"He's like Gordon Ramsay on downers with a PhD in History..."

A Rococo dessert from Day's website HistoricFood.com

That's how my husband described British food historian/chef Ivan Day when we watched the BBC special "Having A Ball" in which the Netherfield Ball from Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" was recreated at the Chawton Library (Austen fans will know what I'm talking about; if you aren't an Austen aficionado, you're already out of the loop, so stop reading now!). Day was brought in as a food consultant for the goodies consumed/imbibed at such early 19th century dances. There were dance historians, social historians and dress historians to refer to, but perhaps with the exception of the dancing, the reproduction of the food - using the same kind of cooking equipment that a cook from, say, 1798 would have been using - was really what I found most fascinating.

My hubby was actually paying Day a compliment, by the way!

Now, lo and behold I just stumbled onto Day's food history blog. I've added it to my "I have to check this daily" list.

There is a plethora of photos and lots of expert explanation from Day. Even if you simply have a general interest in cooking or 18th/19th century social customs, you should take a look at it. Historic food is a side interest that I'm beginning to delve into a bit more,  now that I'll soon be having a much larger kitchen than the one I currently own. Yup, we're moving next week! We'll set up shop in a new house across town and we're really looking forward to it. Photos and the like shall follow later in the month!

For now, feast your eyes on Mr. Day's creations. Just make sure you eat first. The rule of restraining from grocery shopping on an empty stomach should also apply to his website. ;-)

What did I tell ya?

Read this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22722999

I'm not the only one comparing Gatsby to the Great Recession.

I gave in and saw "Gatsby"

I cried once (not at the luxurious shirts, but the right background music at the right time). Laughed about three times (thanks, Toby). I reveled in the clear-air-&-sunshine-after-a-spring-rain incandescence of the cinematography, as if Luhrmann were trying to show us what the atmosphere looked like before pollution. *That* was worth the price of admission. However, as with all of Luhrmann's tilt-a-whirl films, you have about 3 seconds to visually take in the texture of a scene that should require about 10 at least. Most of the  story is squished into 2 hours and portions of the plot that would have been sumptuous to watch are simply told in a brief flashback. You don't really get a great deal of visual detail to linger on when it matters. For instance, Nick and Jordan are supposedly having tea in one scene...but we never see what's on the plates or where the cups are. The camera focuses on their faces. And the scene lasts all of about 30 seconds. Again: Gatsby recalls his youth growing up poor in the midwest and in another ubiquitous flashback we see another 3 second shot of a wagon/hovel in the middle of the plains - then it's gone and fades into something else entirely. More detail...please? I'm even having a difficult time remembering what I saw because it sped by so quickly.

Going along with my "death of American culture" kick from last time, this swift way of story telling felt as if it were mirroring an Internet/texting culture. Disposable bytes of data that are not necessarily saved. It'sherethenit'sgone. One saves letters, birthday cards, love notes -  like we did in the early 90's, remember? But one doesn't save texts. Or emails (in print form, anyway). Maybe I'm an old fogey before my time, but I like digesting films like I do a good meal - slowly, one piece at a time.

It was all quite a triumph to observe, even if most of it was computer-generated. The acting was fair, that was all. In sum, I found it quite easy to become emotionally involved in what was transpiring, even if it did flash by. That, my friends, is good movie-making.

The 3 second shot.

...What Gatsby?

West Egg - This one still from the film sums it all up.

I read Fitzgerald's novel many years ago, as an undergrad. I remember little of it, I admit. I leaned towards the Romantics and 19th century Victorian literature in college (and now) more than 20th century American, so the fictional world of West Egg deteriorated in my memory rapidly after I set down the book. The Art Deco aesthetics of the 1920's are a particular favorite of mine and I truly adore the jazz artists of that decade than perhaps any other, but little else can grab my attention about that era. I have always perceived those ten years as a dizzying, frenetic high speed train oblivious to its future wreck.

