04 October 2008

Like a cat that's got the...

Yes, cream! Real DOUBLE cream! From Canadian cows!!

Sorry for the flurry of exclamation marks, but this is a milestone moment for me. I've spent a lot of time grumbling to anyone who'll listen about the quality of dairy products here (and cream in particular). I've even had to resort to making my own double cream using ancient family heirlooms, for heaven's sake. So my delight at seeing tubs of double cream (containing just cream!) in the Smiley's supermarket at Trenton was untrammelled even by the strong suspicion that this was probably a Thanksgiving-only sighting.

I had a stroke of unexpected and undeserved good luck in the garden today, too. The broad (fava) beans that I sowed ridiculously late have somehow survived the heat of the summer and now that the weather is cooler are producing delicious beans in respectable quantities.

Oh, and my kitchen was finally finished yesterday. It's fabulous and I can't believe it's actually mine - it really does feel as though I'm cooking in someone else's.

3 comments:

Shirley said...

Can you ask the store if they could stock the double cream year round? What do you usually use it for?

Anonymous said...

Totally understand where you're coming from. Used to live in France, where I was driven to apoplexy by their ignorance of 'real' cream. Creme fraîche simply doesn't do it when what you want is gorgeous, unsoured, greasy, cholesterol-busting double cream.

Amanda said...

Shirley - I don't use it very much at all - high days and holidays only, really. Maybe with scones and jam as a special treat or as an ingredient in a rich sauce or pie.

It was more the fact that I knew I couldn't get hold of any that was frustrating!

Soilman - I'm horrified that there are double cream availability issues in France, too. I would have thought that they were more enlightened and there must be hundreds of classic French dishes that use cream! Crème brûlée, pommes dauphinoise, profiteroles... Mmm, I think I'd better stop there before I decide I need to buy up the shop's whole supply and make them all.