AUTUMN

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” 
   ― Albert Camus

HOME-MADE TAGLIATELLE WITH CHANTERELLE MUSHROOMS

When I go to the effort of making HOME-MADE PASTA, I always make a special sauce to really cherish it. The same applies to Chanterelle Mushrooms: these gorgeous yellow trumpets deserve to be celebrated, so for me the two together are a perfect match.

The beautiful wild Chanterelles, in Austria known as 'Eierschwammerl' (= egg mushrooms), are quite tasty in their own right. That very taste is  difficult to explain, but they can be fruity or woody, and are a little peppery. I guess for this reason in Germany they are called 'Pfifferlinge', with 'Pfiffer' coming from 'Pfeffer' = pepper. But not only are they tasty, they are also so pretty with their yellow-orange hats; and their consistency beautifully meaty and 'crunchy' when cooked.

EGGS BAKED IN HASH BROWN WITH CANDIED BACON

'Look me that!' ;-) November already!? So, time for Bonfire night: friends of Ye Old UK Times gathering around the bonfire (the old deck this year then, Al?); fireworks accompanied by a keen crowd's AAAAAHHHHHHHs and OOOOOHHHHHs; sparklers painting circles into the darkness; chicken-sweetcorn soup, beef curry, hot dogs; Speckled Hen, wines of all sorts and countries; sweets, chocolates, grilled marshmallows; and most important of all: the familiar chatter, fun and laughter of old friends; music and singing (and more laughter) as the night goes on; and a couple of hang-overs for the next day... would you like a drizzle of rain with that? :-)