Luna Bolognese

The usual run around Jubilee Way last Sunday, to warm up for the Sunday lunch to follow.

Fairly serious looking crash on West Hill, on the way down into Epsom. Police in attendance, car across the Epsom-bound carriageway, broken glass and some sort of fluid spilled on the road. No sign of any other car or of damaged persons, so no idea what happened, presumably in broad daylight, mid-morning.

Epsom quiet. Jubilee Way recreation ground busy, with not much regard for social distancing, at least as far as I could see going past.

A warm, westerly breeze, noticeable when the road was in the right direction. Or wrong, depending on your point of view.

Fell off the wagon at the Luna Coffee House and took tea, water and bacon sandwich. All very good, although the masking of staff was a bit it and miss. The only other catch being that someone had taken the front seats I usually take and so I had to sit at the side. But I did take an interest in the quite elaborate trim to the roof of the house across the road, snapped and zoomed above. Couldn't decide then what the criss-cross was, and can't now. But better at this sort of thing a hundred years ago than they are now. Didn't mind spending a bit of money on time and materials.

While on the main road, the oldest and roughest looking red VW camper van came past. The oldest and roughest I recall seeing.

The small, Greene King umbrellas were missing from the left hand side of the Blenheim front garden, having been there the day before, Saturday. I imagine such small umbrellas have to be put up and taken down each day, a bit of a chore they had not gotten around to on this occasion.

By the time I got home, I had carried the numbers game from 17 going on 18 to 20 going on 21. Numbers above 20 very thin until you get up to the 50's and 60's. But I shall get there.

Once home, a short sit in the sun to cool down, then upstairs for a spot of Schubert's D.960 piano sonata. The first time I have played the gramophone for a while. Odd, given how many concerts we took in before. 

For lunch spaghetti Bolognese, taken with salad and washed down with a spot of French, that is to say Waitrose Pomerol. Delivered to our door on this occasion as one can't rely on it being there in the shop in Epsom. Another excuse being the need to make my fig order up to enough that they would deliver it, click and collect not being an option.

Followed by stewed plums, followed by cheese and biscuits, on this occasion Jacob's cream crackers. A little drop of Jameson's. We wondered about the cream, thinking that the Carr's table water biscuits that we also use were perhaps made with water rather than milk. But the Jacob's packet only admitted to palm oil.

This morning I learn that Jacob's is a brand name used by Pladis Global which is some part of the United Biscuits empire. I go onto learn from reference 1, that the 'cream' bit of the name is not an ingredient, rather to do with the manufacturing process, as in creaming the ingredients together. While from reference 2 we get the snap above. Cream very much an ingredient here.

A hare that I do not propose to chase any further, at least not today.

PS: in the margins of this post, I have been reminded what granola is, that is to say mainly rolled oats (as in porridge or flapjacks) and some form of sugar. See reference 3. A US take on our European muesli. But a manufactured cereal rather than a grown one, as I had thought. Maybe maize or something like that.

Reference 1: https://www.irishamericanmom.com/cream-crackers-an-authentically-irish-snack/.

Reference 2: https://www.food.com/recipe/cream-crackers-119560.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granola.