California Celtic

Bugger...it's Mothering Sunday in the UK already.

2012-03-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Dammit, this day catches me out EVERY year. My poor Mum... occasionally I get a random memory flashback, or just a brain fart, and a beautiful card and perfect gift wing their way over to arrive right on time, otherwise it's a Hallmark eCard the day of, and then I figure how much time I have before Mother's Day rolls around in the US...my 'Get Out of Jail' card.

Of course...the perfect gift.

Around the world mothers are 'officially'celebrated as early as February and as late as December... I'm suggesting she moves to Indonesia.

So this year, an eCard will pop up in Mum's Inbox apologetically. I've posted a belated greeting on her Facebook Wall and I just stuck a dirty great message on my fridge: 'May 13th - Flowers or FAIL!'

Check out the wiki entry for origins of Mother's Day - fascinating!

Happy Mother's Day!

Green is the new Black...

2012-03-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

...well for March 17th it is anyway... Happy St Patrick's Day!

Get your green togs on and get down to the Parade. Celebrate the Irish in you - even it's just the Guinness you end up supping at Dargan's!

http://venturastpatricksdayparade.com/

Oh bloggy blog how I missed you...

2012-03-06T22:17:00.000-08:00

Fell off my little orange blogger wagon for the last few months. Time to catch up and feature some cool celtic stuff and happenings for anglophile friends and homesick homeys. Or I can also resort to some celebrity royal gossip ...

PRINCE HARRY AND KATY PERRY TO MARRY!!!

"Penny for the Guy, Mister?'...ahhh memories

2011-11-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

An old article from the UK's Daily Mail, but if you ever wondered why your British friends get a little teary eyed during November...this lovely article will tell you why.

Where have all the Guys gone? QUENTIN LETTS'S nostalgia for the fantastic Bonfire Night effigies of yesteryear.

My cousins and I used to do this every year during the late 1970's in Derby. Shamelessly 'begging' for pennies on the High Street, or outside the Bell & Castle Pub with our homemade guys. Cheeky, but wary of the adults that paid a bit too much attention to us, ready to run off giggling if we got moved on. When we got enough in our pockets off to the chippy we went, or the corner shop for sweets.

Love these old photographs... getting a little teary eyed myself.

1969 - girls outside a pub. Read more at Daily Mail UK

Nurse joins in at a children's home in Wanstead, Essex, in 1947.
Read more at the Daily Mail UK

Happy Samhain and a Peaceful Pagan New Year!

2011-10-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the nifty little Discovery Channel animated guide to Halloween and and its Celtic origins...us pagans get everywhere!

Where did Halloween come from?

Happy Samhain!

Credit: James Williams animates the spooky history of Halloween at the Discovery Channel.

Crumpet holes!

2011-10-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

Crumpets, crumpets, crumpets!

What's the difference between a crumpet and an English muffin? Holes my friend.

Crumpet holes go all the way from top to bottom. Just toast, slather in butter (add a dollop of jam if you like) and watch it melt, disappearing in to those holes for a deliciously, decadent buttery bite with your cup of tea.

Buy them locally at Trader Joe's, or even make your own - try King Arthur Flour's recipes for a date with butter's best friend.

Spotted Dick, Sherbert Dips and potted meat paste.

2011-10-17T13:22:00.000-07:00

So, according to my British friends and my anglophile pals also living in California I'm way behind on what's new here in SoCal ... Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market expanded their British food section!

Hello? What was I doing that I missed this golden opportunity to stock up on tins of Spotted Dick and Treacle Pudding?

So much for having a finger on the pulse of the west coast supply and demand of British fare.

When I did get to my local store I stood for moment taking in the smell of Flakes and Crunchies, Sherwood curries and poppadoms, and of course, my favorite tinned deserts (the olfactory experience here being totally hallucinatory).

Furtively grabbing my supply of sticky nostalgia, a couple of squeezy bottles of Heinz Salad Cream (great with tuna), and the must-have McVities chocolate digestives I dashed through checkout like I'd just bought crack.

Interesting note: McVities choccie biccies now come in a cardboard tube? Handy, but as my friend pointed out who has them long enough they need an airtight container.

