My sister Miriam text earlier on to suggest that rare ribeye steak, potatoes sauteed in duck fat, petit pois and Bearnaise sauce with a glass of Rioja was somewhat decadent for a Monday evening. Maybe but it was sublime.
In my arrogant youth before my breakdown and the devastating recession of the 1990s we at Cambridge strove to be as decadent as possible. Of the many things I learned on going up to Cambridge in 1988 was the prevalence of "dining" societies. Translation, drinking societies. Each generation created it's own societies for such decadence. There was one in my time called the Merkins. The English translation of their Latin motto was "Decadence is Ours". Oh how we learned when it all went wrong.
I admit my visit to Borough Market brought back some of that decadence. The Gloucester Old Spot pork was so good it defied description. Even my friend Gary raved and he rarely does that. Currently under way is a wild boar and chorizo stew. Rustic of course but not a run of the mill meal.
When the latest recession hit the UK in 2007/08 a quiet revolution in food shopping ensued. Now the cheap supermarkets from Germany are hammering the old stores, rich people have changed their habits and we are living more within our means. I mixed the 2 back in Kent, Aldi a 30 second walk, Mandy's brilliant butcher 30 seconds walk and Waitrose 5 minutes.
Now in Hertfordshire I have no butcher but easy access to each of those supermarkets; I still mix and match. Tonight's decadence came from Aldi, a beautiful 21 day aged ribeye steak. And it was sublime.
Old and new can mix. Borough is an occasional indulgence but I can still live well away from that wonderful place.
I finally have a plan for my talk on Wednesday. It may be an empty room but I intend to blow away the one man and his dog who might turn up. See you soon.
I Heard a Voice.
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