It was Luverly

My friend picked me up at 10:30 and we headed off to the theatre at Grand Bend, Ontario. We made one slight mistake, we were looking for Highway 83 and it turned out it was marked as 20 at the beginning although there was a signpost to Grand Bend. Very confusing. However, we got there OK in plenty of time to have our picnic although disappointingly the sun wasn't shining and it was quite windy. The sun came out later before we went into the theatre, so we sat at another picnic table and enjoyed it for a while. As you can see from the map it is close to the shores of Lake Huron, hence the wind. It is a delightful area and a delightful theatre. Well, in fact there are two theatres. One much smaller one which is described as "intimate". Basically I think it is a big barn which has been converted.

It was not Rex Harrison of course, but the production was excellent. It turned out my friend had never seen either the show or the movie before so it was a new story for her. The singing was very good and the acting complemented it. I was impressed with the handling of the scenery and the ease with which they turned from a street at Covent Garden to a bachelor English Gentleman's study. The accents weren't bad either. I did hear "here, here" instead of "'ere, 'ere" but generally the cockney wasn't glaringly awful as it often can be when played by non Brits. I was somewhat surprised at the singing of Professor Higgins, then remembered of course, Rex Harrison was no singer. I worked it out later that the first time I saw My Fair Lady was in London about 45 years ago, give or take a year. That was Julie Andrews in the part; subsequently Audrey Hepburn played it in the movie. I am not sure why they chose an American actress for the role in the movie. Be that as it may, we both thoroughly enjoyed the show yesterday and being a sentimental idiot, I cried at the end. The audience gave the cast a standing ovation.

The drive to Grand Bend is through some wonderful farmland; it makes one appreciate the countryside which, unfortunately, we don't often see. It fascinates me to see the horses grazing in the fields with masks on their faces to protect their eyes from flies. Never saw that when I lived in England, don't know if they have adopted it since. We first came across these fly masks when we visited a local stable where there is also a very nice restaurant called the Troika. You can sit at the table dining and watch horses being worked and trained in the indoor ring through a large window forming one wall of the dining room. We've only been there once, not sure why, we had a very good meal there.

Everywhere you look on the roads we took, are vast fields of green pasture and lots of farm buildings in reds, whites and greens. There appears to be a lot of livestock in that area, horses and cows. It is just the kind of area I would like to live in - no wait a minute, what about the winter? Nah, don't think so after all. We drove through New Hamburg which is known locally for its excellent restaurant, The Waterlot, then through Shakespeare, a charming little town; after that Stratford, on Avon of course, where the Shakesperean festival is held every summer. Another attractive town. They have other shows as well as Shakespeare; for instance I know they are staging The Musicman this summer (you know, 76 Trombones!) amongst others.

We got back home about 6:30 or shortly after by which time I was beginning to be ready for supper. I was tired too, had a power cut at about 6:23 a.m. (I'd just checked the alarm clock) yesterday morning so I got up anyway, yaaaawn. It is almost a 2 hour drive to Grand Bend and we were very lucky with the weather as it was trying to rain all day, but never quite made it.

Here's another recipe from the Ontario Asparagus Growers' Marketing Board, Asparagus in Bed, which is just where I wanted to be when I got home last night.

Asparagus in Bed

1 lb	Ontario asparagus, trimmed
8	eggs
1 tbsp	vinegar
2 tbsp	unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp	fresh lemon juice
8 slices	prosciutto
	freshly grated pepper
1/2 cup	freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 450º F (230º C). Steam or simmer asparagus just until tender-crisp, 3 to 5 minutes; drain well. Fill large skillet with water. Add vinegar and bring to simmer over medium heat. Slip eggs, one at a time, into simmering water; cook until whites are firm and yolks are just set. Remove eggs with slotted spoon and carefully blot dry with paper towel. (Eggs may be poached several hours in advance; transfer to bowl and cover with cold water. Drain well before proceeding.) Divide butter among 4 gratin dishes. Divide asparagus among dishes; drizzle with lemon juice. Drape proscuitto over top. Arrange 2 eggs on top of each prosciutto. Season with pepper to taste. Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes or just until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Have a great day.

Wouldn't it be Luverly, Bowen Therapy

This afternoon I shall be at Huron Country Playhouse singing along with The Rain in Spain and Wouldn't it be Lurverly. Yes, My Fair Lady. I am going with a friend to the matinée at 2:00 p.m. but we are leaving early, 10:30 in order to have a picnic lunch outside the theatre and maybe a wander around their store. Hopefully the weather is going to be kind to us. If you want to read more about it go here and listen to what they have to say too. Although I have seen My fair lady both on the stage and on the big screen, I find the Drayton Entertainment Group put on great productions throughout South Western Ontario so am looking forward to the afternoon. Huron Country Playhouse is roughly two hours from home, situated in Grand Bend, Ontario. I am scheduled to go to four more performances this summer, another one in Grand Bend, one in Drayton itself and two in St. Jacobs which is closer to home.

I am green with envy at the moment, Glenda Larke who is an author and blogger of Tropic Temper (see link this page) is in Lake Como, Italy and posting some wonderful pictures plus having the time of her life. I asked her to mention the food and she has done so. Wednesday I was eating fish, so, apparently was she.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know I have been raving, off and on, about the benefits of the Bowen Therapy which, locally, can be obtained at Let It Heal well, Matt being a stubborn person, didn't really believe me wholeheartedly despite seeing the difference between me walking with a cane and then not doing so. He has a back condition known as Fascet Syndrome which means that the spine is curved the wrong way at one spot. Lately, it has been giving him a lot of pain, so, I finally persuaded him to go to Let It Heal. He has had three treatments, the first session didn't do anything apparently, the second treatment he had one good day, the third treatment he notices he is improving daily and yesterday, went playing golf. It takes three treatments to really know if Bowen Therapy is helping you or not, so if you try it, don't just give up if it doesn't work straight away.

