Good things happen every day.
Today there was cream tea, and lots of sun and another job application (Kew) in the mail.
As for the cream tea, there are some certain things that pertain. First, i can verify that the V&A does indeed do a nice cream tea. Cream tea is usually taken in the late afternoon - say between 2.30 and 4.30. Earl grey is customary (milk in the tea is acceptable). One takes a scone, a pat or two of butter, a healthy helping of jam - strawberry, but today there was also the unusual raspberry - and a splot of clotted cream. Split the scone into halves - or, as my instructor told me, "chop it into as many bits as you can, but halves at least" - spread butter, glop on some jam, spread on clotted cream, and more jam if you like. Perfect! I also learned about elevenses. Its the intaking of food (usually cream tea) at around 11 am. Its not only for hobbitses, as i thought when i first heard it - although Wikipedia informs me that it IS indeed a meal for LOTR people!
This being my second partaking of cream tea, i decided i think i've got the hang of it and i should have it MUCH more often. Thinking about that scone recipe rolling around the back of my mind. One of the things we discussed at tea was about how the farmers and peasants used to eat and drink something about every hour to keep fueled and hydrated. This got pared down into even less eating occasions, but the big meal was always at noon. So we have breakfast, elevenses, dinner (at noon), tea (food with tea in the afternoon) and supper/evening dinner. However, as industrialization occurred along with urbanization and modernization, now people tend to eat less frequently but more at one time, and cream tea is for fun or sometimes instead of a coffee break. Regardless, it is fun and i recommend it, as well as the V&A.
Also i am reading Collapse. Just finished the chapter on Montana and started on Easter Island. Its interesting, and the outline of Montana's problems (though no solutions are really given) is indicative of some of the widespread problems throughout the Intermountain West.
4 comments:
There are some serious controversies associated with cream teas. To enjoy a cream tea you should debate the following points whilst partaking of it:
i) how do you pronounce scone? (does it rhyme with stone or gone)
ii) jam before cream or cream before jam?
P.S The best place to have cream tea is in Cornwall.
Aha! This, folks, is from and ENGLISH person! Cream tea IS controversial! I knew it. It sure is yummy though!
i) scone i think rhymes with stone (i didn't discuss this one though. maybe you and i can have tea when you're back and discuss?)
ii) oooh! well we did discuss this one. hmmm - the preferred method i was shown was jam, then cream, then MORE jam! sometimes the answer is only more complicated than the question. xx
ps - i WANT to have tea in Cornwall!!! maybe we can make a field trip there, Laura can show us how its done?
One shouldn't really have butter AND clotted cream together. However, clotted cream is preferable over butter.
Jam's should traditionally be from temperate fruits only; strawberry and raspberry being most comon and blackberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, gooseberry and plum all equally appropriate.
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