Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow

Friends really are the best, especially when supplemented by the one I am fortunate enough to call a partner. Since my return to New Zealand, I have been speaking with my angelheart Eric on a daily basis so as to minimize the heart-breaking distance, and I have also received buckets of love from my Kiwi friends and from those abroad.

On her first visit to see me, the sassy Sauciere Queen Lily presented armfuls of gorgeous, golden peaches, a perfect summery gift that was hoovered down in all its fuzzy and juicy deliciousness, probably as quickly as the peaches were lovingly pulled from the tree.

Paul, darling Freya's husband, sent me a Meme. This is indeed a kind gesture from the gorgeous couple, reminding me that I have friends in the two of them who want to help me through the hardship of being separated from my loved one.

This particular Meme that Paul sent, 5 Things You Didn't Know About Me, worries me a little. I mean, who cares? Do you really want to know me that well? How confessional should I be? Should this be really food-related, though I know others aren't? In any event, I have decided to do it because it assists me out of my seclusion and back into the blogosphere.

1) As a child I was allergic to cabbage, yet I loved it. My mother often recounts a particular snippet of my past in which my paternal grandmother looked after me one night and fed me cabbage, even though my mother had warned her against it. What loving and doting grandmother ever refuses her grandchild, especially if he wants vegetables? She gave me little by little, seeing no adverse reaction, until suddenly, and after wolfing down a rather large quantity, I became violently ill. I'm happy to say that I seem to have no reaction these days, though my love for cabbage has been relegated to the "it's ok" category along the spectrum of my food preferences.

2) A double-pronged offer: Though I have an intense love for figs (I), and though I have been known to not watch the bank balance when it comes to spending on groceries (I'm not an over-spender, mind you...but maybe you should speak to my angelheart Eric for verification), I refused to pay NZ$2.50 per fig at a local greengrocers (II). Who pays that? Why does anyone think these are worthy of importing at that price? In this case, the little greengrocer that we're encouraged to support is no better than the supermarket. More effort should be focused on working with local farmers, so that we take full advantage of produce when they are bountiful and in season. We sometimes forget that even the greengrocers are "in it" to profit - after all, people, it is a business - but there seems to be a lack of common sense. This gets me to thinking about having my own plot of land and garden so I can undercut such price gauging altogether, but that will have to wait until I have completed my studies (this is my final year) and have a proper job ($ ka-ching $).

3) I have bought 50, maybe 60, cookery books in the space of two years. Admittedly I have not paid full price for 95% of them, scrounging around various websites selling them at bargain basement prices, but it is still a shocking display of conspicuous consumption. I have to say, though it probably goes without saying, that these cookery books give me inordinate pleasure by providing me with a constant learning experience and allowing me to put good food on the table for my angelheart Eric.

4) I have been to Paris twice, but never to the capital of my own country, Wellington, which is only 7 or so hours' drive away. I do promise to change that this year.

5) This one is very topical: I am going to have a root canal next week. There is nothing like a really severe tooth ache. Go see a dentist for an exam if you have not had one for a while because the pain is not worth it. Also, if decay is spotted early, small fillings are cheaper than big ones!

The tradition of these Memes is to pass the baton, and I have chosen the following four, should they wish to divulge:

Tim of Take 3 Eggs
Jasmine at Confessions of a Cardamom Addict
Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once
Cenk of Cafe Fernando