Dino
I couldn’t wait until Monday. The last time I had made a Lemon Meringue Pie, a week or so ago, I took a piece in for S to try. She had been badgering me for the recipe ever since and, eventually, I obliged.
She had people coming round on Friday night and needed it for then. So we discussed the recipe and correct translations during Friday morning.
Friday night, I texted her to ask if it came out alright. She phoned back as it was too difficult for her to text in English. She had to use an extra egg white (she thought her eggs might have been too small) and that she had cooked it for slightly longer because her oven required it but she said it looked fine and she would text me on Saturday to let me know.
She texted, as promised on Saturday morning with one word Buonissimo! So that meant it not only looked right but also tasted right. Good.
Also, on Friday, she told me that she had bought some werkester sowse (that would be Worcester Sauce to you and I). After we had discussed the correct pronunciation (Wuster) and discussed that the sauce was actually made in Worcester, where I had lived for some time, she then asked me what she could use it for!
It’s the thing I love about her. She’s Italian but, after trying some of my stuff, she’s now at the stage where she buys English stuff and then finds out from me how she should use it. She loves food and cooking, probably more than I do.
And, at Easter, N&S were over for brunch on Easter Sunday and brought a bottle (you know, the new squeezy bottles) of Golden Syrup. So, thanks to N&S, I can now make a Treacle Tart, which I haven’t done for ages but it’s one of V’s favourites. S has already made me promise to bring a piece in for her to taste.
And, talking of N&S, we went, with them, to see Dino. Dino being a possible name for the new Beardie that we shall be picking up towards the end of May. N&S were thinking of having one (based on Rufus being the wonderful dog that he is) but I suspect that they won’t in the end, for various reasons.
Anyway, Dino (pictured) is so cute. He will be grey although maybe a slightly darker grey than Rufus. It will be interesting (a little of an understatement) to bring him up in a flat but other people manage so I’m sure we shall too. I love the training bit because the results are just great and, I’m hoping, that Rufus being a mentor for Dino will mean that he will be much easier to train. And Dino is taken from the Flintstones but also happens to be an Italian name.
The people that have bred Dino have about 5 fully grown Beardies and, apart from the hair (theirs was long and we have Rufus clipped short) it was like being with a load of Rufuses. And the house was clean and didn’t have that ‘doggy’ smell that breeders usually have. Maybe it’s not having carpets here or Italians obsession with cleanliness – but it was so nice whatever it was. The dogs had been recently washed (the adults not the pups).
And the woman obviously really cared about them. It was very pleasant all round.