It's fantastic Fresh and Easy stock all this British goodness, but I want to give a special shout out to my local speciality British stores too. They've kept my cravings for sausage rolls and Sherbert Dips down to mere twinges over the years, and it's like popping round to your corner shop when you spent your 10p pocket money on a pick and mix bag of Flying Saucers, Fruit Salads and Black Jacks, (sweets that were like crack to a 7 year old).

If you live local to Ventura drop by Rosie Lee Imports, or try The Hare and the Hounds in Thousand Oaks. Susan and Trisha stock everything from Royal Wedding memorabilia to potted meat paste.

Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb with a tin whistle?

2011-10-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

"Celtic Pink Floyd is devoted to the arrangement of Pink Floyd songs with a Celtic rock twist. Uilleann pipes, fiddle, tin whistle, accordion, banjo, dulcimer, bodhrán, mandolin, and bones are mixed with contemporary vocals, guitars, bass and drums."

Comfortably Numb...with tin whistle? Another Brick in the Wall...with Uilleann pipes?? Mother...with accordian???

Now I like a bit of Floyd...but I'm still on the fence with this 'erm...interesting rendition of classic Floyd tracks. Somehow the Wall with fiddle and pipes gets almost jolly and that's strangely sad.

Make up your own mind ... listen to some samples at Celtic Pink Floyd.

Snakebites and Nachos...it's Pub Review #2

2011-09-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

.... a stop at a popular watering hole in Downtown Ventura. You may have heard of it? Dargan's Irish Pub? On the corner of Main and Chestnut? Just up from the Downtown Century movie theater?

Dargan's, Ventura. Find it Downtown on the corner of Main and Chestnut.

Yep, that's the one - whimsical Gaelic stenciled on the walls, Bangers & Mash on the menu and TV screens tuned to the sports channels.

So, my latest visit to this pub was on a Saturday night. Didn't care to sample the menu this time, too busy waiting at the bar to get in the next round of drinks for me and my girlfriends. Alas, not a pint of something dark or an aged malt in sight among this teeteringly high heeled trio, just vodka tonics, martinis and dubious conversation about the state of said bangers.

Dargan's - note the Guinness mural.

The crowd is mainly younger of a nighttime - a shift from lunchtime shoppers and tourists to the movie crowd to bar hoppers stopping by on their way to late night mayhem.

You can order 'Speciality Pints' here - which makes me smile affectionately as I reminisce of my late teens in the UK. If your aim is to get legless...quickly...then order a pint of Snakebite. Half cider, half lager...refreshingly lethal and leg removing to those who had just reached the tender British drinking age of 16...oops 18.

Dargan's does a good job of keeping it just Irish enough yet still reminds you it's still firmly rooted in California. You can order Guinness or Harp Beer with your Corned Beef & Cabbage any lunchtime, or watch the game munching Dargan's Irish Nacho's (yes, really) with a glass of Central Coast chardonnay.

They do have live music during the week and on a Sunday, so if you fancy a fiddle with your Steak & Guinness Pie Dargan's is just the place to enjoy the craic.

Sláinte!

Steak & Guinness Pie at Dargan's.

Who is Bad Haggis?

2011-08-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'm STOKED! Bad Haggis will be playing the Ventura Seaside Highland Games! A hefty dose of Celtic with hints of African, Rock, Jazz and World Beat ...love these guys. Check out Summertime Blues with pipes...nice!

Bagpipes and guitars... at the seaside, and with men in kilts wandering around tossing the cabers to boot ... October 8-9th is gonna be a good weekend!

Bad Haggis...

Keep Calm and Wear a T-Shirt

2011-08-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

When being vaguely fashionable gets to be too much, (i.e. big belt or teeny belt; 3" hell heels or rice paper thin flats; funky flared or cut off your circulation and die slowy skinny jeans...you get the idea), I find fashion relief, and sanity in a simple t-shirt.

Stick one on with something covering your bottom half for modesty (optional) and BOOM! Fashion and silly feather hat thingies be damned. Stay cool and chic(k) with these understatements from CafePress.

Luurrve this t-shirt from CafePress

... and this one I hear every day!

