Coronation Day

Pimms for All! And since we're all in this together, lets have a street party.

I heard a rustling noise at the mail slot on our front door, and as the postal carrier had already been—I sent Alan to see what was what. “Look!” he said happily, holding up a slip of paper with an invite printed on it, along with the official symbol of The Coronation of King Charles III.

It wasn’t the first street party, Prince of Wales Close has thrown. (Our street is named Prince of Wales Close—Close meaning cul-de-sac, or dead-end; we live at the corner with Royal Way. The first street party was a bright and happy VE Day celebration towards the end of the first covid lockdown, also organized by Kate (no. 4).

At the time, we had been isolated in our own homes and unsocialized for months and months. The whole neighbourhood came out for the party, socially distancing, but being social nonetheless. We were still clapping Thursday nights at 7pm for the nurses and health workers.

It was different for the second street party—for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. At this point, though, The Queen, Our Queen, was ill. Life was getting more and more difficult. The pandemic was still upon us, Brexit was starting to make life a misery, food shortagers were not unusual. Street party? You gotta be kidding.

At the time I wasn’t here anyhow, I was in Sweden’s Arctic circle learning about the lives of the indigenous reindeer herders. If I had been here, I would have rustled up a massive pile of homemade crumpets and set out a lawn table. Because a party is a party, and homemade crumpets make everything better.

Less than a year later, and it is the coronation of The Queen’s son, now King Charles III. A week or so ago I commented that there didn’t seem to be a street party planned. And then, lo and behold, 3 days before the coronation we get the invite.

Here’s the street party invite (Prince of Wales Close is our cul de sac, little dead end street, or, as is known here: Close):

Upon the invites arrival, Alan decided to make his signature Victoria sponge cake, and trotted over to the neighbours with our hand-drawn rsvp. Why didn’t I take a photo of it? It was cute, including line-drawings of Royal Jack Russells complete with tiny crowns, a union jack-decorated cake, and bunting. Always bunting.

Are people excited about The Coronation? I don’t think excited is the right word, to be honest. I mean, you have your monarchists, your anti monarchists, and then you have those who, like ourselves, just like a good party, and would like to see everyday life for the citizens improve, the miasma of insecurity lift. And wouldn’t medical care be nice again?

And yeah, there is a sense of…sadness? Its complicated, and complex, and to be honest: better to think less about losses and think more about hanging bunting. When I walked into town today, most shops, especially second hand ones, had flag and Royal themed window displays. In the midst of Brexit catastrophe, raw sewage spills (scheduled), NHS collapse, corrupt government, and cost of living crisis, are people excited? Well, it is a distraction to be sure. And something large and grand and ancient to feel a part of. Maybe.

Back to party plans: according to the invite there will be Pimms, as I remember fondly from the last street party. Kate (no.4) added, that if it rains, they have a portable gazebo they can roll out into the street, so we needn’t break up the party. Kate’s full name is Kate Middleton FYI.

Here are some photos of our VE street party, several years ago, from in front of our house. Alan is drinking tea ever so properly, and if you look in the window you’ll see the rainbow drawing which neighbourhood children made for everyone to show appreciation of the NHS through the terrible days at the start of the pandemic. You’ll also catch a glimpse of our Prince of a dog, Jack Russell Jake, still with us then, who we miss each and every moment of each and every day since he left us behind in this world.

Sadly the photo has cut off the homemade crumpets on our tea table, next to the jam and Thompson’s Family Tea (from Belfast, Northern Ireland, sooooo good!).

I must begin the rest of our newsletter with a weather report; because it is Britain, it sets the stage so to speak. First we had a cloudburst, then calm and drizzle; dark clouds entered the fray accompanied by the distant rumble of thunder. It hovered in grey drizzle and then: it was a miracle! The sun came out. Isn’t life great!

Now that the official olive-oil annointed, golden carriage carried, horse misbehaving, flags lining The Mall Coronation is over, its time to get ready for the party!

One of these days I’m going to write about Alan’s phase of obsessive Victoria Sponge making. It was years ago, when we still lived in London; I had been away a few weeks and on my return, the fridge was filled with Victoria sponge cakes; each opened cupboard revealed a Victoria sponge, maybe two, even more. When he ran out of kitchen cupboard space, our wardrobes and drawers were full of cake too. I wondered if I should ring a mental health professional. Now that I was back, that was it—no more Victoria sponges; in fact, now its hard to convince him to undertake even one.

So, while Alan proscrastinates about baking his cake, I am doing what I love to do best: thinking about the rest of our menu. And since I don’t really know how many will be there, or what everyone else is bringing, I’ll just make some stuff, Marlena-style, but also Coronation of The King Style.

We just looked out the window and saw our neighbours putting up a long table, chairs, and an umbrella-like covering, protective against either rain or sun. They are carrying vats of Pimms! I’m on my way!

My cup is filled with Pimms. My fingernails (here, my thumbnail) is painted with red, white/silver, and blue glitter fingernail polish. My festive nod to an historic day.

Kate was drinking Pimms too, her fingernails painted Royal Red and Blue!

This is our Spieler Coronation Menu, with pictures from The Prince of Wales Close, Street Party Waterlooville

May 6, 2023

Cucumber and boursin or goats cheese sandwiches, with fresh mint leaves—i left out the bread completely: topped cucumber rounds with goats cheese and mint leaves. Then popped them into our mouths.