So in that spirit (ha!), here are my ideas on Baz Luhrmann's film, which I may or may not see this coming week:

• The Soundtrack: Music plays a big part of my life, both in the classical and modern vein. I drive to music, write to music, and I rely on it for so many daydreams and ideas. I detest and despise most Top 40 songs, save for a very select few, mostly for moral and artistic reasons. So I wasn't too thrilled with the music for this adaptation, as much as I knew what my reaction would be. Luhrmann doesn't exactly specialize in period accuracy (or does he? See below). It's mostly filled with a lot of (c)rap artists and chicks like Lana Del Ray, with whom I have a love-hate relationship (long story short: I like her retro style, not her music). Her song "Young and Beautiful" is tear-inducing, until she starts adding in lyrics that make absolutely no sense: "channeling angels in the new age now..." Huh? Jack White's "Love is Blindness" has a hypnotic killer opening that effuses cool and slow-motion visuals in the mind's eye...until he starts screaming into the mic. Once I realized that this was probably a song about suicide, I turned it off. However! We do have Emeli Sande singing Beyonce's"Crazy in Love" set to a 1920's jazz sound that immediately caught my attention as a delicious fusion between 2003 and 1923. I learned how to dance the original Charleston last year; wiggling and shimming around to this was good fun, but it lasted all of 3 or 4 minutes. I admit changing the lyric from "Got me hoping you'll page me" to "Got me hoping you'll phone me right now" would have helped if you wanted to give it an historically correct retro flair, but one can't have everything.

•  The Product Placement: Go to the Gatsby film website and click on "Guide To Style". Not only did the art directors and costume designers delve into the Brooks Brothers' 1920's archives for creating the mens' costumes for the film, but they also used Tiffany & Co. original designs for jewelry, et al. Now you can buy the same Daisy Buchanan jewels and Nick Carraway sweaters at both establishments. It seems The Plaza hotel in New York is also jumping on the band wagon with extravagant 20's-inspired food, drinks, rooms, menus, desserts and on and on.

•  In Sum: I could wax poetic on how I see the film's popularity as analogous to our current Great Depression Part Deux: nothing teaches you more about the present than a bit of history. Fitzgerald's fictional concoction of drunken desolation sans morality is glamorous to look at. It's excessive, expensive, chic and cool. But I also think it's like looking at an early 20th century version of our current generation. 

I have little hope for today's youth (I am 29 years old saying this). They drink themselves into alcoholism by their 18th year and are inundated by a post-modern nihilism that saturates the media (music, film, television, the Internet), which they constantly engage in; it is a philosophy that is so bereft of purpose and joy that the current rate of suicides in people of high school and college age comes as little surprise to me. I see it in the "who gives a ___?" attitudes of the young people I encounter on a daily basis, which truly saddens me.

I think this is reflected well in Luhrmann's film especially. Part of this is his choice of gutter music from the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Will.i.am (sorry, dude, your name is William) to capture the youth demographic, which is one thing I really dislike. This is because with that one exception I spoke of above, setting modern day rap music to a film set in the 20's is ridiculous. This was the era of musical giants of the Jazz age. They were *real* musicians. It's a slap in the face to not at least include some period pieces of music in the film to give a nod to authenticity.

The decade of the 20's was the calm before the storm that hit in the 30's. In 2013, we are already in our own financial tempest. It all comes together in one way or another.

I'll enjoy the costumes and other visuals if I see the film (and the acting, naturally), but that's about it. Let's hope for the best! Maybe Luhrmann will be smart enough to thrown in some Bix Biederbecke or Jelly Roll Morton to the soundtrack.

