Island of apples

[dolorosa_12]

This weekend seems to have been filled up mostly with eating.

My friend lucubratae came up to stay with us on Saturday. He's moved from Australia to London to do an MA, and wanted to get out of the city for a day or so for a change of scene. We hung out for a bit in one of the faculty libraries so that he could work on an essay for his coursework, and in the evening we went with Matthias, and several of my medievalist friends to a pub that was having its own Oktoberfest, selling lots of German beers and serving German food instead of its usual menu. The pub was busy and lively, and I almost lost my voice by the end of the night, but a good time was had by all.

Today Matthias and I went to the Cambridge Botanic Gardens for their 'Apple Day'. They had twenty-nine varieties of apples available for tasting and for sale, none of which were varieties I'd ever tried — or even heard of — before. I prefer apples that are really sour, and which have a very crispy texture, and I was able to find a lot that fit these specifications. We bought bags of three different types of apples.

I also came away with a little sampler box of gin — sloe and cherry, lemon, and raspberry — and several jars of chili sauce.

After hearing naye talk about GuerrillaKitch, I'd been keen to find an opportunity to try their bao, and I was fortunate enough to discover that they were at the Apple Day. So Matthias and I each had a chicken bao and shared pad thai chips for lunch. A cup of coffee for me and a cup of perry for Matthias and we were set for the afternoon. Thankfully the weather today has been lovely, and it was the perfect day to wander around the Botanic Gardens and walk around in the sunshine.

On a sadder note, I'd like to remind everyone about the fundraiser for Rochita Loenen-Ruiz. It's still going, although the organisers have met the original goal. They are now leaving it open and attempting to reach various stretch goals. As well as helping out a really wonderful human being during a horrible time in her life, donors gain access to a site full of downloadable goodies, including short stories by Aliette de Bodard, printable colouring sheets by Likhain, poems by Rose Lemberg and Shveta Thakrar, and a short story by Bogi Takács. Donors also go into a draw to win lots of other rewards. Please spread the news about the fundraiser, and donate if you can.

Comments

[naye]

Oh, you went to the Apple Day! I'm glad you could make it - I was really curious about it, but I was home nursing a cold and preparing for a late evening out at the movies. Had you been before? And you caught the bao truck, too! Sounds like a delightful day out. ♥

[dolorosa_12]

It was really fun! I'd been meaning to go for years, but somehow it didn't work out until last weekend.

Mostly it was just a food fair in a nice setting. You had to queue for a little while before getting into the apple tasting, but it was worth it. Apart from that it was mostly stalls where you could buy stuff like jam, cakes, honey, gin, apple juice and tea, and a few food trucks. There was also a band, and activities for children.

The bao was great! I only wish they made a few more flavours, but I guess that's not really practical in a small van.

[hickumu]

Fall is a good time for eating, in my experience. Also a good time for cooking! I'm glad you're enjoying the opportunity - and I'm kind of stunned that there are 29 different kinds of apples. O_o

[dolorosa_12]

I think there are actually many more than twenty-nine kinds of apples! But most of these I'd never heard of, and they were delicious.

And yes, cooking and eating always seem particularly fantastic at this time of year.

[hickumu]

*briefly Googles*

Many, many, many more. O_o Like, several thousand. I cannot even imagine how that would work.

I guess you learn something new every day, unless you're careful!