Povey Prattle

I had planned to write a profound (ahem) review of Nancy Isenberg's important work "WHITE TRASH. The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America"  (Viking 2016) but today's welcome early morning rain and cool temperatures caused my "profound synapses" to seize up. This too shall pass. So it's spuds. I had never heard of Hasselback potatoes until this morning, when I saw them at Trader Joe's. Oh my goodness.  So very good!  I cooked mine (from frozen), and  then slathered them with cheese, and with some Lemon Butter and Dill sauce in which I had cooked a bit of Haddock. Food fit for the synapses impaired!  ( I made up for the unhealthy aspects of this meal by also including some broccoli.) I could become addicted, save for the fact that T.J's is a past master at withdrawing popular items from their shelves, and that two of their frozen Hasselbacks cost $3.39 - that's a mighty expensive way to buy and eat spuds!

Saturday November 9, 2019, 2:00  p.m. My silence and prayers at that time will be for Mary Holmes, another one of those great women who have strengthened my christian faith, and called forth my better angels. I was privileged to be her student, pastor and rector for six years. Memorial service for Mary Holmes: Saturday November 9, 2019, 2 pm St James’s Episcopal Church 1991 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02140 Mary and her daughter Michelle  Mary as remembered by Michelle . Mary Holmes was born Sept. 25, 1931, the 5 th  and last child of John Beresford Marshall and Ruth Etta (Woods) Marshall. Her older siblings were Charles, Richard, Ruth, and Lillian. She also had older half-brothers from her father: John, Stanley, and Andrew. They lived on the 2 nd  floor of the family homestead at 194 Franklin St. in the Central Square area of Cambridge MA.  On the first floor lived her mother’s sister Grace (Woods) Sato a...

I am sorry that I have not told you this previously. My news is that I have Dog.   His name is Zion.  He is a charmer and a delight. I know that you will be happy for me. Here he is.   We are on the Riverwalk in Bradenton, FL., waiting to see the Tropicana Train cross the Manatee River, as it lumbers south from Port Manatee. Here am I.   With my tongue firmly in my cheek! Tee Hee!

I first encountered the Belgian made "Lotus Biscoff" cookies as a snack which was provided on the late and lamented airline AIR-TRAN Other airlines now hand them out (whoopee!) and they are also sold in many U.S. stores.  They are good!  Probably my all time favourite biscuit. Lotus also sells  a cookie "butter". I can lose all sense and eat it by the spoonful. It is also a fabulous alternative to the traditional Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich; for those who are allergic to peanuts,  and for those who are willing to try a delicious riff on the usual PB and J.

I stopped by Captain Brian's Seafood restaurant yesterday to buy some fresh fish. I saw fish called Hake  (part of the same family as Cod and Haddock).  I bought some, having never seen it before in an American seafood joint, or American fish-monger. It was good!   Hake has a richer flavour than its cousins Cod and Haddock. The local "chippy"  (Fish and Chip Shop) of my youth was called "Evelyn's".    We'd get our fish and chips there. Mostly it was codfish, but if there was hake (slightly more expensive) we were instructed to get that for Mum (we, the children had to settle for cod!) Mum's first name is Evelyn, so I suppose she deserved the best that "Evelyn's" could offer. Captain Brian's also offered another fish which I'd not seen or thought about in scores of years.  This is Skate  ( I think the "wing" of a ray type fish). On my very first visit to Mum's home town she bought Skate with  Chip...

*  "Yankee" being a European word for all Americans. So you go to the U.K. or Ireland as a tourist. You stay in a B and B, or a Hotel and return to the U.S.A. full of complaints about the breakfast toast.  "It's cold", you say, or "it's too hard. You are complaining about this; which has been set at your table. What is your problem?  Do you truly think that it is inferior to to the under-toasted and soggy bread which will be served to you as toast in an American diner or breakfast house - with a hard butter pack, and a small "plastic packed"  bit of what purports to be jam or jelly. You must turn your thinking around.  U.K. and Irish breakfast toast is to be thought of as more like a Crostini   but served with butter and jam, rather than with bruschetta. BUT WAIT! there is more. We of U. K. origin also delight in thick slices of bread, well toasted, smothered with butter, and laden with good jam. Such was my breakfast to...

A few weeks ago a friend, (I remember that it was a woman), lamented that she could not find Dundee Marmalade in the stores. I spied some today at my local Publix Supermarket, and bought a jar (for her). Now, in my older age and subject to brain-farts, I cannot remember the name of the woman who lamented her inability to find this product. If it was you, please call me.  I'd hate to waste it. Speaking of Marmalade -  as one often does....    I was never fond of it as a child. Mum loved it and would buy the U.K. Robertson's brand Marmalade: "Silver Shred" (lemon based), and "Golden Shred" (orange based) to spread on her morning toast, I did not like the marmalade because of the "worms" as I called them;  (the wee bits of orange or lemon skin in the marmalade. Strangely enough,  my objections to "marmalade worms" did not extend to Rose's Lime Marmalade which I enjoyed. Those who are, or have been pare...