Shakespeare and Science

O Gentle Readers,

I've been gone a month, but oh what a busy one it was. Blogging had to get tossed on the back burner for a while as hubby Dave and I were busy remembering lines and stage blocking for the Abbey Players' production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It". It was marvelous good fun and a gorgeous production! We'll definitely be back on track to be in more plays now that Grad school is out of the way and our schedules are cemented, more or less. The female members of our troupe went ga-ga over our costumes, which were either spot-on Elizabethan or whimsical and fairy-like. We owe it all to AnnaMarie Gatto, our multi-talented Belmont Abbey seamstress. See below. ;-)

"Am an attendant Lady, one that will do to swell a progress, start a scene or two, advise the Prince." - With apologies to T.S. Eliot. ;)

The set, which is a based on the stage at the Globe Theater in London. This is will be our permanent set for all future Abbey Player Shakespeare productions. Dig it.

However, aside from flitting around and curtsying in pretty dresses, I was also working with my fine editorial team to get out the early Winter 2013 issue of BAC's Crossroads Magazine, our alumni publication. I'm the Interim Editor for this academic year, which I was (and am) most happy to take on! I had missed flexing my professional writing muscles, with nary a cramp in my fingers. Here's the online issue if you wish to take a look! Our main feature for this season is on the science departments (Math, Chemistry, etc.) at the college, along with highlights of the last year.

So there you have it! Lots more happening this summer, but it should prove to be peaceful at best. Another post shall come soon enough, so stay tuned, as always! :-)

It's been a while...so here's part of Season 1, Episode 3 of "How to be Britsh at Home"

So sorry! I'll be back on my regular blogging schedule very shortly. For now, here's the latest Anglophile news:

1. Many kudos to Anglotopia for posting a major listing of all British-themed stores in the US. I found one selling UK food about 30 minutes from my house. Bless you, Jonathan Thomas!

2. New London neighborhood-themed chocolate bars. I never visited any of these parts of London when I visited there back in 2011, mostly because of a lack of time, but I wish I had! Perhaps next time.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming:

I'll cut to the chase. I've listed all the ways I keep happy in America whilst yearning and lusting after England. Here's some more ways to pacify oneself!

1. Learn to dance the in old English style. Try Contra Dancing: this is a hybrid of English Country Dancing (think Austen) and country American Square Dancing. Maybe a bit of Irish thrown in for good measure. This is particularly popular in the South East United States and it keeps you fit and trim along with keeping a smile plastered to your face while you dance. ;-) Look up your own chapter/Contra dance community in your area. Mine is here.

2. When all else fails, revert back to your 5 year old self and play pretend. This will be easier if you live somewhere that has a countryside that, in the right kind of weather/lighting, can look like Britain.. I live in North Carolina, which has plenty of forests, farms and rolling foothills to stand in as a backdrop to one's flights of fancy about the Isles. Find a nice spot on a back road somewhere, breathe in, play some Celtic tunes in your car. Live in your imagination for a while and stay there until you're ready to come out. No, I'm not insane. I'm a writer. Our breed must utilize our imaginations in order to keep our craft fresh...and to stay, well, sane. ;-)

So there you have it. I'll post some more silliness and somber sayings later on. Cheers for now!

My hubby on the Tely!

My husband, who teaches Catholic Theology, was on our local news program this morning talking about the Pope's resignation. I'm proud of him, of course! :-) Give it a looksie!

Anglotopia's Dictionary of British English - A Review

My good friend Jonathan Thomas of Anglotopia.net has put together a cute compendium of "British Slang from A to Zed". It's a slight, self-published tome and by no means exhaustive, but if you are, as Thomas says, a "viewer of British TV" and you have ever been stumped by a Scottish character saying "Wheeshd!" or "We're the quality polis!" or maybe you have no idea what a "bacon butty" or a "chancer" is. Or perhaps you're terribly confused when someone says "I'll just get my Macintosh" and instead of reaching for their Apple computer product, they grab a...jacket?

Thomas's dictionary explains those puzzling phrases and words that State-Side British-fans like us may want to brush up on before we sit down to watch a miniseries set in Wessex or even going on our own trip across the pond. It's split up into six categories of British slang (London, Cockney, Scottish, West Country, Yorkshire and Scouse) apart from the larger general dictionary and there's Australian slang and recognizable British insults thrown in for good measure.

