HOW HISTORY TASTES

If I had children, just for laughs there would have been lobster thermidor aux crevettes with a Mornay sauce served in a Provençale manner garnished with truffle paté, brandy and with a fried egg on top and Spam™ at least once during their childhood. Mornay sauce is a béchamel sauce with grated cheese added; made with cheddar it is often used for macaroni and cheese.

So that's basically all American comfort food with lobster substituted for pasta. I suppose if you can't find truffle paté you could substitute a small wedge of American Braunschweiger. Further investigation is required. In an English restaurant there would be a side of canned peas, which are obligatory over there, and if served at breakfast, Heinz Baked Beans.

I've avoided the peas and beans for my entire adult life.

We went to England on vacation several times while we lived in Holland, and though I love the place, their food is sometimes traumatizing.

And, remarkably, English style pipe tobacco is often unavailable.
Besides being made, mostly, in Germany.
Or Denmark.

[English stuff I have yet to try: Orcilla Mixture: an Oriental forward compound on a basis of top notch Virginias, with mere touches of Latakia and Perique, originially made by J. J. Fox, now produced by Kohlhase & Kopp. One of the oldest pipe tobacco blends out there.]


After the longest burning season we've had yet in Northern California, we've finally reached the brief time of year when the weather might remind one of England. Cool to cold, moist if not wet, sometimes downright inclement. Perfect for tromping over the moors holding a wedge of buttered toast covered with thick cut Oxford marmalade.

Please imagine me doing so.



My actual plans today involve heading down to Chinatown to visit my bank, then having chops for lunch at a chachanteng, plus hot milk tea, followed by wandering around a bit with a pipe in my mouth. Instead of a walking stick, an umbrella, as it is likely to rain.

The tobacco will be English. The pipe is Irish. The environment strictly Cantonese.
The weather, most likely, will be Scottish and miserable.
It should be great fun.

The other pipe I'll have with me was made by Comoy, so it's both froggy and Londonian. And it must be mentioned that Mornay sauce might very well be Hong Kong Chinese, as they're fond of porkchops on spaghetti covered with white sauce and shredded cheese, baked in the oven, over there. 焗豬扒意粉 ('guk chyu baa yi fan'). Lots of 芝士 ('ji si').

Idea: poisson farci Hongkongaise; quenelles de gefilte fish with a Mornay sauce.
One top of egg-fried rice, baked under the broiler.
If you make it, they will come.

TOBACCO INDEX


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