The Friends of Mrs Finbar's Camelia Bush

[SuperSneak]

Well, as you know, Horse (and Fin too, I'm sure) it is the tongue that is the main implement of attraction with the "fairer" sex...we can let the rest go to hell.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
I don't think there's much chance of him telling you that - the video was so foggy it could have been Elvis getting married.

My version of WindowsMediaPlayer has a special Smell-o-Vision option. As I watched the wedding, the aroma of fried peanut butter sandwiches wafted from the monitor.

'Fess up, Sneak - are you Elvis Presley? Was that lady carrying half the world's remaining rain forests in the crook of her arm really Priscilla? Were you two retying the knot?

[SuperSneak]

Hey...I may be slow, but I'm not dead.
Aside: I remember the day Elvis died, as it was the day after my birthday. I was 6 years old, I believe. I imagine Fin was just starting to cash in on his senior discount around then.

[finbar]

Originally posted by SuperSneak
Hey...I may be slow, but I'm not dead.
Aside: I remember the day Elvis died, as it was the day after my birthday. I was 6 years old, I believe. I imagine Fin was just starting to cash in on his senior discount around then.

Actually, I was driving home from the golf course. I saw a newspaper poster outside a news agency. It said "King Is Dead". I knew it wasn't 1952 - the last time any King of import had died - but I still had no idea what it meant. I still have no idea what it meant.

[finbar]

Horse took a photo of the dreaded tree - or what remains of the thing - last night and I'm waiting for him to post the pic.

[Hydey]

What other photo's did Horse take on his date with you finbar.

[Alexander's Horse]

I got some nice shots of the shrubbery but I need to resize them before I can post them.

Thanks again for another fine meal fin.

Mr and Mrs Mobius are very nice.

[finbar]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Thanks again for another fine meal fin.

No probs. I thought I recovered pretty well from the trauma of discovering Ms MOBIUS is a chef. My jaw and a floor have never before been in such close proximity.

Mr and Mrs Mobius are very nice.

Yes, it gave me much hope that the UK might actually have a future, after all.

[Alexander's Horse]

She was pretty sphinx like on the food......

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
I got some nice shots of the shrubbery but I need to resize them before I can post them.

Thanks again for another fine meal fin.

Mr and Mrs Mobius are very nice.

Careful! You're messing with my carefully cultivated image as an insensitive Yank bashing anti-semite troll!!!

Yes it was a lovely meal, Ms MOBIUS showed her appreciation by eating everything you put in front of her (as did I!)

[Hydey]

Originally posted by MOBIUS

Yes it was a lovely meal, Ms MOBIUS showed her appreciation by eating everything you put in front of her (as did I!)

I hope your demanded a special menu, finbar really likes it when you do that.

[SuperSneak]

That sounds a bit like "it was interesting" as far as compliments go, Mobius.

Do people say "we ate everything they put in front of us" when fine dining? That's more like how you relate your upbringing...Finbar must have indicated beatings if all the food wasn't gone.

Hope you didn't go out on too thin a limb with your menu, Finbar. You didn't stuff squab with rabbit or something, did you?

[finbar]

Originally posted by MOBIUS

Careful! You're messing with my carefully cultivated image as an insensitive Yank bashing anti-semite troll!!!

Quite right too. Just for the record, folks, MOBIUS is a crude, snide individual given to wiping his nose on his sleeve, picking his teeth with his fork, damning Americans - or maybe it was just Sneak, I forget now - to hell, and buggering the dogs.

[finbar]

Originally posted by SuperSneak
Hope you didn't go out on too thin a limb with your menu, Finbar. You didn't stuff squab with rabbit or something, did you?

Far from.

1. Zucchini soup. Lacked its usual "bottom" because I actually started with too much zucchini in the pan meaning it tended to stew rather than caramelise. Caramelising's the key with this one.

2. Slow-roated Shoulder of Veal. I bought it boned and already rolled from Sydney's best Italian butcher. I'm always wary of buying them pre-prepared, even from the best butchers. I discovered, to my surprise, when I sliced it, that it had also been stuffed with artichoke and a green that I think was spring onion. It wasn't too bad, slightly chewy in parts, but that's the risk you take with cuts like the shoulder. I slow-roasted it on a bed of rosemary and onion which added a nice base flavour. Served it on a bed of braised fennel and silverbeet with a jus from the cooking juices and some demi-glaze, with a couple of braised borlotti beans just for fun.

3. For the fish-eaters, Grilled Swordfish with a Salmoriglio sauce - a Sicillian sauce you can use on any meaty fish, basically a sort of oregano vinaigrette. Served on the same braised fennel and silverbeet. Mrs finbar seems to be the only person in the universe - that I've met anyway - who likes her swordfish cooked well done.

4. The veg was the Roasted Pumpkin & Celeriac that I made when Hydey came and declined it. I like it.

5. Pud was a Rhubarb Crumble Cake with Vanilla Cream. Bastard of a recipe this one. Pre-cook the rhubarb in the oven with sugar, brandy, orange zest and a cinnamon stick. Prepare a cake batter. Layer the cooked rhubarb on top of the cake batter, top with a crumble mixture and bake. So you're cooking three different textures. I've tried it a few times now, I think I'll retire it for a while.

Ms MOBIUS brought along some absolutely delicious chocolates which we scoffed with coffee.

And we shot the breeze till 2am.

[Alexander's Horse]

I drove all the way from Canberra just for a second seat at finbar's table.

The truth is I hardly noticed Mobius until the food was finished. I meant "nice couple" - without her he's obviously the sad Welsh git we all know from here.