Given its slender size and its emphasis on more recent pop culture linguistics in the U.K., this is more of a lighthearted look at British English, rather than an OED-sanctioned official reference, but that doesn't discount its usefulness. Especially if you're an Anglophile newbie or are too bashful to ask a native "Pardon me, but what exactly is a 'treacle'?" but yet you still burn with curiosity to know the truth, this will honestly be very helpful to you. There's even a British Slang Submission Form in the back so that the experts among us can let Thomas know what he needs to include for the next edition.

So, in sum, you need to buy this. Like right now. Do it! You can also read more and order the book directly at www.britishslangdictionary.net

As a companion piece to Thomas's book, I recommend another dictionary of sorts from The National Trust in England: "More Tea, Vicar? An Embarrassment of Domestic Catchphrases" is a compilation of nostalgic, cheeky sayings going back to the 19th century in Britain. Some were submitted by everyday folks who remember what their great aunt Florence used to say when all was said and done: "Everybody to their liking, as the old lady said when she kissed the cow." (page 58) ...Err, what? Cheeky and quirky, indeed.

Put the two books together and you'll have a nice combination of new and old  British catchphrases/slang. It will take the mystery and head-scratching out of watching British television and film forever.

Happy shopping! 

Commercial Break!

Do you want to read the London Times (as in, the complete paper), but *gasp* you don't live there? Check out this article by Anglotopia.net and they'll show you how.

Do you need some British-themed attractions to visit here at home (California, Missouri, Arizona, Virginia, Oregon)? Read this article from Anglotopia that lists some unique attactions around the States with a British connection, including a small one I didn't know existed in North Carolina!

My next installment will cover something similar to this. As I said, we'll learn how to use our heads as virtual hologram decks - at least, for you Romantics out there. ;-)

"The King in the Car Park" BBC Doc on YouTube! 8)

I'll get straight to it:

I've been obsessed with the Richard III business since last summer; I'm a Shakespearean/Plantagenent history enthusiast. This should not be difficult to comprehend, o gentle readers...

So obviously, I was quite ecstatic (along with several of my like-minded friends) when the news erupted a few weeks ago about the DNA conclusions and verification that yes, it was/is Richard. If anyone was following my Twitter or Facebook account, my joy would have been unmistakable.

And so I have another reason to be happy: the documentary which the BBC promised us last year "The King in the Car Park" has been posted on YouTube in its entirety. Caution: I'm having difficulty with the Internet connection or something along those lines; it's stopping and starting every 10 seconds; very annoying.

Nonetheless, if you don't want to wait until later this summer when it most likely will show up on National Geographic, you can watch it here. Good luck!

For more entertainment, read this related news item for a chuckle. Or consider this: If the groundhog saw his shadow this year and Richard III was discovered a few days later, does that mean that the winter of our discontent has officially been made glorious summer by the son of York?? ;-)

Season 1, Episode 2: The Best of Britain At Home

On to our next installment. Ok, so far we've discovered the *foodie aspects of Britain, now on to entertainment.

• Problem: I'm on the verge of going "Van Gogh" (may the reader understand) over the lack of Britishness in my life. I'm tired of watching American television. What's the closest thing I can get to ITV or BBC outside of 2 minute clips on YouTube? Please help...

Solution: Wisely surfing the Internet and BBC America.

 I could mention Netflix here as an option, but everyone already knows that Netflix will carry the non-truncated BBC version of the Cumberbatch Sherlock and other miniseries that we get here in the U.S. with about 10 minutes shaved off each episode when it airs. /sigh...

