Taken
to task about yesterday’s blog I feel the need to explain my fascination for the
great Asiatic plains. In fact, they
wouldn’t have entered my Raven’s brain at all without the BBC2 programme ‘China on Four
Wheels’ and Justin Rowlatt’s fascinating report on the incredible city of
Kangbashe; built for millions and occupied by no-one. Reminiscent of the Retail
Cathedral on a Tuesday - take a look at this if you dare.
I’m
also a devotee of the splendid British explorer, Benedict Allen and his book
‘Edge of Blue Heaven’ charting a 1000 mile lone crossing of the Gobi Desert
– with camels. And on this epic journey
across Mongolia,
he was welcomed at various yurts and fed as if he was royalty. One of his hosts produced a spectacular feast
which leaned heavily on stuffed entrails, resembling warm Klingon Gak! [pron. Ghaaakh.]
I’ll
give him his due - Mr Allen manned up and ate like a champion. Afterwards he uttered some immortal words which
chimed with my inner predator [not verbatim though, my memory's not that good].
“For
any vegetarian wishing to undertake this journey, be aware you’ll only have
about forty two days left to live unless you adapt.
Because that’s how long it takes to starve to death.”
And
remembering his immortal words made me laugh out loud as I rounded up
all the bags of unidentified meat from the freezer hoping to eke out a
vegetarian tagine. Nigella labels all her leftovers, I don't and was delighted to find seven Lidl
meatballs, two gluten free sausages [sorry Hemlock], a chunk of scraggy lamb and
some unidentified poultry – it was really tasty served on a bed of rice with some
crusty bread.
My
‘roadkill casserole’ would fit in well with the cuisine of the eastern Asiatic republics
– if only that was the venue for our combined ‘leaving do and staff incentive
meal’ this coming Saturday night. Instead, I’ll
be treading carefully over an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet washed down with
lots of Tsingtao and keeping my beak buttoned
as all the available management will be turning out for this one. Please help me … someone???
Tip
of the Blog: Can anyone explain why
Carluccio’s scrambled eggs taste wonderful, and surprisingly like eggs should
taste. Mine just taste like scrambled stuff … free range of course.
Raven
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