Keep Calm and ...(insert your own ending)

Two of my favorite things: Damien Hirst and The Red Hot Chili Peppers

2011-07-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

I love it when popular culture knocks two of its best together and you get something like this.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have just raised the bar for cover design with their latest album 'I'm With You', by commissioning British artist Damien Hirst, (yes, he of the pickled shark, the bisected cow and the diamond encrusted skull).

I tip my sunglasses to you, gentlemen.

Check out the full story here.

Damien Hirst cover design for The Red Hot Chili Peppers
new album 'I'm With You', out 8.30.11

Warning: Kiefer Sutherland Is… Secretly British

2011-07-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Warning: Kiefer Sutherland Is… Secretly British.

Betcha didn't know that, did ya? I didn't and it got me wondering who else is lurking in the tea and crumpet closet in La La Land, huh?

Who else is Secretly British...? Find out at BBC America - Anglophenia Blog.

By 'eck it's Champion the Wonder Horse

2011-07-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

Interesting conversation about favorite childhood TV shows came up today...and I mentioned one of mine 'Champion the Wonder Horse' expecting from my American friends oohs of nostalgia and enthusiastic sobs of remembrance loud enough to match my own...not a one! Blank stares and 'Are you sure it wasn't a British show?' was all I got.

Hang on. No, this was definitely an American TV show...it was a western, they had those funny American accents...and it had cowboys. Definitely not British made ...if it was, in some place like Yorkshire, the shouts of 'by 'ecks' and the flat caps would have given the game away. I may have been 7 or 8 at the time but I knew there weren't cowboys on the Yorkshire Moors. Well, none that had a wonder horse.

I watched it every Saturday afternoon at my Grandma's during the summer holidays. I sang along to the theme tune EVERY time it came on, (and I can invoke that tune now like I can recite, parrot fashion, the 'Lords Prayer' from my school assembly or my times table without even thinking, literally no conscious thought at all...).

I googled furiously just to make sure I wasn't having some weird false memory issue - and there it was in glorious black and white on YouTube. So, there were other 1950's black and white western TV show geeks out there too!

The only memory that proved to be a bit shaky was the show title. It was actually called 'The Adventures of Champion'.

A TV gem from the 1950's that played on British telly back in the 1970's was all about Champion, a wild stallion who with Rebel the faithful German shepherd dog, rescued their boy pal, 12 yr old Ricky every week without fail and oh, how I loved him.

Bit of trivia I did not know - the horse who played Champion was owned by Gene Autry, who also produced the show...hmmm America's Favorite Singing Cowboy, hello!

Sing along now boys and girls ...

Champion the Wonder Horse! Champion the Wonder Horse!

Like a streak of lightnin' flashin' cross the sky,

Like the swiftest arrow whizzin' from a bow,

Like a mighty cannonball he seems to fly.

You'll hear about him ever'where you go.

The time'll come when everyone will know

The name of Champion the Wonder Horse!

Billy Bob & Kath's Big Adventure

2011-07-08T23:14:00.000-07:00

I promised a friend I would definitely try to post something about the California visit of that couple who just got hitched. Oh man, what are their names again? Billy Bob & Kath? No, no, I have it...yes! Will & Kate.

So glad I did too! It's amazing what you find when you're not trying hard enough.

Santa Barbara's The American Riviera® has a whole site devoted to 'Santa Barbara's Royal Summer'. I mentally doffed my feather Fascinator to the marketing gang coming up with this promotional beauty. Honestly, I almost peed my pants in admiration.

'Royal Experiences in Santa Barbara -
Experience Santa Barbara Like Prince William and Kate'

Stalk, ...sorry, take a walk in their shoes! All you young loves have yourselves a Royal Experience and explore Santa Barbara just like Billy Bob and Kath may well do this weekend!

