Lunch with M.Q. (or RICE PUDDING)

M-riel Qu-nn and I attend and serve in the same Episcopal parish here in Sarasota.

 We are about the same age and come from similar backgrounds in England , she in Oldham, Lancashire and I in Bristol.

I always enjoy being with her.  So we hung out together for lunch today at an Indian Restaurant up at the fast growing University Parkway/Interstate 75/Lakewood Ranch area.

This is where retail centre of gravity for Sarasota and Manatee Counties is moving.

"Indian Food"  - what a strange concept, since there are so many regional foods in the Indian sub-continent  which cannot be summed up in just  two words.

Nonetheless  M.Q. and I were at an "Indian Restaurant" for a lunch time buffet.

The food was good, but not great.  That seems to be typical of such luncheon buffets where the spices and curries are somewhat muted.  (I experienced the same at an Indian Restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville, MA.)

M.Q. and I were satisfied enough with this "modified Indian Food".  More importantly we enjoyed each others company, and got "caught up" with news and gossip.

There was but one offering for dessert.

  If  you've had a buffet lunch at an Indian Restaurant you'll already know what it was.

Yes indeed  -   cold rice pudding -  and very good it was.

As we ate  M.Q. and I indulged in our memories of "Rice Pud" when we grew up.  In my home it was a frequent "afters" offering on Sundays after "Sunday Dinner" at about 12:30 or 1:00 p.m. The same was true in M.Q's home.

We agreed of  course,  that without doubt English rice pudding is

resistant to any and all criticisms,

hailed by the world's greatest chefs,

admired by the French, 

envied by the Scots

 and  without par in the Universe.  (Of course you already knew that).

You see, the secret of English home-made rice pudding was that the milk was not homogenized. So as the pudding was cooking,  the cream rose to the top, where it formed a delicious and tasty "crust", the like of which is unknown in the "New World"

It looked a bit like this.



 





Location: Sarasota, FL, USA

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