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I still love this play. My friends and I saw the Branagh / Thompson version of this at the end of Year 12 (it was part of our big outing after our last day), and adored it then, too. Though … Continue reading
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This really did get delayed, didn’t it? Part of the problem is that I find it difficult to think of many things to say about Timon at all. It feels rather stylised to me, as though it is an allegory … Continue reading
So very tired this evening – I’ve got all my photos onto the computer, but given my current, somewhat incoherent, state, I’m not even going to attempt a proper write-up now.
Just as a little tease, though, here’s my menu from today:
Savoury
Bread: pita bread, olive bread (by Elise)
Dips: Tzatkiki, Melitzanosalata, Skordalia, spicy feta
Veg: Tomato and oregano salad, cucumber, lemon and mint salad, marinated peppers, olives
Hot things: cheese cigars, spinach triangles, chickpea balls, tomato fritters
Sweets
Tiny dried figs
Turkish Delight (Greek, in this case)
Baklava (which caused a riot when brought to the table)
Greek Honey cakes
Semolina Halva
Rock cakes
*****
There was enough food.
And there was *definitely* enough sugar.
And I make a very good baklava, if I say so myself.
And so to bed.
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Well. That was fun. I’ve heard Coriolanus described as ‘relentlessly political’, and it was certainly that. It does remind me a bit of Julius Caesar, with the easily-manipulated and vocal citizenry and the two conspiring tribunes muttering to each other … Continue reading
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Well, I can certainly see why they call this one a problem play. The main problem we had with it was why on *earth* Helena would be in love with Bertram. At his best, he’s a sulky and somewhat dim … Continue reading
I was hoping to write more here while I was on holidays, but the combination of my usual December activities, plus confectionery, plus the funeral, all followed up with several days of drainingly hot weather have left me more exhausted than I could have imagined. The notion that I might, at some point, not be tired doesn’t even seem possible.
Still, tomorrow is a Shakespeare evening, and having been completely uninspired all week, I’ve decided to simply celebrate the last of Shakespeare’s Italian plays (we still have Coriolanus, of course, but that is Roman, which is a whole different cuisine) by doing a proper Italian-style feast in the manner of my Nonna or my aunts.
Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Posted in baking, bread, food memories, Italian, Shakespeare cooking, Writing about cooking
Tagged insanity, nonna, pizza, planning posts, recipes, shakespeare
Somehow, this play feels as though it deserves a bit more thought and commentary than some of the other Shakespeare posts I’ve done. So, since the lovely Melissa Siah (also known as Gardiner, the Evil Catholic Bishop of Winchester) took a lot of photos of the food yesterday, some of which are remarkably stunning and arty, I think I shall take advantage of this and use some of the more artistic ones to illustrate my Shakespearean thoughts, and the more straightforward ones to illustrate the important bragging about food…
Lemon salad like you’ve never seen it before…
Posted in Photographic Posts, Shakespeare cooking, Special occasions
Tagged henry VIII, shakespeare, shameless bragging
Just a preview, because I am exhausted by hours of cooking and not enough sleeping, and also, strangely, by reading Catherine of Aragon, for whom I have a lot of sympathy at the best of times and who really is very compelling in this play.
So here’s your trivia question for today:
Can you name Henry’s six wives and their fates?
Here’s a small hint:
I am ridiculously proud of these cakes, which are, of course, only a very small part of the Insane Quantities of Food (TM) prepared this weekend. Though, actually, I didn’t overcater all that drastically.
You’ll get the proper photographic post with everything else tomorrow, or possibly Tuesday, once I’ve sorted through all the photos taken by the lovely Melissa Siah.
But I’ll leave you with this somewhat disturbing thought: Catherine of Aragon was Henry’s Queen from 1509-1533 (though she and I would both maintain that she was in fact Queen until her death in 1536, since the Pope never did rule on that annulment). Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr were born in 1518 and 1512, respectively, to noble English families, who did have a tendency to name children after members of the royal family.
What are the odds that Henry’s last two Queens were named after his first one?
And if so, is that creepy or what?