Hummus, capers, arugula, and pickled daikon/carrot sandwiches on homemade flour tortillas (or pita, or baguette). Picture below:

Nibbles of sharp Cheddar, spicy mango chutney, and a few leaves of cilantro/coriander on whole grain bread

Tiny little sausages, glazed in chutney and whole seed mustard for the last few minutes

Kate brought oatcakes topped with cream cheese and smoked salmon— I am a big fan!

There were three kinds of olives, and the seasons first tiny tomatoes, canape-sized slices of both pizza and a Mediterranean tart. I didn’t discover the cheese plate until I was already full of everything else, but managed a tiny bite (or two) of a Somerset brie. And like I said: Pimms. Also Prosecco, and Pinot Grigio, and I’m telling you: it was party time, and I think we all felt so much better for it.

TWO CAKES! Alan’s Victoria Sponge, and Our Sweet Nighbour’s absolutely gorgeous triple layer chocolate cake with raspberry icing. (sorry no recipe—but we have photos!)

Coronation Macaroni Salad, with (Optional) Chickpeas

Serves about 6?

Coronation Quiche, is in fact, the official dish/recipe for King Charles’ Coronation—spinach, tarragon, fava beans and Cheddar, all lovely ingredients, but I’m not particularily excited gastronomically by the sum of its (albeit delicious) parts. If I am eating quiche, it is hopefully in France, and the savoury custard wobbles just a bit, while I wobble with happiness at each bite. This filling is wholesome, if perhaps dull.

Coronation chicken, on the other hand, I adore. Its basically a curried chicken salad which got its name from the events surrounding Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. In the era of post WWII rationing, the dish seemed ultra luxurious: chicken, spices, eggs for mayonaise, chutney or jam. Devised by Cordon Bleu chef Rosemary Hume and celebrity florist Constance Spry, it has gone from Royal tables to the sandwich shop, and has been popular ever since. Its popular for a reason: so tasty! I had a feeling that someone else in the hood would bring a bowlful, and they did: with grapes. It was fabulous: golden curry scented chicken with purple grapes. I had two helpings.

But I wasn’t to know this yet: I was preparing something to bring to the party and was already into Coronation salad mode—yogurt, mayonaise, chutney, spices, but wanted to make it vegetarian. Tofu? (Would have been perfect except mine was past its sell-by-date. Coronation Potato Salad? ( The raisins just didn’t work with the potatoes).

Then I boiled a bunch of macaroni until al dente, drained and added it to the curried yogurt-mayo dressing, tweaked the other ingredients here, there, and when it was just right, it was JUST RIGHT. Even though it was just right, I added a can of drained chickpeas to the dish. I think it is optional: but I also think it is good.

I brought Alan a small bowlful, coaxing him to taste it, because you know what its like: you like to have someone else taste it along with yourself, just in case. Unfortunately, he’s not a fan of either macaroni salad or Coronation chicken. He was, however, hungry.

He took his bowl upstairs to his office where he was following the Coronation online. A few minutes later, he returned and helped himself to some more. I kept doing stuff, without paying a huge amount of attention. He appeared, disappeared, full bowl, empty bowl...I pottered about, working on my own projects, cuddling little Lambchop, the usual.

He appeared a few hours later with his sauce-smeared but otherwise empty bowl and said sheepishly: “I know I wasn’t enthusiastic before I tasted it, and to be fair, I was dreading it…but that Coronation Macaroni Salad is terrific”.

So here we go: the recipe. Feel free to take liberties with it.

2 teaspoons “curry powder” (in other words, a nice flavourful masala spice mix)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 lb macaroni or other medium-smallish short fat dried pasta

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 stick celery, chopped

1 red pepper (I used a Romano), diced or chopped

About 1/2 pickled vegetables, diced (I used Vietnamese daikon and carrot, because they are easy to make and I always have them on hand)

2/3-1 cup mayonaise

1/3-2/3 cup greek yogurt (amount)

2-3 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned) or to taste

1 small to medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons apricot jam

About 4 heaping tablespoons mango chutney (if there are big chunks, chop em up)

1 tablespoon lime pickle or other sour, hot, condiment, big chunks chopped up

1 teaspoon whole seed mustard (a l’ancienne)

Several shakes of garlic powder, or 1 clove garlic, chopped

3-4 tablespoons gold raisins/dried cranberries

3-4 tablespoons toasted cashews

Salt and cayenne pepper to taste

1 can chickpeas, drained of their liquid

Lightly toast the curry powder for a few moments in an ungreased frying pan, then add the cumin seeds and stir around until both are toasty but not burnt. Remove from heat.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, cook the macaroni until al dente, then drain; since you are going to be using this as a salad, not eating it hot, rinse with cold water. When rinsed and drained, set aside.

Combine everything else, including the toasted curry powder and cumin seeds, and when the pasta is cooled down and somewhat dry, add it too.

Season it to taste with everything: a dash of this, more of that. When it is just right, it is ready. Cover and chill until ready to serve—I liked it with wild arugula alongside.

Alan’s Victoria Sponge

He bought the ingredients, including very special free range vegetarian eggs, flour milled artisanally, the same brand of butter his mother once upon a time baked with. He arranged everything, “mis-en-place”- like, in a corner of the kitchen. Two days passed.

In the end, he was busy watching the news and Royal reporting, and asked if I might make the cake instead. Wait: he begged me to make the cake. So I whipped the batter, baked the sponge, but he put it together with jam,cream, grapes, and candy sprinkles.

I’d like to say this cake is mine, but its not. Its triple layer gorgeousness, and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my nice big fat slice!