cover with gravy. Cover the top with your own recipe for baking powder biscuits, with a little extra shortening in dough. Cut vent in dough. Bake at 450 degrees until brown, about 12-15 minutes. Serves 8.
Corn Fried marmot
1 young marmot, cut in sm. pieces
Milk
Flour
Salt
Pepper
1/2 c. corn flakes
2 tbsp. bacon drippings
Soak marmot in milk to cover for 1 hour. Remove. Roll in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with corn flakes. Fry in hot bacon drippings. For gravy, remove marmot from pan, drain off most of the fat, stir in flour, brown. Add cold milk, cooking and stirring until heated and thickened. Serves 6.
Ooooh, those two recipes sound scrumptious!
I love old-fashioned American country cooking.
I've been experimenting with fusion cuisine. Sweet n sour marmot, anyone?
Might I suggest a fine 'marmot au vin blanc' instead?
Rinse the marmot in water, leaving it in the water long enough to soak through - this will make it easier to skin.
Cut the skin from just under the ribs through the abdomen and toward the groin. It is best to use kitchen shears for this. Take out the bladder first, being careful not to spill any urine on the meat. Spread the pelvis open and remove the remaining organs.
Skin the marmot by cutting just under the skin from the groin and over the stomach to the flanks. Loosen the hide at the rear end, then grasp and pull toward the forelegs, removing it whole.
Note that it is not worth tanning.
Chop off the head and feet and head, remove any remaining bits of skin, and trim off the overly fatty bits (especially in late autumn).
Marinate the beastie (coupé en morceaux) in dry white wine with a clove garlic and a bay leaf, then drain (reserving liquid) and dust with flour, salt, pepper. Frazzle the pieces in plenty butter, seethe with the reserved liquid, and throw in a few pieces of smoked ham for flavour. Simmer for an hour on low heat.
Serve with white rice, and a fine crusty loaf for sopping up the juices.
" Spread the pelvis open "
But, but but... I hadly know the marmot. That seems rather personally invasive. Though, i do suppose its pretty much dead at this point and wont actually care.
Not only pretty much dead, but also cold, wet, and missing a bladder.
Let’s just say it is quite preoccupied with other matters, and won’t mind the lack of proper introduction.
Normally, however, it might raise an objection.
Post a Comment