Take one Kangaroo tail

Yes, this is a real instruction from a real recipe. A few days ago I was flicking through some old cook books and discovered 'Kangaroo Fritters'. Clearly written at the height of the British Empire and the Commonwealth, I imagine it would now be somewhat difficult to find such ingredients at the local supermarket. However, as is the nature of humans, we often take things too far. Having moved from such laborious meals, you can now find most food items in some variation of the 'instant' variety. While fans of organic, free-range, something-free, food are currently living in a (naturally coloured) golden age, the wealth of choice offered to today’s consumers allows the same shop to sell eggs with smiling chickens on the box and instant pancake mix (which probably doesn’t even contain eggs from sad chickens).

Don’t get me wrong, I consider microwave pizza one of mankind’s greatest achievements, I love Chinese take away, and believe that, in the UK at least, bread should be shop bought (bread machines are the Devil’s pungent work). But ham shaped like a bear, really? Food is so much more than fuel. While I will agree that smell is probably the most stimulatory of the senses when it comes to memories, taste isn’t far behind. Food is such an important part of our lives, my parents once vowed, were we ever to find ourselves in financial trouble, we would sacrifice almost everything, but good food.  

With my mother’s parents being one of six and seven children each, cooking for a large table has become a continued habit, despite there only being three of us two generations later. This has led to me being able to eat portions meant for an entire family, and as such I have always left restaurants and friend’s houses feeling like I’ve just been nibbling at the bread basket. No matter how often I am exposed to other people’s eating habits the thing that I still find most shocking is the lack of home cooked food. It with increasing frequency and increasing disappointment that I see people attending cake sales with shop bought cakes! This is nothing short of blasphemy in our house. A house where cook books have their own bookcase, and are read as bedtime reading, huge folders full of recipes and cuttings fight for space on the shelves, and the omission of a familiar seasoning from a much loved dish can be tasted straight away, and suitably condemned. While it is a joy to see people’s delight as they sample my mother’s desserts (they are her speciality), the look of surprise on their faces and their exclamations of amazement are almost sad. Home baking should not be such a rare treasure, except for Kangaroo Fritters perhaps.

I'd like to buy myself a Coke

I said that this would be a blog to house my day dreams, and all I can think about right now is Coca Cola. I am unable to drink my beloved Coke at the moment, and have discovered that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder. Coke and I have a long and happy history together, from hot summer days, to late night revision, and every Christmas dinner in between. As far as the hallucination-inducing effects of sleep deprivation during exam time go, Coke was pretty much the only thing that kept me standing. Despite my love of wandering into Whittard’s just to smell the aroma of coffee beans, I am not a fan of coffee where my taste buds are concerned. In fact, I am not a fan of any hot drink really; even tea, much to the disgust of the rest of England. If the weather calls for it I can be partial to the odd hot Ribena. But I find that in general hot drinks just make me more thirsty, where as I was under the impression that a drink is supposed to quench one’s thirst. Enter Coke. Caffeine booster, refresher, taste bud pleaser, and friend to all.

This life long love affair with Coca Cola has never faltered, and every time I gaze upon that classic, never bettered, glass bottle design, I am swept off my feet. And I still believe that Coke from the bottle is far superior to Coke from a can. The whole Americana of the product is enough to make me swoon, a look and style that has influenced pop culture and become part of a heritage beginning in 1886. Sweets have been dubbed ‘cola-flavoured’, many shops have tried unsuccessfully to imitate its unique taste, and its Christmas advert signifies the start of the festive season. Some people will even claim that it was due to Coke's advertising campaigns that Santa is now depicted wearing that signature red suit, a myth which Coca Cola themselves deny, yet year after year jolly old St. Nick is often still plastered across billboards with a bottle in hand. One of the most universal brands in the world, that famous red and white logo is instantly recognisable, and found everywhere from the Amazon rainforest to Zimbabwe.

If you still doubt my devotion to this drink, I must inform you that I have in fact visited the Coca Cola shop in Las Vegas. In the form of a giant bottle, this shop is like a monument to the brand, rising out of the desert. Yet before you start to worry about what seems like a slightly startling obsession with a beverage, this was not a pilgrimage, merely a pleasant surprise discovered whilst visiting the town. Although I did buy a T shirt and a fridge magnet... But really, who doesn’t love this carbonated delight? So please forgive me if you ever find me face down and nose covered in Coke, Tony Montana style.