Let Us Talk About COMFORT FOOD!!

[Polwarth]

SG
I don't know where you think 'High Tea' is an effete 'English' thing...! In Edinburgh, High tea was a meal between lunch and supper!

I can remember being taken for a treat to Jenners or Mackays in Princes Street for a Scottish High Tea (the English have Afternoon tea!)

Scrambled egg with smoked salmon, or a finnan haddie, topped with a poached egg, followed by finger sandwiches and bridge rolls and then the cake stand would appear - scones, jam tarts, cream cakes - all washed down with fine Darjeeling or Earl Grey tea.... Served by ladies in black dresses, white lace edged caps and pinnies..... and a view of Edinburgh Castle oot the windae.... (or the Scott monument in the case of Jenners) - whae cuid ask fur mair?!

I also remember being taken for 'high tea' to the Willow Team Rooms in Glasgow for the same sort of gut-busting repast.... All those Rennie MacIntosh furnishings etc! I think it is still there, although sadly, Mackays is no more!

[sgriobhadair]

Originally posted by Polwarth
SG
I don't know where you think 'High Tea' is an effete 'English' thing...! In Edinburgh, High tea was a meal between lunch and supper!

I can remember being taken for a treat to Jenners or Mackays in Princes Street for a Scottish High Tea (the English have Afternoon tea!)

Scrambled egg with smoked salmon, or a finnan haddie, topped with a poached egg, followed by finger sandwiches and bridge rolls and then the cake stand would appear - scones, jam tarts, cream cakes - all washed down with fine Darjeeling or Earl Grey tea.... Served by ladies in black dresses, white lace edged caps and pinnies..... and a view of Edinburgh Castle oot the windae.... (or the Scott monument in the case of Jenners) - whae cuid ask fur mair?!

I also remember being taken for 'high tea' to the Willow Team Rooms in Glasgow for the same sort of gut-busting repast.... All those Rennie MacIntosh furnishings etc! I think it is still there, although sadly, Mackays is no more!

[sgriobhadair]

Originally posted by sgriobhadair

I envy you your memories and your teas. As a child I don't remember going out to 'tea' anywhere. 'Tea' for us was the early evening meal, between what we called 'dinner' and supper. In our circle the word 'lunch' was never used to describe the mid-day meal. I believe the Willow Tea Rooms are still open, and presumably still dispense a middle-class form of dining elegance. A raggedy arsed rural lad, I was never the beneficiary of such luxuries! In England, where I lived as a teenager and later, 'high' tea was the effete, twittering affair I described. 'Tea' at home was a plainer, more robust meal.

[PRgirl]

Sg,
AHA! Your rural working class background is in direct contradiction to Polwarth's middle class nostalgia. Lol.

Sg, whatever you were in Scotland, one thing is certain. You are a really intelligent, sensitive and quite interesting and warm individual Sg. And I am glad I met you on Scotland.com.

Polwarth, is a stalwart defender of Scottish ways and I like her enormously. I know she doesn't like me one bit. Lol. Such is cyberspace! Lol. Hmmmm, scones are biscuits? I used to love making cakes. I liked the deep yellow cakes with delicate guava icing in a bright reddish color. I could eat those as a little girl until I felt like a glutton. I was a skinny little girl and my granny would ply me with all kinds of things to get me to gain weight.

How I miss those wonderful days. Of just watching those thick sheets of rain fall from the skies and how the plants and the bougeonvillea, and gardenias, and jasmines, and violets, and orchids and birds of paradise plants would seem to rejoice in such moisture. Do you know Sg, I never had an image of loving the Scottish weather and understanding that deep feeling of love of land that was expressed so eloquently, until you posted that gorgeous poetry written by a Scottish writer describing why he loved Scotland? Then it all made sense and I could see the love of Scotland so clearly. And so poetically. Thank you for that hombre lindo. For I started loving Scotland with you. Lol. That is the truth. Before then if I relied on Polwarth to love Scotland it never would have happened. HAHAHA. Though again, she won't ever know that I like her (how could I fail not to) she is a strong woman, and I just love strong women no matter how much they hate to be liked by others.

PRgirl.

[Polwarth]

Originally posted by PRgirl
Sg,
AHA! Your rural working class background is in direct contradiction to Polwarth's middle class nostalgia. Lol.

Polwarth, is a stalwart defender of Scottish ways and I like her enormously. I know she doesn't like me one bit.

Before then if I relied on Polwarth to love Scotland it never would have happened. HAHAHA. Though again, she won't ever know that I like her (how could I fail not to) she is a strong woman, and I just love strong women no matter how much they hate to be liked by others.

PRgirl.

PRG
Soooo, only working class people can be patriotic? And by the way, you know nothing about me - or my 'class'....

I also find it both rude and insensitive to say that through my views you would not come to 'love' Scotland. I have defended my history, my country, my cuisine and my culture in answer to your often thoughtless remarks.

I hope I have NEVER insulted your country.

I don't dislike you - how can I? I don't even know you. All I know is that you despise Scots cuisine, Scots weather (but now you magically can see why natives like it?) You never miss the opportunity to needle at my views. But dislike you? You're not important enough to me for me to express dislike....

