I was getting something from the library today and realised what an excellent job Mirinda has done in recreating a sort of Mr Tumnus study. Little treasures hide among the books and boxes while books closely guard their secrets by lying higgledy piggledy about the place. A sense of warm and inviting disorder pervades the space, inviting one in.
Of course, sometimes things get lost. You might be searching for a particular title for weeks without success. However, during the search, more interesting things come to light and fill the searcher with an unexpected joy.
Mirinda managed to outdo herself today though. Mid-afternoon she decided to take the girls on a new walk and managed to get herself lost. Of course this is a good thing. Getting lost is what makes a good walk even better.
Obviously I’m talking about the pleasures of getting lost in the civilised Surrey greenery rather than at home in the Megalong Valley where the fauna and flora is out to kill you.
Among the Surrey trees one feels only comfort particularly with the gentle crunch of pine cones underfoot and the sweet chirp of birds overhead. This is as opposed to the inflammable eucalyptus of home which house drop bears, giant man eating spiders and creeping vines which spit venom at unsuspecting tourists while the birds engage in raucous laughter at your expense.
Having grown up in Australia, the difference in getting lost in Surrey is not only a delight but palpably preferable. It’s probably the fact that I never managed to get lost in Australia that I remain alive to get lost in Surrey.
Anyway, Mirinda managed to get herself lost and enjoyed most of it. I say ‘most’ because there was a bit on a road which was not pleasant at all.
Something else she enjoyed was today’s Saturday Brunch, the Chez Gaz Coronavirus special meal which has only been around for the last seven weeks or so.
I decided to go with some fried halloumi this week, coupled with a grilled tomato, sausages and the usual smashed avocado. The centre piece was a variation on baked egg where I used a sauce made from yoghurt, cream cheese and cut up bacon, an egg, and grated cheese all over the top.
There was also a loaf of walnut bread I’d baked first thing.
It all worked extremely well and set us up for another day of Lockdown.
Actually it set me up for a day of more cooking as I was trying out a new recipe for dinner tonight. We were going to have a barbecue but both our weather forecast apps said the same thing – a rare occurrence – that the day would be chilly and overcast.
The day was bright and sunny and not cold at all. In fact we had dinner on the terrace anyway. Stupid carbon rod.
Still, while we missed out on a barbecue, we enjoyed another Sabrina Ghayour recipe followed by Nordic carrot cake pudding. The latter was garnished with bee pollen, something I seem to only be able to buy from Amazon these days.
Dinner was lamb steaks marinated in garlic, preserved lemons and coriander accompanied by spicy sticky aubergine. The aubergine was delicious. The spice and stick was perfectly provided by rose harissa and runny honey.
I was a bit concerned that Mirinda would find the harissa a bit too spicy so I knocked up a simple raita but, as it turned out, it was unnecessary. Mind you, it wasn’t wasted as we both love raita.
Obviously dessert, an old favourite, went down very well.
In between meals I managed to do some admin in my office and Mirinda managed to Skype with Adele, Lisa and Sharon for more hours than I could manage. Maybe that’s why she then went out and got lost.
