Really interesting, Diana - thanks so much for Orthodox Greeks on salt-cod as fasting-food - no idea it was still half the year. As I remember, skordalia wi salt-cod is the perfect combo. 'Mountain-fish' is also the description in Spain - same reason.
Great news! Thanks for the heads up! Took me ages to sort out the drawings - hadn't scanned em in from travel notebooks, there's another from the harbour can't find, and a whole story of the cod-festival (official) - inc sea-saga singing and the full story of Lief Ericson, goes on for hours....
When in Lisbonne recently I had no idea where the bacalhau came from! I just thought it was delicious. So amzing that you are conjuring up this piece from memories of 20 and 30 years ago but you do have the beautiful visual prompts to help you ! Thank you for another beautifully evocative piece of writing .
Lovely history and story, Elisabeth, beautifully written and beautifully illustrated. Just a PS, it wasn't just the Catholic Mediterranean that loved depended on salt cod, but also the Orthodox Greeks. Their fasting rules were/still are even stricter, practically vegan for about half the year, but salt cod with skordalia (garlic sauce) is a welcome treat during some Lenten days and it was a real treat in the mountain areas, far from the sea, where it was the only fish available before the days of air freight. Diana Farr Louis
You’re always so ahead of the game. Valentine Warner and Gill Meller have since made the Lofotens a foodie adventure destination. GORGEOUS drawing. Xxx
Really interesting, Diana - thanks so much for Orthodox Greeks on salt-cod as fasting-food - no idea it was still half the year. As I remember, skordalia wi salt-cod is the perfect combo. 'Mountain-fish' is also the description in Spain - same reason.
Great news! Thanks for the heads up! Took me ages to sort out the drawings - hadn't scanned em in from travel notebooks, there's another from the harbour can't find, and a whole story of the cod-festival (official) - inc sea-saga singing and the full story of Lief Ericson, goes on for hours....
When in Lisbonne recently I had no idea where the bacalhau came from! I just thought it was delicious. So amzing that you are conjuring up this piece from memories of 20 and 30 years ago but you do have the beautiful visual prompts to help you ! Thank you for another beautifully evocative piece of writing .
Lovely history and story, Elisabeth, beautifully written and beautifully illustrated. Just a PS, it wasn't just the Catholic Mediterranean that loved depended on salt cod, but also the Orthodox Greeks. Their fasting rules were/still are even stricter, practically vegan for about half the year, but salt cod with skordalia (garlic sauce) is a welcome treat during some Lenten days and it was a real treat in the mountain areas, far from the sea, where it was the only fish available before the days of air freight. Diana Farr Louis
reply as above - seem to have got my replies wrong way round!
Happy to hear that, Mark - and even happier to hear the book made a difference! Carry on the great work...xxe
You’re always so ahead of the game. Valentine Warner and Gill Meller have since made the Lofotens a foodie adventure destination. GORGEOUS drawing. Xxx
European Peasant Cookery was such a big influence on me when it came out - exactly what I wanted to read and has been a good friend ever since