[PRgirl]

Haha. Hmmm. No polwarth, I agree with J_J on one important point. You know what it was. No need to remind you of it. And he was very right. You are highly unfriendly and the truth is I don't like your manner with people who aren't Scottish. But, I am an objective person, and objectively speaking I find you not only an eloquent person and one of strong personality but fun to needle and tease. And I don't know you either Ms. Polwarth. And that is fine. Since, you don't know me either. And each personality finds their 'niche' in this board. I find Sg, Jasper and others worth coming here for. And I am sure you have the people who are fun for you to write to. Now, you deny you are not middle class when Sg there, stated he is not familiar with the high tea because he couldn't afford it as a kid. If you were a sensitive person you wouldn't have responded that way. I do like you Ms. Polwarth? Why? Because I respect people who are loyal to their native land and their native culture. Especially when England and others always try to say the Scottish are not exactly the dominant culture in the UK. I respect strength of character, no matter who it is. That I get along with them? Not necessarily. Besides this is a message board and not real life. Lol. And so I don't take it all that seriously.

J_J was not only pro_USA and very conservative politically, but he and I did not agree on anything at all about history, lit and many other questions. So why would have I developed a relationship with him? One of which I feel some level of light friendship? Because despite our differences J_J was open minded in general. And he had certain standards of courtesy. I can't say the same for you. But, I do respect you Polwarth and I do like you. Your comments and responses make me smile. Why? Because you are you. And I like posters who are distinctive. Hey, don't complain if someone comes here and doesn't like Scottish food (though I admit I never tried it), and admit I never tried it. As for Sg, he is one of the loveliest individuals I have met in cyberspace. He is what we call "buena gente" in Spanish and I distinguish Polwarth between those who I find so lovely, and others who I also like but in a different way. Sg with his poetic side made me like Scotland. So did Mr. Neil Caple whom I emailed when he was on that oil rig. He (Neil) liked the Caribbean region and we would talk about Scotland too. Why did I come back after two years away? Simple because of the friendliness of Neil Caple, and the courtesy of J_J, the intelligence and debating skills of Andy J and the humanity of Celyn. YOU? I didn't know you from Adam either, I started getting to know you now. Recently. And I was surprised. You are very plucky and strong. And brusque too. But I don't mind that at all. I didn't get 'upset' when you put down Mexican food. Lol. I aint Mexican. Lol. Though you seem to not be able to tell the difference. PRgirl teases Polwarth again with that last needling comment. HAHA.

If you don't like anything I say or do on this board am I worried? No. I am just going to enjoy reading your commentary and won't tease you anymore. It seems you don't like my 'teasing'. If I offended you Senora Polwarth, then I ask for your forgiveness. And I will get back to the fun I was having with Sg here. Hmmm, I wonder if he tried the Guacamole today?

Polwarth, I want to add, you bring some color and life to this place you do. And I am glad you are a regular poster on this Scotland.com. Don't you pay attention to any comments of mine if you think what I say is thoughtless and insensitive. I am not here to bother you at all. I am here to have fun and get to know a country I will in all probability never have the chance to visit or get to know. You know that is the fun of cyberspace, we might not be able to travel there, but we can interact with the people through the internet. And Scotland is beautiful in its people above all else (going by the Scottish posters here they are loads of fun!!) Though without Neil it is not the same. I wonder if he will come back? The details? The food and so on? Hey people are loyal to what they grow up with. And what is familiar and they associate with hearth and home. Such as comfort food. And each culture has their comfort food. If we don't share the same love of the same food, who cares? Food is not everything. People are everything. And that is my last thought for now.

And I see Polwarth with her red hair and living in Scotland, and her love of cuisine, and her dedication to all things Scottish, and her dislike of heat and so on, and so much more. I have a vivid imagination. And despite your 'frialdad' I still like the image of you I have in my head. I think you are an older lady, and frankly quite interesting and if I were a woman of means I definitely would like to visit Scotland your city and get to know the people better. You are an asset to your country Senora Polwarth. And a whole lot of fun!! At least to read. If all I have been for you is a bother and a pain in the neck, then just chalk it up to the alienation of the internet and go on your merry way. I will keep up with your posts and enjoy your personality, and you can live in peace knowing the pesky Puerto Rican girl poster isn't bugging you at all. Lol. Take care bella.

Ciao,
PRgirl.

[Edited by PRgirl on 18th October 2004 at 01:37]

[sgriobhadair]

Originally posted by PRgirl
Sg,
AHA! Your rural working class background is in direct contradiction to Polwarth's middle class nostalgia. Lol.

PRG

Don't know about Polwarth's background, and whatever it is I would never blame her for it. I do cop to my own hardscabble childhood. I never used to. Don't let anyone tell you differently: poverty is shameful. The class system was a raw nerve when I was a child, and I was constantly reminded of my place on the spectrum in ways that the more advantaged probably didn't even notice. I was an angry, sensitive kid. I admit I still have a chip (what else would it be, a vol au vent?) on my shoulder about it. My lovely American friends, innocently patronising, have at times made the mistake of congratulating me on my entry into the middle class. But the truth is there's a wee boy somewhere in here who still rages at the inequities of life. My early antipathy towards the English was no doubt fostered by the tweeds and pearls set with English accents at the Highland Games. In fact it's likely that many of these people were Scots. Upper class Scots often have English accents. I hated them and it was pure class envy. Pathetic, isn't it?

One of my most vivid early memories was of watching a lady eating a Mars bar on the South Inch in Perth. I can picture my brother and I staring at her with rapt attention. We were hungry that day and I'm sure we drooled as we savoured the vision of strings of caramel connecting mouth to chocolate. I decided then that one day I would have enough money to buy a hundred Mars bars. Never did buy them. I can't stand Mars bars and now I can't abide sweeties of any kind. God, I sound self-pitying and ungrateful, don't I? Oh well. I'm too old to change.