Anyhow, see if your cable provider carries BBC America. While the programming is limited and occasionally has nothing to do with the U.K. (Star Trek comes to mind - what does this have to do with Britain other than Patrick Stewart?), you *will* have new seasons of Top Gear, Gordon Ramsay spin offs and reruns of British classics like House of Cards. True, it won't be your average every day authentic BBC programming (if onlllyyyy!), but it's close enough for Government work.

Then there's Tunnelbear. I recently discovered this and have yet to try it out, but I'm researching it at the moment. Basically, it's a VPN (Virtual Private Network) program that lets you circumvent geoblocking of Internet media across continents. Before you start biting your nails, NO this is not illegal. Go here for a solid rundown from PC magazine of what Tunnelbear does. It will make you smile when you realize that getting through to the BBC website's media will be wonderfully easy! So smile. :-)

• Problem: I'm one of those weird Americans who think the SuperBowl is a waste of time. I'm bored. I also love Scotland (YAASSS!). I've seen Braveheart too many times and I can only eat so much Walker's shortbread....help me?

Solution: Look around in your area for the upcoming Highland Games. Problem solved. As Jolly Boy John would say, "FOR REAL!"

THE PIPES! THE PIPES!

In my area, we have some very good Highland games indeed. The Rural Hill Scottish Festival is a godsend for Caledoniaphiles: there's also a small market at the festival to buy British import delicacies. You can spend a good chunk of your wallet on this alone. (Erm...not that I ever have...heh..heh..) They usually run for a solid weekend, so buy tickets for the entire festival if you can and dig in. On the drive over, play the soundtrack to Braveheart in the car or better yet, put on some Albannach, a Scottish rock/folk band that does it the TRADITIONAL WAY! They're rebellious, proud and wild without being too cheeky, so I'm a big fan.

Highland games seem to be more popular in the Southeastern United States than anywhere else, but I may be wrong. Type in "Scottish Festival" and your Google browser will do the rest of the work.

Or just buy a croquet set. Seriously. It may come in handy when you throw your own Anglophile party this summer. Just think: some shandys, tea and sandwiches on the lawn, some union jack bunting and some Holst, Butterworth or Elgar on the iPod and you're ready to leave the cardboard American life behind you for some quality English time.

That's it for now. Next week: how using your imagination can often be the best escape to the Sceptered Isle and the best places to meet desperate people just like you (desperate for the U.K., that is)...

*I had forgotten to mention Abigail Rogers's e-book "Cooks and Queens" in my last post! Abigail is a fanastic gal and ardent advocate of all things British; her book looks at how British food is actually underestimated, whether it's Bubble and Squeak or a Cornish pasty and has recipes, historical background on different eras of food, the whole lot. Visit her blog Picture Britain while you are at it!

Cheers!

Short Interlude

This recent post from Anglotopia is in the same vein as my weekly series. Give it a readsy. :)

The Pope's Visit to Burnistoun...

...in Scotland, that is. The best of Scottish comedy there ever was. I've been hooked on this show lately and am now a devoted fan of Connell and Florence. Here's a wee skit for ye, timed appropriately. ;-)

Craving more? Check out the horse on the rotating slope. "Absolutely gorgeous!"

Stay tuned, I'll have another installment of my British in America series this week.

Crisps! Stateside! British! Yummy! Oh the crisps, the crisps!

I'm ecstatic! Which means every sentence has to be punctuated like this! I just found out today that Tyrrell's Crisps are now sold stateside and the closest crisp within my reach is only a few miles away!

I'M HAPPY

 

This is a smashing opportunity to use this post as an advertisement in between British-loving blog posts! Go to the Tyrrell's Store Finder page to locate your local Tyrrell's provider!

 

Eat, drink and be British.

 

 

Thank You!

My New Weekly Series - A Bit of Britain at Home

For those of you who read this blog at any random period of time or know me well enough, you’re familiar with my love of Britain. It’s a part of my identity like having brown hair, or voting Conservative or being allergic to shellfish (yes) or being a dog lover. Literally, I have Anglo-Irish, English and Scottish blood running through my veins like Chamomile tea (thanks, Mom!), so it suffices to say that I’m obsessed with all things British. To be fair, it’s one of the things that have kept me going since January of 2009 – while I wait impatiently for November 2016 to show up, but that’s a different, complicated story for another time.

