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The Citizen, 2003-11-05, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2003. PAGE 5. Other Views English cooking; an oxymoron? £ £ ta nglish cuisine is generally so threadbare that for years there has JL—/been a gentlemen’s agreement in the civilized world to allow the Brits pre­ eminence in the matter of tea - which after all, comes down to little more than the ability to boil water.” At ease, all ye staunch defenders of Albion! I didn’t say that - a Yankee scribe by the name of Wilfrid Sheed did. But having spent a couple of years living in London, I’d have to say the man knows his onions. Oh, there are marvelous restaurants in London, to be sure. German restaurants, French restaurants, Thai and Vietnamese and Indian restaurants. Made-In-England eateries seem to be limited to chains of dingy tea shops with menus specializing in sticky buns, stale cookies and, of course, great steaming vats of tea. Mind you, Old Blighty is not a total culinary wasteland. HP Sauce is English. So is Worcestershire sauce and a whole host of tangy relishes, dips, spreads and seasonings. The English are good at condiments. They have to be. Add-on flavour enhancers are the only way to restore some taste to food after English cooks have boiled, broiled, steamed, grilled, roasted, braised, blackened or otherwise fricasseed the bejeezus out of it. They even mess up dishes they’re supposedly famous for. The worst fish and chips I ever tasted came from shops in London. A couple of years ago the legendary British banger was denied entry into the European Common Market — declared ‘not fit for human consumption’. And then there’s England’s infamous entry in the dessert category: Spotted Dick. Is that a dish or a Sexually Transmitted Big winners hard to spot The big political winners often have been difficult to spot in advance in Ontario and the latest example is Dalton McGuinty. The Liberal premier who won a landslide 72 of 103 seats, among the largest victories of recent decades, showed no sign early in his political career he was destined for such dominance. The same could be said of other big winners, Progressive Conservative premier Mike Harris, who won 82 out of 130 seats in 1995, Liberal David Peterson who won 95 of 130 seats in 1987, and to some degree New Democrat premier Bob Rae, who won 74 of 130 seats in 1990. McGuinty was barely noticed by media or public as an opposition back-bencher, although he was for part of the time environment critic, which usually is a platform for being seen above the crowd. When McGuinty ran for leader in 1996, his own party thought so little of him it voted him only into fourth place on the first ballot and eventually made him leader more to keep out radical newcomer Gerard Kennedy. ■Some Liberals muttered about dumping McGuinty after he failed to win an election in 1999. but he was able to hang on because he increased the Liberal vote. McGuinty also consistently held huge leads in polls up to the October election, but media and many Liberals privately were more prone to caution that his party led in previous elections and lost, and then he suddenly caught fire. Harris similarly was an unknown backbencher under premier William Davis and although he was a minister in Frank Miller’s brief premiership, this was no distinction Arthur Black Disease? And what can you say about that signature cliche of a British meal, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding? How about ‘slab of cow with half-defiated bun’? And yes, a dab of horse radish on the side, just to keep your taste buds from atrophying completely. How did it come to this? There was a time when English food was second to none. Henry VIII ate like a...well, king - and had the silhouette to prove it. In Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens devotes whole chapters to rapturous descriptions of succulent feasts and mouth-watering repasts that his characters routinely tucked into. But somewhere in the snakes and ladders of history, Rome lost its empire, Spain lost its Armada, the French aristocracy lost their heads and the Brits forgot how to put a decent meal on the table. No matter. I am delighted to report that the gastronomic worm has turned and Merrie Englande is again marching toward the winner’s podium of world-class cooking. Personally, I think lasagna was the turning point. You know lasagna - that quintessential Mediterranean pasta dish that’s as Italian as Sophia Loren? Well, actually it’s about as Italian as Margaret Thatcher, according to Maurice Bacon. Eric Dowd From Queen’s Park because Miller included almost every MPP who supported him for leader in his biggest cabinet of all time. Harris later was house leader in opposition and a stout defender of his tiny caucus against Liberal hordes, but his party had no zest for making him leader and, when bigger names spurned the job, chose him only narrowly over Dianne Cunningham, an MPP only two years. Peterson, before becoming Ontario’s first Liberal premier in four decades, was rejected by his party when he first ran for leader and reporters felt his brother Jim, who ran his campaign and later became an MP, was more articulate and should have been running for leader. The Liberals eventually gave Peterson a chance to lead after Stuart Smith lost two elections, but he could not match NDP leader Rae in questioning in the legislature. But then the older Miller started looking out of touch and Peterson was seen as embodying change and he did not look back. Rae was always seen as a boy wonder and the feeling he was not destined for greatness was based more on the belief voters were unlikely to turn to the NDP. But they did after getting fed up with Tory and Liberal governments in quick succession. The one big exception to this. Davis, was Mister Bacon was rooting around in the medieval archives at the British Museum where he came across an ancient piece of