Blooms Day Dinner

June 16th, Bloom's Day.  

The day on which the story in James Joyce's novel 'Ulysses' takes place.

A good enough reason for a themed dinner.

Starter: Pumpkin & Gorgonzola Tart; served with a dressed rocket salad.

At one point, Leopold Bloom stops for a Gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of burgundy.  That's the Gorgonzola connection.  I found a potato and Gorgonzola tart recipe which enhanced the Irish connection but, as I want potato in the main course, have opted for pumpkin.

Main: Pork Loin Chops with Colcannon and Guinness Gravy.

Colcannon is like an up-market bubble and squeak: potato, cabbage, bacon medley.

Dessert: Banbury Cakes.

Flaky pastry with a currant and ginger filling.

Again, Leopold eats some, feeds some to the ducks.

Coffee, vanilla fudge & Irish Cream.

.

Blooms Day

June 16th. Blooms Day.

June 16th is the day on which all the action in James Joyce's book, Ulysses, takes place. It follows the life of Leopold Bloom on June 16th, 1904. Ulysses is possibly the most intractable of all books to read (second only to 'Using Multivariate Statistics' by Tabachnick & Fidell). I have tried a few times without success to read it. The odd thing is I enjoy it, I just don't finish it.

However I will not pass up a good excuse for a dinner theme. My parents are coming to dinner today, it was my father's birthday a few days ago, and as the Kennedy's come from Ireland, admittedly some generations ago, Irish seemed as good a theme as any. It is also my late father in law's birthday and, while he has some tenuous links to Ireland, I have him, a former Church of Scotland minister, covered with some Two Churches shiraz.

The plan is some very green pea soup served with herb and cheese scones, a beef & Guinness casserole served with colcannon, a traditional Irish dish of potato and cabbage. The meal will wind up with some rhubarb, apple & ginger crumble and custard.

And we will start festivities with a glass or two of some home-made Damson port. Well, it is port in name, because it used port yeast, but it's character lends itself to an aperitif rather than to accompanying coffee.

Pretty bloomin' good, I reckon.
...