I just found this recipe on the Ontario Asparagus Growers' Marketing Board Page and thought it sounded really good. I will be trying it over the weekend. Of course if you are in the States, be careful about what kind of tomatoes you buy. Vine tomatoes appear to be the best for you. I am assuming canned tomatoes are OK but don't know. Such a shame to be forced to use them at this time of year when fresh tomatoes are available in some parts of the country.

Asparagus & Tomato Bake

1 to 1-1/2lb	fresh Ontario asparagus
4 tbsp	butter
5 medium	fresh or drained canned tomatoes, diced
3 tbsp	minced onion
3 tbsp	chopped celery
2 tbsp	fresh bread crumbs
2 tbsp	freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 tbsp	minced fresh basil OR 1/2 - 1 tsp dried basil
1 to 3 tbsp	granulated sugar
1/2 tsp	salt
1/4 tsp	freshly ground pepper

Melt butter in 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Trim and cut asparagus into 2-inch pieces; sprinkle over bottom of pan or leave spears whole and arrange in a single layer in pan. Top with tomatoes, onion, celery, bread crumbs and cheese. Season with basil and sugar (amount used will depend on acidity of tomatoes). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and bake 45 minutes at 350º F or until asparagus is tender. Transfer with slotted spoon to serving dish.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Have a great day. I know I will.

Mennonites, Drayton Theatres

Yesterday, as I told you, we were bowling with our Travel League. This month we were visiting Elmira Bowl which is about half an hour out of town for us. I had forgotten until we passed through St. Jacobs and the surrounding countryside towards Elmira, how large a Mennonite community there is in this area. Yesterday we saw several Mennonite buggies driving around, a couple of which were open and must have been damned chilly even yesterday which was pretty sunny. The Crossroads restaurant I mentioned where we had lunch is run by this community so all the girls are wearing their traditional clothes and bonnets - I always admire the women's dresses, they are beautifully made and simple in design but quite elegant. St. Jacobs is famous for its market and of course a lot of it is run by the Mennonites who own many of the farms in the area. They are a religious group and have their own doctrines. They basically don't believe in modern technology and therefore use horses for ploughing and pulling their buggies and so on. I don't know about the level of technology in their homes, but TV is out and they are a much better community for it. However, some of the younger Mennonites are breaking away from tradition and do drive cars these days and take part in more modern activities. I have never been fortunate enough to make friends with any of the families, but from casual interactions they always seem to be very nice and cheerful. Not to mention hard working, kind and caring.

St. Jacobs is also home to two small theatres, the Country Playhouse and the Schoolhouse Theatre. There is a group known as Drayton Entertainment who stage plays all round southern Ontario and we usually try and see some of their shows. I am booked to see four of them this summer and am looking forward to it. The first time we went was for my birthday a few years ago and we saw Joseph and His Technicoloured Dream Coat which we hadn't seen anywhere before. It was beautifully done and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We went for dinner at Benjamin's in St. Jacobs before the show and then drove to Drayton itself to their Festival Theatre which is a fair distance away. A couple of years ago, I went with a friend to the Huron County Theatre to see the Mikado, that theatre is in Grand Bend which is a couple of hours' (or more) drive away, we went to the matinée and arrived in time to have a picnic in the sunshine in front of the theatre, it was a great day and the production would not have shamed d'Oyle Carte in London who specialise in Gilbert and Sullivan productions. The Mikado arrived on stage by being driven in a golf cart right through the audience. Pretty funny. Matt is not going to any of the shows this year as there is nothing he particularly wants to see, so I am going with friends. I also plan to go to the pantomime in St. Jacobs this Christmas. We went to see their Alladin which was based on the wonderful British Pantos; this year they are doing Cinderella. Great fun and great theatre. Traditionally there is always a pantomime dame who is played by a man. In England dames have been played by some very famous comedians. One of whom was John Inman of Are You Being Served fame. I bet he was good, I would have liked to see him.

Here's a nice hearty meal, I got this from a friend in England, but I don't know where he got it from although from the measurements it must have been from North America.

Belgian Beef Carbonnade
Serves: 6

2 Tablespoon Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Paprika
1 1/2 lb. Round steak, 1" cubes (any good stewing beef)
1/4 Cup Butter
3 Large Onions, sliced
1/2 Bay leaf
1/8 Teaspoon Dried thyme
1/4 Cup Chopped celery leaves
1 1/2 Tablespoon Brown sugar
1 1/4 Cup Beer
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 Garlic clove, halved
1/8 Cup Chopped parsley

Blend together the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika, in a large bowl. Roll the meat cubes in this mixture until they are well coated.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions, and Sauté over medium heat until they are softened and tender. Be careful not to brown the onions. Remove the onions from the pan with a perforated spoon, pressing out as much fat as possible.

Place the same pan over high heat and sear the cubes of meat, a few at a time. This operation will give color to the finished Carbonnade. Return the onions and meat to the pan, and set it over low heat.

Add the seasonings, brown sugar and beer. Bring to a simmer, while stirring. Simmer over low heat until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Add the 1 tablespoon vinegar. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve with a dish of boiled potatoes and a beet salad or pickled beets.

Have a great day.