Season to be jolly is upon us

(OUT AND ABOUT)

Christmas is fast approaching and I don’t think I’m the only one who abhors the canned Christmas carols blaring out in most supermarkets heralding the beginning of  this season. Along with tawdry tinsel and faux fir trees on street corners (haven’t seen any living ones yet) these increasingly awful cover versions of carols don’t come close to instilling a feeling of cheer and good will. Much more welcome are the rains, bringing relief from the heat and marking much activity in fields and farms. A new season brings renewed hope — at least for a good harvest.

Another sign of the welcome approach of the year end is the increase in events, parties and evenings out and this week I was hardly at home — though it was more about art than food!  Began with a visit to an exhibition of paintings at Gallery Delta on Livingstone Ave and Ninth Street. Entitled ‘Episodes’, this collection, featuring paintings of Cosmas Shiridzinomwa is a riot of quirky colour and movement. Renowned for his unusual perspectives, his previous exhibitions featured views of life from Under the Bed and his Closet series showed interiors of cupboards spilling hidden secrets – literal skeletons, skulls and bones, documents and weapons. Episodes features chairs and buildings all remarkably animated. A wonderful sense of humour and irony permeates these works — with the chairs taking on personalities of their own.  Exhibition runs at Gallery Delta until early December and is well worth a visit.

Another exhibition featured the intricate and imaginative work of table sculptor Lionel Spud Murphy. Crafted from a mixture of organic materials, different woods, stone and metal — his tables and lamps are almost alive. But this farewell exhibition was our last chance saloon and from now on it will be US collectors who can snap up these one off pieces of fabulous furniture.
Enjoyed good food at a private birthday party at a favourite restaurant Shop Café in Doon Estate. Invited to come for tapas — we found Shop Café strewn with flamboyant petals, looking both Christmassy and Spanish and were served a local take on tapas with perfectly prepared snack dishes including little crumbed fish pieces, aubergine beignets, sticky chicken drummettes, tiny sausage rolls and cocktail sausages, home made taco chips to dip into pungent garlic scordalia, butterflied prawns, potato wedges with chillie sauce, marinaded mushrooms, potato tart, green beans with yoghurt mayo and a huge bowl of black olives. Jugs of sangria maintained the Spanish theme — and it was a lovely relaxed way to entertain and enjoy.

Finished the week with comfort take-away fish and chips from Supreme Surf ‘n Turf in Chisipite — perfect for rainy Sunday night supper. No one knows precisely where or when fish and chips came together. Indelibly associated with England, chips only came to Britain from France in the eighteenth century and there’s a mention of sold fried fish and bread in Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist published in 1830. But by the end of the century fish and chip outlets had proliferated and to keep prices down, portions were sold wrapped in newspaper — a practice that persisted until the late 1980s when the hygiene police ruled food and newspaper ink unsuitable companions.

Surf ‘n Turf offers batter fried hake and chips for just US$7. Served with a small tub of tartare sauce and a wedge of lemon, two pieces of hake and chips come all  wrapped up in a page of the Food Times — the takeaway outlet’s  publicity blurb. Its a nice touch.  We waited no more than ten minutes for our food, hurried home and enjoyed an easy, no fuss meal.
-g.jeke@yahoo.com