Ink and Ogham

2011-06-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

I get asked a lot about the origins of my wrist tattoo, and apart from the most often asked 'What does it mean?', I get asked 'What are all the lines?'.
For those I haven't already caused a glazing of the eyes here's the Wikipedia definition of the Ogham script used in the tattoo:

Ogham (English pronunciation: /ˈoʊ.əm/or/ˈɒɡəm/; Old Irish, ogam pronounced [ˈɔɣamˠ], Modern Irish [ˈoːmˠ] or [ˈoːəmˠ]) is an Early Medieval alphabet used primarily to write the Old Irish language, and occasionally the Brythonic language.[3] Ogham is sometimes called the "Celtic Tree Alphabet", based on a High Medieval Bríatharogam tradition ascribing names of trees to the individual letters. There are roughly 400 surviving ogham inscriptions on stone monuments throughout Ireland and western Britain, the bulk of them are in the south of Ireland, in Counties Kerry, Cork and Waterford. The largest number outside of Ireland is in Pembrokeshire in Wales. The remainder are mostly in south-eastern Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and England around the Devon/Cornwall border.

A great example of carved Ogham is the Buckquoy spindle-whorl: 'a famous spindle-worl dating from the Early Middle Ages, probably the 8th century, excavated in 1970 in Buckquoy, Birsay Orkney, Scotland. Made of sandy limestone, it is about 36 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick.[2] It has achieved fame because of its ogham inscription. The inscription was once used as proof that the Pictish language was not Indo-European. In 1995 historian Katherine Forsyth claimed that it was a standard Old Irish ogham benedictory message, Benddact anim L. meaning "a blessing on the soul of L.".[4] Source: Wikipedia

Even though the particular chapter of my life transcribed in Ogham in my tat is now closed, I still love the simplicity of the lines, the physical link to a culture long gone and the natural spiral reminding me of the continuing path into our futures.

Cornets and horns...lovely, jubbly!

2011-06-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

Ventura British Brass opens free summer music series
on Sunday, June 26th, 4pm at Barranca Vista Park...perfect picnic time!

Ventura British Brass

Drum roll please...first Pub Review is up!

2011-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

My guest reviewer can claim a fair bit of clout when it comes to the authentic British pub, being well... British, and having the uncanny ability to sniff out pork crackling from ten paces. Here's his personal take on one of the many British pubs you'll find in and around L.A. as well as a ride down memory lane round a hairpin or two on the back of his old Norton...

The Cat 'n Fiddle, Sunset Blvd, L.A.

....Well, in the interests of full disclosure, I need to say that since visiting my first pub at age 14 in Britain I’ve been in every colour and hue of bar imaginable and this is one of the more relaxing ones especially given it’s proximity to the noise and drama normally associated with Sunset Strip.

Obviously, my jaded eyes were already rolling as soon as I saw the

pub sign for the place. Back in the day (as well as back in the Old Country), pub signs were intended to give the thirsty visitor the name of the public house in pictorial form at a time when the majority of the poor feudal masses were totally illiterate. So pub signs should be accurate in reflecting the name of the hostelry chosen by the landlord, right?

Cat 'n Fiddle pub sign,
Sunset Boulevard, L.A.

I’d love to know who’s responsible for the one at the Cat 'n Fiddleand why no-one anywhere on the Internet appears to have noticed that this pub should be renamed “The Cat and Cello” because that’s what the feline in question is actually playing!

I’m not being too pedantic here but I grew up on motorcycles and a favourite Sunday blast was up the A537 road out of Macclesfield, Northern England to a pub, the second highest in England, called … can you guess? Yep, “The Cat and Fiddle”.

A537 Cat & Fiddle road

Now the A537 road used to be a spectacularly wriggly, off camber, 10 foot wide strip of pre-war tarmac that had to be attacked with total commitment or it’d spit you off onto the moor where the local werewolves would drag you off and ok, so the werewolves were made up but if you came off up there you might as well have been taken by wild animals since your chances of survival were minimal.

This also led to the paradox of needing a stiff drink if you arrived at the pub unscathed but with rather full underpants due to the lack of brakes on your 1956 Norton Fumigator which then left you less than focused on the downhill run thereby causing you to crash on the way down. It’s been renowned as the most dangerous stretch of road in England for many years until the Health and Safety fascists put cameras everywhere and a Police helicopter overhead.

