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Illicit privileges
The Dog and the Cook is a great little fable. The poor dog is promised a feast, sees the feast but instead of enjoying the feast gets a beating, but not to worry, the quick witted dog saves face. Is the moral about how his quick thinking saves his reputation or about the foolishness of trusting promises from those who have no authority.
It reminds me of something Mike talked about one evening not too long ago. You know he gave up meat a few years back and whenever the opportunity arises he retells the story of how it is the only climate crisis friendly thing to do. To be fair he is getting more entertaining and more engaging with each telling.
Without further ado, here is the tale as Mike titles it: the finest feast ever.
It started with a cocktail, tall, delicious with frozen fruits, decorative flowers and dry ice bubbles erupting below. Visually provocative and appetite titillating, the flavours let the alcohol do what it is there for.
Then came the cured meats, the likes of which he had not seen since youthful exuberant days abroad. Presented in a rustic wholesome way.
Then came the seafood hotpot with the largest prawns and the smallest crayfish tails which reminded Mike of the time his uncle had shares in a crayfish farm, oh the delicious feasts he had when he was too young to appreciate how rare such deliciousness is.
And the muscles in the simple white wine cream sauce, as is the best way to eat muscles, Mike declared he had learned this abroad too.
And the tender steaks cooked to rare perfection served with all the sides, mac ‘n cheese, garlic butter veg and new potatoes.
And finally there was the deconstructed desserts served with the home made sorbet, I know little about the deserts because this was the point at which Mike stopped talking about the food because, just like the poor dog in the fable, he had done nothing but looks at the plates of food eaten by his companions.
And like that dog in the fable, Mike sidestepped any embarrassment about paying a small fortune to watch other people eat by sliding into his well rehearsed speech about the vicarious experience proved his decision to give up meat was justified. I think he needs to work on his punch line, which he will do as he will tell the tale many more times.
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