Tuesday 18 October 2011

Coming home the other evening, through Marylebone station, hauling my big bag of windfall apples from Compton Verney, there was one shop I couldn't resist on Marylebone High Street.
Not Daunt Books. Not even the very posh Rococo chocolate shop. But the Ginger Pig, which is carnivore heaven.
And that's why a smoked ham hock, from the piggiest of pigs, was plip-plopping on the stove when I came in tonight.
And as I opened the door, I realised this was the smell of my childhood.

8 comments:

Cornflower said...

Ham hock is wonderful, and such a favourite that I asked for it for my birthday lunch this year. Mr. C. came up trumps.

scrumptious days said...

Mary, how scrumptious!

Darlene said...

I have yet to have the pleasure but I'm sure I would like it. Any chance there was applesauce on the side?

mary said...

Hard not to like, Darlene. I'd happily enjoy it for my birthday, like Cornflower.
Apple sauce crossed my mind. (Should be parsley sauce!) But, to be honest, I'm a bit apple-d out.

Lucille said...

Boiled bacon - Wednesdays. You brought the smell right back.

mary said...

It was Saturdays in our house, Lucille. I once visited a factory where as a sideline they made scents that they were used to stimulate memory - for old people, stroke patients etc - and, in a blind sniff, the most evocative scents for me proved to be bacon and tannin (the inside of our old teacosy!) It was as good as a time machine.

Anonymous said...

Oh lordy! Mary you have taken me right back to my early years on a Welsh hillside, boiled ham AND the inside of the teacosy! I used to put the cosy on my head on cold winter mornings - and get a telling off too.

mary said...

Toffeeapple, I'm sure there must be some people who have glamorous memories of gardenias and Chanel No 5 ... but clearly not the two of us!