Cat & Fiddle, Cheshire, U.K.
'werewolves not served after 6pm'

Anyway, the Sunset ‘Cat 'n Fiddle’ is a perfect metaphor for how every “British”, “Irish” or variation thereof misses the authentic vibe and service of the real thing back on the Celtic fringe of Europe. Now before you get your knickers in a twist, this is both a good thing AND a bad thing; it merely depends on the balance and the overall outcome based on your perspective and experience.

Let’s do the bad things first so we can look at the glass half full later on!

Firstly, after the confusion offered by the misleading sign, I’ve been there a probably a dozen times and eaten there on most of those occasions, both during the day and in the evenings. The beers have been hit and miss, either due to being too cold or improperly poured. As a beerophile with 30 plus years of experience, I know this reduces the flavours and aromas of good ‘on tap’ beers but given the ambient temperature in this part of the world, this can be a good thing too as the initial slurp of chilled ale can be just what you need while the aromas and flavours return slowly as the pint heats up (if the first pint lasts that long!). See? Both good and bad, just on the beer alone!

Secondly, I’ve been there for the British traditional Sunday Roast and every time have had the same sort of experience. The good news is that the meat is usually tender and there’s plenty of it. The down side is that the gravy is obviously a packet mix with not a hint of the traditional ingredients that make a truly tasty sauce for the meat and the Yorkshire Puddings have always been unforgivable.

Yorkshire puddings should be light, fluffy and warm whereas the one’s I’ve got here could be used as substitute tennis balls since the ‘cooking from frozen then microwaved into submission’ technique turns them into something resembling brown latex-coated Nerf balls. See the balance? Good and bad, that karmic balance SoCal is renowned and ridiculed for across the rest of the 49 states.

The veggies are usually done in that semi-crunchy ‘healthy’ way that further confuses your jaw muscles as everyone knows British veggies are boiled to the point of being veggie shaped soup. I have eaten other selections from the menu of ‘traditional’ fare offered but they’ve all been truly forgettable or massively overpriced shop bought items. I mean $6.00 for a microwaved Scotch Egg? No thanks, I’ll go to the Tudor House and get one for $2.50 and eat it on the beach.

Now, onto the good stuff.

Courtyard at the Cat 'n Fiddle,
Sunset Boulevard

The Cat 'n Fiddle is set in a mellow recessed courtyard with plenty of shade that makes this a relaxing refuge from the madness on the doorstep. The fountain, which doubles as the feisty Rufus Hummingbirds personal drinking fountain and hot tub, fills in the ambiance with that babbling brook noise susurrating in the background. The service has always been fairly quick, polite and efficient with no ‘mistakes’ made with either the orders or the bill. Yes, it’s the ubiquitous aspiring actors ambling between tables but it’s fun banter and always with a smile.

There’s always a good mix of patrons, it’s never too loud during the day. The evenings get more lively and the crowd grows younger by the hour, as expected, which is where we come to another good thing. I’ve been over here now for over a decade and not once, in any of the biker bars, Whiskey Row, spit and sawdust, hole-in-the-wall drinking venues have I ever had ANY sort of hassle. Now this may be down to appearances and attitude or pure good luck but it’s certainly not something that would have gone on for this long in Britain without some sort of the aggressive or even violent behaviour I’ve experienced in Britain. And ‘The Cat and Fiddle’ is one of the most relaxing drinking holes I’ve ever been in. It must be, I keep going back, choosing it over all the other dozen or so similarly themed bars across L.A. proper.

It’s the sort of place that if it wasn’t for it’s location and layout would be just another wannabe Brit/Celtic pub. Which brings me to the final balanced bad bit. The parking any time after late afternoon is a complete nightmare. It’s on Sunset…go figure!

So I suppose some sort of conclusion is needed. ‘The Cat 'n Fiddle’is a great, relaxing place to chill out on a hot afternoon with a half decent pint and a wee British snack such as a good flakey, yet simultaneously, soggy sausage roll. It’s so good I keep going back. But beware parking, expect some fairly typical British food (i.e. variable quality, variable warmth and variable service) and don’t expect to be quite as relaxed if you stay into the evening if there’s a DJ or other entertainment on.

And there you have it...!

