ReallyGoodWriter | Food • Writing • Poetry Iambic Cafe

food & poetry, but mostly the poetry of food

Food • Writing • Poetry

Susan and the Angels

All kindsa poetry fans…

The official launch of Planet Earth Poetry last night brought forth a monster medley of poetry lovers — all shapes, sizes and ages — and some fine musical accompanyment by Flat Lightning (half of which is Rick Van Krugel of Mandolirium). Susan Stenson was on hand selling AIDS Angels to raise money for medical relief to Africa, in lieu of admission charges. And then there were the readings – 20? 30? of them? An alarming number anyway. I thought I might fall in a swoon under the coffee table by the end, but things moved along at a good clip, made merciful by the evening’s rules: one poem only, by someone else. Our new hero, Dave Crothal, the owner of the Black Stilt, even read a poem.

Wendy Morton closed the evening with one of my favourite all time poems, Forgetfulness – click that link to find a fabulous animated version by the author, Billy Collins (I understand this is also available as an iPod download – now there’s technology I can get behind!)

As my mission to clear out the deep freeze continues, I laid my hand upon a lovely package of alder-smoked sockeye salmon; first I made a moderately successful smoked salmon quiche, and then tried a good smoked salmon gratin. Sort of a cross between scalloped potatoes and fish pie and very good with a simple salad or steamed vegetable side dish.

Smoked Salmon & Potato Gratin
2lb/1kg starchy potatoes (e.g. russets, Yukon Gold or King Edward)
8oz/250g smoked salmon, flaked or diced
1 tbsp drained capers
1 cup light cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp dijon or wholegrain mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tbsp butter

• Preheat the oven to 350f.
• Peel the potatoes and slice very thinly, dry with a cloth and use one third of them to cover a well buttered baking dish. Season.
• Scatter half the salmon and capers on top. Repeat.
• Cover with the rest of the potatoes and season again.
• Mix the cream with the cornstarch, garlic and mustard and pour over the potatoes.
• Grate nutmeg over the top and dot with butter.
• Cover and bake for 1 hour; then bake uncovered another ½ hour or so, until the potatoes are tender, golden brown and bubbling. Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving

Fish, to taste right, must swim 3 times: in water, in butter and in wine.
— Polish Proverb

Here’s a funny thing, from a year ago. As a National Poetry Day project last year, the Poetry Book Society had set up a food page allowing you to search poems by ingredient (or browse by author or title). How wonderful is that??

Here’s another funny thing. My mother loooooved parsley. She had trees of the stuff all over the balcony and it adorned, nay, festooned all our meals. I wonder if she ever saw this tribute ditty?

Parsley, parsley everywhere
Let me have my victuals bare.
–Ogden Nash

I’ve been talking at very long distance with Clodagh about various food matters, and she sent me a recipe she’d seen in the Guardian not so long ago, for Chestnut Chocolate Boulestin, with the advice that you warm the dish before attempting to coat it with caramel as otherwise it will solidify where poured. I am not sure we can even get tinned chestnuts in this corner of the world, but it might be worth looking. It sounds like a worthwhile venture: a truly serious chocolate pudding for grown-ups. If anyone else tries it or works out good variations, let us know.

We also embarked on a discussion about an amazing looking recipe from Nigel Slater’s sacred text Appetite: a Cheese and Onion Tart, made with puff pastry.

A long-running small independent poetry series in London, Torriano Poets, is running its second ever poetry competition (proceeds to the Torriano Meeting House Support Fund). Here are the details:

First Prize £250 Second Prize £150 Third £75. The winning poets, first, second and third, will be offered feature readings at the adjudication celebrations on Sunday, 4th February 2007 at Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town, London NW5 2RX United Kingdom.

NO ENTRY FORM REQUIRED
= Poems up to a maximum of 40 lines each to be typed on a single side of A4 paper
= A separate sheet of A4 should contain the titles of poems, name, land and e-mail addresses and phone number of entrant
= Entry fees: £3 One poem, £5 for Two, £10 for Five. Cheques payable to Torriano Support Fund

ADJUDICATORS
Anna Adams, Leah Fritz & Peter Phillips (poems will be read by all three adjudicators)

ENTRIES TO
Diana Baggs, 1 Havelock Road,Walmer, Deal, Kent CT14 7TE United Kingdom

ENQUIRIES
Tel: +44-(0)1304 372914 or email: june.english@btinternet.com

CLOSING DATE
12th November 2006. Winners will be notified by 7th Jan 2007. The winning poems will also be featured in Brittle Star magazine.