See What You Like

So while the menu in our house was very ‘traditional’ (for traditional read English) there were certain meals that were not favourites, and others that were. As I mentioned yesterday, if, at the time of choosing I had wanted to create a menu as a ‘last meal’ my knowledge would have been a little limited. Probably would have chosen as an entree, a bowl of ‘Honey Puffs”©. These were our ‘traditional’ Christmas breakfast treat. Puffed wheat with a sticky honey coating. A box of this cereal cost about three times more than our usual cereal, and, since it would disappear in one single sitting, it was only purchased for our Christmas breakfast. And we loved them. So much so that the very first food I brought when I left home and went flatting, was a box of ‘Honey Puffs’©. And ate the lot myself.

I also loved mashed potatoes, and still do, just choose different varieties for the ‘mashing’. Didn’t know till years later there are different varieties that suit particular cooking styles. I also love corned beef (with mashed potatoes) and still do. But would that have been my main course? Many years ago I was about 13 years old and took on a bet while working. We had had Roast herb chickens at a lunch where I was working. I had really enjoyed it. It was quite a different taste to the way we had ever had roasted chicken. I must have been talking quite a lot (something I still do too often) about how great it was and all sorts of other things, that I was told by the supervisor, “If you could be quiet for two hours, you can have a whole one to yourself’. Two hours? Not just a few minutes. There was general laughter from the others I was working with. Various comments such as, “That won’t happen”. “Impossible”. “He’ll never do it”. Boy, I must have talked an awful lot if so many people thought I couldn’t be quiet for just two hours.

Needless to say, I have a certain determined streak, even then I could be stubborn. I decided to do it. I accepted the challenge. I checked the details. One whole chicken, for myself? If, I could be quiet, completely quiet, for two whole hours? Confirmed. So. I kept my mouth closed for over an hour. Those who thought I couldn’t began to believe I was going to try for the two hours, seriously. After an hour and a half, they started trying to get me to speak. Trying to catch me out. I recall the sudden “What’s that?” questions thrown at me. And the simple “So, how old are you?”. By the time I got to the last 10 minutes of the two hours, I had to keep my jaw tightly together, just so I wouldn’t say anything. My head was hurting from not talking. My muscles around my jaw and my teeth were hurting. Was it really worth this for a roast chicken? It wasn’t just the roast chicken, it was a point of honour (remember the duelling see blog June 15 2012). And okay. It was the chicken as well. And it was delicious. I ate the whole thing.

(Continued tomorrow)