parchment written by the cook for King Richard II, back in 1390. It was entitled ‘The Forme of Cury’ and it contains 196 recipes including one for a dish called ‘loseyns’ (and pronounced ‘lazan’). The document (possibly the world’s oldest surviving cookbook) lists two of the principle ingredients of loseyns as cheese on a base of flat pasta. “Whatever this English recipe is, it is certainly not lasagna as we now know it,” said an official at the Italian Embassy in London, somewhat testily. I think the Italians are worried, but not as much as the French. The latest buzz is that a very popular English cookbook - How To Cook, by Delia Smith - is about to be released... In Paris. French publisher Hachette Pratique is releasing the French translation, in the belief that today’s busy Frenchwomen have failed to learn how to cook at all, never mind how to cook well. How do world-renowned French gastronomes feel about taking cooking lessons from the English? If Parisian chef Alain Dutournier is any guide, they think it’s high time. “If the French are no longer guardians of their own temple - and they are not,” Dutournier told the BBC, “ — then they need to be taught the rituals again by outsiders.” Ah, the Brits teaching the French how to cook. Revenge is sweet. And as we all know, revenge is a dish best eaten cold. I think Winston Churchill said that. marked as a future premier almost from the day he entered the legislature, because he was in the mould of quiet, competent, unflappable Tory premiers like John Robarts and L.eslie Frost. Among the lessons are these: the big names, the Roy McMurtrys and Darcy McKeoughs, do not always get to the top. Those that do often are late-bloomers. They often go unnoticed early in their careers, particularly in opposition parties, because the media and public take little interest in back-benchers unless they are rebels, which normally would hinder their getting to the top. They persevere unlike ordinary mortals. A reporter would watch Harris on a street stopping passers-by to shake hands and wonder how he could work up enthusiasm for introducing himself to people who didn’t know him and didn’t care. McGuinty could be seen hanging in the corridors outside the legislature chamber waiting for reporters to finish questioning ministers and hoping they might ask for a comment from him. Another common denominator is all these premiers would have had difficulty getting to the top unless governments they opposed were crumbling, so they also need luck. Final Thought Life’s briefest moment is the time between reading the sign on the expressway and realizing you just missed the exit ramp. - Unknown Bonnie Gropp The short of it Vote wisely Like many people, I wouldn’t exactly say that I am a big fan of change. Though at times it may be as good as a rest, it can be pretty hard to accept when the status quo seems to be working fine. However, when it comes to elections, the idea of change does tend to get me a little charged up. It’s not that I’m necessarily dissatisfied with the current government, it’s just that even the most cynical can’t help but be somewhat heartened by the passion and zeal, the promises. After listening long enough to the rhetoric you really get thinking there may be hope, that with even a few changes all the stuff that wasn’t good may improve. We put a lot of faith in our politicians. Especially considering that alone it doesn’t matter what their agenda. It takes a majority to make decisions which isn’t always that easy to achieve. There may be not enough money, there may be different priorities, so even those with the best intentions can’t carry through on promises. But even knowing this, the notion that a new term of government begins, that there are fresh faces being offered with fresh ideas, is something to, look forward to. Balancing this is the opportunity to return some of the proven, the members of council who have performed well. The voice of experience, too, is always needed. At the all-candidates meeting in Ethel last week, the packed town hall attested to the interest that community has in seeing what their politicians will offer. They did not come to complain or whine about what has been, but to listen and prepare to make what they feel will be the best choices to represent them at the municipal level. And no mattei what municipality where a choice is offered it won’t likely be easy. Some very worthy candidates have generously put their name forth to do what can often be a thankless job. They have spoken with honesty and conviction about what it would mean to represent their community. They have also expressed a pride in those communities that can re-kin^le any lost spirit. You can’t sit for long and hear how special, how great the place is in which you live, without being affected. It is unfortunate that so many of our local wards will not be having the opportunity to vote. It is not to say that there are problems with those who have been acclaimed, just simply that it is best and just to be given a choice. However, this Monday, residents of most municipal wards will vote toward selecting their new council. If you didn’t make it to an all-candidates meeting, 1 hope that you will make an effort to find out where your candidates stand, what those candidates hope to bring to the council table and what they think of their community. You might consider the type of person you want to represent your municipality as the head of council. What is the role of the mayor or reeve, what type of person should he or she be? What aspects of a person make him or her the best to represent you? For councillor do you want someone who’s a bit of a bulldozer or do you want a diplomat. Do you want a school trustee who knows the system from the inside, or someone who simply has passion and stick-to itiveness? The choices you make will determine the direction of your municipality for the next three years. Be prepared and vote wisely.