Friday, 29 March 2013
One a penny, two a penny......
.... Hot Cross Buns!
As I sit here typing on the first day of the Easter School Holidays (yipee!), my little house is filled with the smell of mixed spice, yeast, citrus and baking. I am making my own Hot Cross Buns. Now I'm afraid its time for a bit of a rant here:
Historically Good Friday was the most sombre of all the days in the Christian calender. A true Sabbath. Shops did not open and people had a quiet calm day.
Before I go on I must state I consider myself only culturally Christian - I sing in a church choir, I love the poetry of many Bible readings and I try to live my life by a pretty Christian ethos but as for faith and such I'm still not sure.
The only shop that would open on Good Friday was the bakers and they would only open for a few hours and only to sell Hot Cross Buns. (For those who do not speak fluent English Culinary delights, Hot Cross Buns are a spiced bread tea cake with a white pastry cross across the middle traditionally eaten from Good Friday through the Easter season) Many bakers would have a queue around the block for these treats after the abstinence of Lent.
Now here's the ranty bit! Why must these treats be on sale, not only for 5 weeks before Easter, but all year round? Take the cross off and serve tea cakes instead. We need as human beings to mark the passing of time in ways other than our pay packets.
The "Me, mine, my, NOW!" culture is destroying our appreciation of time passing. For those who have forgotten, the asparagus season (yes it does have a season) is traditionally from St Georges day until midsummer day, and no, we don't need them on our Christmas table.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could build up with increasing excitement to the first English Strawberry of the season and be sure in the knowledge that there would still be some Scottish raspberries available as the nights started to close in.
Its not just about eating seasonal produce its about marking the year with wonderful treats and food moments to savour. Who knows, we could introduce a whole generation of young people to the joy of a runner bean picked five minutes before it hits the hot water, or the tart sweetness of the first bramble of the late summer. I may just be dreaming but I hope that with the new food movements around the country and the desire for real, sustainable, tasty food that doesn't destroy the planet, blows our taste buds into new dimensions and reconnects us with the passing of time. Now that's something I can put some faith into.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
As I sit here typing on the first day of the Easter School Holidays (yipee!), my little house is filled with the smell of mixed spice, yeast, citrus and baking. I am making my own Hot Cross Buns. Now I'm afraid its time for a bit of a rant here:
Historically Good Friday was the most sombre of all the days in the Christian calender. A true Sabbath. Shops did not open and people had a quiet calm day.
Before I go on I must state I consider myself only culturally Christian - I sing in a church choir, I love the poetry of many Bible readings and I try to live my life by a pretty Christian ethos but as for faith and such I'm still not sure.
The only shop that would open on Good Friday was the bakers and they would only open for a few hours and only to sell Hot Cross Buns. (For those who do not speak fluent English Culinary delights, Hot Cross Buns are a spiced bread tea cake with a white pastry cross across the middle traditionally eaten from Good Friday through the Easter season) Many bakers would have a queue around the block for these treats after the abstinence of Lent.
Now here's the ranty bit! Why must these treats be on sale, not only for 5 weeks before Easter, but all year round? Take the cross off and serve tea cakes instead. We need as human beings to mark the passing of time in ways other than our pay packets.
The "Me, mine, my, NOW!" culture is destroying our appreciation of time passing. For those who have forgotten, the asparagus season (yes it does have a season) is traditionally from St Georges day until midsummer day, and no, we don't need them on our Christmas table.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could build up with increasing excitement to the first English Strawberry of the season and be sure in the knowledge that there would still be some Scottish raspberries available as the nights started to close in.
Its not just about eating seasonal produce its about marking the year with wonderful treats and food moments to savour. Who knows, we could introduce a whole generation of young people to the joy of a runner bean picked five minutes before it hits the hot water, or the tart sweetness of the first bramble of the late summer. I may just be dreaming but I hope that with the new food movements around the country and the desire for real, sustainable, tasty food that doesn't destroy the planet, blows our taste buds into new dimensions and reconnects us with the passing of time. Now that's something I can put some faith into.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
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