Cat & Fiddle pub sign,
Cheshire, U.K.

Got a favorite Brit Pub? Tell us about it!

Did I ever tell you about the night I danced with faeries ...

2011-06-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

One of the many Labyrinth cast.

... and wood nymphs; cavorted with barechested Pans and gorgeous Green Men; and a very handsome unicorn... no? Well, read on my luvlies!

The night of the Labyrinth of Jareth Fantasy Masquerade Ball was a blur of fur and feather, a melange of metal and music. The unicorn was pretty chatty too, though I could be remembering the towering oak tree that leant his oak branch against the wall above my head while adjusting his trunk.

What a night...what a feast for the eyes and soul. Each year for one magical night in July, the sultry, summer evening unfolds to reveal the most fantastical creatures and creations. Artistry and imagination runs wild among the seemingly ordinary, the guy you stand in line behind each morning at Starbucks is dressed quite casually in furry knickerbockers and hooves, with happy horns peeking out of his nifty quiff.

On that once a year evening of enchantment you find yourself ardently explaining how long to let body latex cure before you should spray yourself head to toe silver, and always, always apply the metal talons last.

Does this already sound familiar? Have you explored your inner Pan, let your fairy child fly free or given yourself over the the dark side of your darkest fantasies?

Yes? Then you most certainly have your tickets for this year's Labyrinth of Jareth Fantasy Masquerade Ball propped up on your mantel piece, with fairy wings freshly unfurled and hanging on the back of your closet door ready to join the Faerie Court.

No? Then let me enlighten you. Fantasy really does become reality for one dreamtime inspired night in downtown L.A. In it's 14th year the Labyrinth of Jareth annual costumed event is where Celtic myth and faerie lore share the dance floor with ruffles, corsets, ballgowns and homages to Hollywood and fantasy film, losing themselves to decadence. It's an experience for the adventurous and those seeking to be adventurous.

Once held at the Music Box theater and now at the historic Park Plaza, it has a huge following and it's said that celebrities attend, disguised and almost impossible to recognize among the myriad of costumes and masks.

I dare you to corset up, get your steam punk on and join the artists and characters of the Faerie Court - make haste though, it's on July 1st and 2nd!

More info and tickets at:
Masquerade Ball Labyrinth of Jareth 2011 14th Annual Event in the Royal Court

Dressed up like a dog's dinner they were!

2011-05-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Flo and Lucy arrived at the wedding in style. Said a teary-eyed wedding fan: "They looked loverly, bless 'em!"

Personally, I think that Flo and Lucy carried off the look so much better. You both look dahling!

...yet strangely crispy at the same time

2011-05-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

Flippin 'eck...it's May already and I haven't penned a witticism, ironic commentary, or posted a hot Brit/US topic yet this month!
Get it together woman...what are you...a blogger or something?

So, one of the things I plan to feature on California Celtic is the abundance of British and Irish pubs to be found having a lark on various street corners in and round the Ventura and L.A. counties, from the Cat and Fiddle on Sunset Blvd, Hollywood, to Dargan's in Downtown Ventura, (yes, they lurk further afield - but let's start small and sup our way beyond So Cal sometime after closing time).

Black and Tan

I can't possibly review all of the fine establishments all by myself, much as I would like to and would certainly give it a right good go, but the cost of a pint, not to mention gas right now, could cause a serious dent in my Scotch Egg/ManiPedi budget.

I have a promise from a fellow Brit to take on the arduous task of ordering a pint of black and tan, and a ploughman's lunch at the odd (or even oddest) Brit pub and to let me know how it went in words of more than 3 syllables. Try that after a shandy.

Toan in the Hole

So, keep an eye out for the Pub Reviews - we shall try to be fair, but honest...if the ploughman's is missing the pickled onion, the beer garden has been feng shui'd, or the Walker's crisps do not come in salt and vinegar AS WELL AS cheese and onion flavor...then all you Anglophiles, transplanted Brits and barflys will know. Same goes if the dart board is authentic bristle, the beer is properly warm or the toad in the hole is light and fluffy...yet strangely crispy at the same time.

Cheers and Slainte!

Clucking Hell...

