Chatterbox

[Pampy Profile]

Oh my - I nearly swooned at those pictures! I could murder something like that at the moment!

[Uschi Profile]

Thanks Pampy. It really was good. I can make individual meringues, but would baulk at trying this in Axel's oven. Maybe in a year or two.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

It looks delicious. I'm trying to avoid treats like that at the moment but think that one should have something involving sponge, cream and soft fruits at least once every summer, preferably when visiting someone else so that you don't eat it all!

[Binky Profile]

Uschi, your pictures have reminded me of a good friend who has now moved permanently back home to Konstanz.

Whenever we visited her, she always had a dainty table cloth and candles set (whatever the time of day) and best of all an outstanding dessert cake. It must be something in German genes.

[Uschi Profile]

Binky, "Kaffee und Kuchen" coffee and cake" are a cultural thing, much like tea time in the UK. I don't know why it is so ingrained. Maybe it is because we grow up with it and there are so many recipes swapped between people (women mostly, but the menfolk are starting to catch up - Axel bakes often and well).
I am not sure where this stems from. It may have to do with political repression in the early and mid-nineteenth century where people turned inwards and met in small intimate circles. What is left over from this time is a culture of "small" entertaining. Coffee and cake in the afternoon, "Bowle" (a large bowl of cold wine punch - usually wine, bubbly and fruit or herbs to flavour the whole thing) shared in special glasses amongst the guests. BBQing is a newer phenomenon of the same thing.
The aim, in any case, is to have a gemütliche time, chat and unwind.

The word for such a coffee and cake circle is "Kaffeeklatsch" (literally coffee chinwag (but "Klatsch" can also mean splash or even a smack)).

Oh dear, an ethnolical essay again.
Anyway, some customs are good enough to share.

[Suffs Profile]

It looks delicious. I'm trying to avoid treats like that at the moment but think that one should have something involving sponge, cream and soft fruits at least once every summer, preferably when visiting someone else so that you don't eat it all!

With all the new rules and regulations being brought in at the moment, perhaps we could slip that one past Noris ... Hancock et al would probably believe us if we said it was a proven Covid preventative ... after all in Germany Uschi and friends have eaten it and are fit and healthy ... if The F@rt can advocate drinking bleach or whatever ...???

[scullion Profile]

Oh dear, an ethnolical essay again. :oops:
Anyway, some customs are good enough to share.

your ethnological essays are always welcome and interesting, uschi.
sadly, some of the older customs from over here are slipping away.
i wouldn't class the ducking stool and scolds bridle etc in with those though, some old customs are best left in the past!.

[Uschi Profile]

Definitely, Scullion! There are good and bad customs.

Suffolk, the thing is that households that bake are usually households that cook, too. So the "unhealthy" cake is offset by home-cooking and often rather healthy home-cooking. Besides, sharing the cake means that the calory intake is seriously lowered.
And we all know how healthy a good social life is.

[jeral Profile]

In these socially restricted times, will 1970s dinner parties re-emerge? Suffs, the best way to get something banned is for the government to find out about it ♪ I'm a secret lemonade drinker ♪

Binky, I was wondering if you might like soft soggy cakes like tiramisu or Black Forest gateau, but Uschi's friend's light creamy fruity sponge (minus nuts) looks irresistible, healthy and filling so should tick a few boxes for you I hope

[Suffs Profile]

In these socially restricted times, will 1970s dinner parties re-emerge?

OH sells top quality cookware and tableware etc ... since he returned to work sales have exceeded targets almost every day Cooking and eating in are the new eating out here in Norwich at least.

[Uschi Profile]

Bad news for restaurants and pubs, good news for the NHS.
I guess what with all the "how to" videos on youtube even the less experienced feel empowered. I remember the Kurdish little girl in my former abode and her friend trying out cakes and biscuits from videos. They kept coming for baking powder and other things they needed and sometimes I was drafted in to help out when they got stuck. Still, two ten or eleven-year olds showing such initiative was impressive. The results weren't bad, either.

[miss mouse Profile]

How sweet re the little girls Uschi.

[Uschi Profile]

I always used to distribute biscuits and cakes, so they knew I'd have baking stuff and that I would help them.

[miss mouse Profile]

I remember your Christmas and was it Easter extravaganzas, very lovely.

[Uschi Profile]

I do enjoy going to town on these occasions. I also made meringue ghosts and monsters. So much fun.

[Pampy Profile]

How's a 1970s dinner party different to any other?

[scullion Profile]

whenever someone mentions 70s dinner parties i always think of 'abigail's party' with the brilliant alison steadman as 'beverley'.


i think it's got to include some really weird combinations of food that people would cringe at nowadays.

[Earthmaiden Profile]

I was just going to say the same thing!

We don't see Black Forest gateau, prawn cocktail or Liebfraumilch so much these days . Or puddings containing soggy booze soaked ginger biscuits with cream .

Or lamps made from Mateus Rose bottles.

[scullion Profile]

oh dear, we like the booze soggy biscuit and cream puddings. either maryland cookies with port or ginger biscuits with rum.
i make them regularly.
we are so-o-o-o retro!

[Pampy Profile]

And I like prawn cocktail!