Rule Britannia

emmie and i threw Das a surprise party for his 40th birthday.

we started planning it on monday, and by wednesday, he totally knew what was up. Except for the company

and the food.

My darling Das is from England, and once introduced me to the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie. Which i did enjoy, very much. Even one superbowl sunday, that’s what we ate. Forget hot dogs and hamburgers w/ football (american). We had these pork pies. And, if i’m not mistaken, Canadian beer.

So, Das’ birthday approaches (it was on Sunday) and i knew i had it in mind to make Melton Mowbray pork pies. And then, in chatting with someone from the community, to throw him a surprise party. And then discussing with someone else from the community, i realized that we could do all English pub fare.

So, along about Tuesday, maybe wednesday, Das figures out there’s a party afoot. I burst into tears, because i really wanted to surprise him, really a lot.

I can’t keep a secret from him for anything, though.

But i managed (with brave help) to perform this feat:

Melton Mowbray Pork Pie

Welsh Rarebit

Scotch Eggs (thanks to Scarlett)

Bangers and Mash (with thanks to e&T)

with chips and queso, watermelon, and (drum roll) Cheez Whiz on Celery!

Melton Mowbray pies are very weird, and a bit more difficult than Cornish Pasties, but i don’t know how to make those either, and dove into discovering a good recipe, one i could get my head around without too much sturm und drang. My mother aided by preparing the stock the night before, and roasting waaay too much pork (i can’t convert in my head, clearly.)

When i do them again, i won’t roast the pork beforehand, but it was much easier to manipulate already cooked. Here’s the recipe from which i bounced:

Melton Mowbray Pork Pie

And the rarebit

Could be this:

“Rare bit of eating” or

a slur against welsh, who were, by different ideas, either very poor (so no meat) or very poor at hunting.

(i’ve always heard it pronounced “rabbit”, but i heard otherwise sunday.)

I had lots of compliments on the rarebit, which was pleasant, but Das eating two pork pies was enormously meaningful to me, as i have never said i could bake worth a shit.

thanks to everyone who came, and ate, and talked and had a really good time.

love, mitda