2011-04-02T23:15:00.000-07:00

At some point I have to put a recipe in my blog...right? It's required isn't it? So, let's get it out of the way then. Here's one that's my been my potluck standby over the years - my homemade Scotch Eggs with special sauce.

HP Brown Sauce

What are they? Scotch Eggs are a British picnic hamper favorite, along with pork pies, Cornish pasties, cress sandwiches and Robinson's lemon squash. (my list of favorites - you can tell me what I missed!).

You start with shelled boiled eggs, wrap them in sausage meat, a layer of breadcrumbs and then deep fry until golden brown.

I've got my egg wrapping technique down to a fine art and when I'm cooking up a batch, my kitchen is an assembly line as I roll, wrap, dip and dunk, popping out dozens of eggs like some demented cluck.

Oh, and the special sauce? HP Brown Sauce...smother those bad boys in it and you'll be saying "Cor, blimey, Mister!" before you've asked fo milk in your tea and a bacon buttie.

Paula Deen eat your heart out. Actually, she might as well - a couple of scotch eggs probably have more calories than Jack's Triple Ultimate Cheeseburger with curly fries.

Seaside Highland Games in Ventura

2011-03-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

It's a ways off - not until October - but the mere whiff of a woolen kilt and my super tuned Scottish sonar is pinging at me like Sean Connery just defected in his submarine in my general direction.

I love this annual seaside celt fest down at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. It's a hoot to be sharing haggis stories, bumping into your neighbor who just happens to be a professional bagpiper, and just feeling the tartan love under the palm trees.

I look forward to the Scottish folk music, the highland dancing, and of course, and the organizers know their audience so well, large men throwing things!

Here's the official rundown of the what, where and when, and if you have a haggis story let me know!

October 7-9 —The Ventura County Fairgrounds literally becomes a bustling Scottish village with all the attractions and activities one could expect to find in “Auld Scotia.” Competitions in Heavy Athletics, including the telephone pole-like caber toss, Bagpipes & Drums, Scottish Fiddling and Dance. A full Darts competition by VCDA, three stages continuously alive with the finest Scottish/Irish/Celtic entertainers, parading bagpipe bands, classic British cars, battle re-enactors and a bustling Children’s Glen. Over 80 Clans represented and vendors of quality & unique Celtic goods. Authentic British food and drink are always available! Come and trace your family tree with the help of our experts!Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura (818) 886-4968; seaside-games.com

Wellies, trenchfoot, thongs and socks...

2011-03-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

With all the flippin' rain in California this weekend AND the week ahead - I was starting to wonder why on earth I didn't own a pair of wellies anymore.

That quintessential British footwear had been long forgotten by me about a week after moving across the pond, and 15 degrees south, and I realized I was in danger of trenchfoot in anything with a covered toe. I had become a devoted wearer of flip flops, (or 'thongs'...but that's another conversation for another time).

So, I got to googling welllington boots and among the array of a million designer rubber boots that popped up I found these proudly declaring their national pride of place in wellie world.

Welsh Wellies...who knew!

The design on the “welshwellies" includes the Welsh Dragon, Welsh Flag and “Cymru am Byth” (that 'Wales Forever' my fellow non-welsh speakers).

Of course, with wellies you have to wear a good pair of thick socks that don't wriggle their way down under your foot during the day.

There's a good reason...buried deep in my childhood memories is a sorrowful 'tail'. I used to play hide and seek at a cousin's house. It was very old and rundown, with a coal cellar. The cellar had fantastic hidey holes among boxes and stored stuff. After one wet day visit, I splashed my way home and as my mum helped pull off one of my boots a dead mouse dropped out.

True story I swear. My mum will swear to this too, granted with eyes glazed and a momentary retreat into a safe and happier place.

The unlucky rodent, crushed and semi-flattened, must have slipped down into my wellie while I was hiding and then suffocated. I do remember thinking as I walked home how my 'sock' felt all lumpy in my boot.

I think I just realized the real reason for my love of flip flops.

May your feet stay dry and your socks stay up!

Miska, Muska...Happy St Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

'Oh Gosh! ...Aw Gee! ...Top 'o the Mornin' !'