Extravagant Purchases
Posted by Fraser Lewry on 3 June 2008 - 9:09am.
I had the neighbours round for dinner on Sunday (salmon ceviche, stuffed pork tenderloin, raspberry semolina tart).
Mid-way through the meal, one of my guests asked to borrow my laptop, logged in to eBay, and proceeded to drop £120 on a signed promotional photo of sixties garage band The Monks. This may sound like an unreasonable amount of money, but they're his favourite band, and I can't imagine these things come up for sale very often.
Anyone care to own up to similarly extravagant purchases? I bought a beautiful Creedence Clearwater Revival print from Rolling Stone photographer Baron Wolman a couple of years back, but I'm not going to reveal the cost - it was worth every penny, but I'm still wincing.
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Expensive or not
Is that any way for a dinner guest to behave? Civilised behaviour at table is collapsing around us.
I hope they brought a decent bottle. Particularly with a menu like that.
While in New York last summer...
I happened across the SoHo branch of the Morrison Hotel Gallery. I was aware of the business from their website but hadn't actually been looking for the place. I like to think the Rock Gods where leading me there. Anyway, I left a couple of hours later with my credit card SERIOUSLY depleted but also the very proud owner of an incredible Bruce Springsteen, by the guy who had shot the Darkness & The River covers, and a quite beautiful Joni Mitchell signed by Joni and Henry Diltz the photographer and gallery co-owner. Awesome place but don't go in if, like me, you have no willpower!
http://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/
Impulse buys
Not sure why I needed the OST to "Patton" on Vinyl(there's no social occasion where it's suitable sadly) oh and a Joy Division Flexi disc which I got as student the guy in shop did seem happy to sell it to me.
As you have seen fit to reveal your dinner menu, Fraser,
perhaps you would be good enough to tell us which branch of Waitrose you frequent?
Holloway Road
Are you implying that these dishes were shop-prepared, and that I don't do my own cooking? Sir, nothing could offend me more.
Certainly not,
but access to the right ingredients makes life a little easier, as Delia knows.
http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Salmon_Ceviche_with_Prawns_and_Lime.aspx
http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Pork_Wrapped_in_Parma_Ham_with_Mascarpone...
Ingredients are everything.
But you'll find no prawns in my ceviche.
And my pork was more festive - chestnuts and mincemeat.
Did the sourness of the lime
Did the sourness of the lime cut through the richness of the salmon by any chance? (The Boxwood Cafe do an excellent salmon ceviche in case your interested - no, thought not.)
Not quite
I also used orange juice, which provides a bitter-sweet yet subtle counter to the sour lime, and rounded things off with a teaspoon of soft brown sugar.
Blimey Fraser!
Do you do the sandwiches at Word HQ as well? Gissa job.
No
But I have been known to bring lovely home-made cakes in.
...you'll find no prawns in my ceviche
Superb line.
Now can we finish the rest of the poem or song that it should belong to? I'm sure there must be a lyricist or two on the blog.
I'd buy the album
Especially if it was bitter-sweet and subtle, and rounded off with 'Brown Sugar'.
You'll find no prawns in my ceviche,
Crustaceans don't thrill me at all,
So tell me why should it be true,
That I get a kick out of you?
Prince
U'll find no prawns in my ceviche
Just one love mussel 4 u
U got 2 get your lips wet, black & peachy
Ready 4 my steamin stew
Wonderful
Just wonderful.
Was it this one, Fraser?
http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/dt/john-fogerty-fine-art-print/OCA700131-F...
Yes, it was
Although I didn't pay as much as they're advertising it for there. It's my favourite rock 'n roll picture ever.
And I had a nice correspondence with the photographer, who explained the circumstances of the shot: Creedence have just finished their set, and Doug 'Cosmo' Clifford has tossed one of his drumsticks into the audience - that's the small blur just above John Fogerty's head - hence all the people reaching upwards. It's an amazing photo, not least because every person in the crowd is wearing an enormous smile.
Ah! That explains it
Always loved that shot.
Disembodied lyrics dept.