Point is, I’ve decided to write a wee post describing how an Anglophile like me gets her fix while living in North Carolina, 4,000 miles away from the nearest London airport. I'm just happy I don't live in my native California; you can't imagine your in Dorset in your mind's eye when your exterior eyes are glazing over sand, palm trees in an arid climate.

 Feel free to adapt my idea to your own region/city/realm. Are you dreaming of Britain and would love to visit, but have nowhere near the sum of currency that it would take to get you there and back? Do you need a substitute experience to hold you over before you do? Maybe you’ve already been to England (*YAAASSS!) but won’t be going back for a while or ever again (NAAEEEE!), so you need a metaphoric soul-pacifier to satisfy your crumpet-loving spirit?

Look no further.  Here’s my first installment of my weekly series, "Help me I belong in a country not my own but I'm stuck here in this other country help help heeeelllpppp!" This is how hard core Anglophile gals do it! When a Styrofoam cup of tepid Lipton’s ™  tea and a Lance ™ vending machine cookie won’t stand in for a good cuppa and biscuit or bacon butty, read the following:

•   Problem: I’m in the mood for a lovely pub, but there is no such thing in America. Only a seedy bar. What do I do?

Solution: Find a British-themed restaurant and love it to death.

The Big Ben British Pub in the Dilworth neighborhood of Charlotte is where it’s at, brother. The food is as close as you can get to real pub fare in the U.K. The owners are from England, so you can be sure it’s authentic. On weekends, a crowd of soccer (or football) fans, usually Arsenal, come in and watch the game with a pint and some fish and chips. It’s a cozy atmosphere that should not be missed. Plus, it’s near uptown, so it makes a great dinner-and-a-show destination. 

Ri-Ra’s Irish Pub is on Tryon Street uptown. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s basically a chain restaurant, but who cares!? It’s the atmosphere that draws me; the soda bread with real Irish butter (or so they like saying) just feels right in the winter months and don’t miss the Beef and Guinness stew. When the restaurant reopened a few years ago after a fire, the parquet floor that was put in as part of the renovations was manufactured by Harland and Wolff, the same company that funded the Titanic. What with the dark wood, chandeliers, Irish music playing over the sound system and other embellishments, it’s easy to conjure up feelings of Ireland and James Cameron film shots. It’s certainly worth the trip uptown.

Ri-Ra's: The Upstairs Bar

• Dilemma: There are no Tescos or Waitrose’s in Charlotte. It would be great to have a box of real British tea or a bottle of Irish mustard (just go with it) in my kitchen. What’ll I do?

Solution: Find your local World Market or Big Lots. Shop there. A lot.

You’ll usually find a good selection of British food items at either store. World Market can get a bit expensive (I once paid $5.00 for a candy bar…never again.), but if you’re desperate, you won’t care. Especially during Christmastime. Puddings, HP sauce, canned Devon Cream, tea, biscuits, crackers, you name it. If it can survive in a delivery box from the U.K. to the U.S., it will (again, usually) be there.

However, there’s a new Big Lots right up the road from my house, where one can buy a $2.00 box of Typhoo tea, where it might cost $7.00 elsewhere. Just today, I bought a small package of Bourbon Cream Biscuits for $1.20…a dollar freakin’ twenty, kids. Brought a lovely smile to my face.  Most of their items are insanely cheap, whereas the same item at World Market will cost ten times that. So do a bit of research before you buy anything. :-)

$1.20. Yaaaasss.

I'll have more tips next week! Learn to love your local Highland Games and make BBC America your best friend. Cheerio.

*What is "YAAAS", you say? It's the Scottish equivalent of "Yessss". It's my new thing...dig it.