Cooksister | Food, Travel, Photography

Food, photos & faraway places

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • About me
    • Contact me
    • Work with me
    • Legal
      • Copyright notice & Disclaimer
      • Disclosure
      • Cookies and Privacy Policy
    • Press and media
    • Cooksister FAQs
  • RECIPES
    • Recipe Index – by course
    • Baking (savoury)
    • Braai/Barbecue
    • Breakfast & brunch
    • Christmas
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
    • Eggs
    • Fish
    • Gluten-free
    • Leftovers
    • Pasta & rice
    • Poultry
    • Pulses
    • Salads
    • Soup
    • South African
    • Starters & light meals
    • Vegan
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian
  • RESTAURANTS
    • British Isles restaurants
    • Dubai restaurants
    • France restaurants
    • London restaurants
    • Montenegro restaurants
    • New York restaurants
    • Pop-ups and supperclubs
    • Serbia restaurants
    • Singapore restaurants
    • South Africa restaurants
    • Sweden restaurants
    • Switzerland restaurants
    • USA restaurants
  • TRAVEL
    • All my travel posts
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Canada
      • Dubai
      • Cruise ships
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Grenada
      • Hong Kong
      • Hotel reviews
      • Italy
      • Israel
      • Jersey
      • Mexico
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Singapore
      • Ski & snow
      • South Africa
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • UK
      • USA
      • Wales
  • PORTFOLIO
    • Freelance writing portfolio
    • Speaking and teaching
    • Photography portfolio
    • Buy my photos
You are here: Home / Events / EoMEoTE / EoMEoTE#16 – Midnight in the Loeufre Museum

EoMEoTE#16 – Midnight in the Loeufre Museum

by Jeanne Horak on June 13, 2006 4 Comments in EoMEoTE

Eggs-Hollandaise © J Horak-Druiff 2006

It would have been pitch dark in the Loeufre Museum, but for the moonlight streaming in through the skylights.  It would also have been totally silent, but for the crunching noises coming from one particularly dark corner of the gallery. 

“Oh for Heaven’s sake, Robert, what are you doing?” hissed Sophie. 

“I’m, erm, making a little pentagram out of toast crumbs. Why do you ask?” came the slightly defensive reply.

“Well, I’ve been standing here in my Jimmy Choos for over an hour waiting for… heaven knows what, and watching you playing with your food.  You do remember we have tickets for the opera tonight?  And that I’d like to get there before the show is actually over??”

“Just a couple of minutes, darling,” replied Langdon.  “Soon the moon will be overhead and we’ll see if I’m right.”

If it were possible for silence to be exasperated, Sophie’s silence would have been such a silence.  It was great that Robert had helped to solve the mystery of her grandfather’s death, and at the beginning he certainly had swept her off her feet.  But these days she found his conspiracy theories and obsession with the sacred feminine positively alarming.  If wasn’t off tracking Silas the albumen monk, he was trying to find some secret patterns in his scrambled eggs.   She drummed her perfectly manicured nails on the glass of a nearby painting and fumed silently.  Next to her, Robert had made a second pentagram and had started on a set of pyramids.  Would this night never end?

Suddenly, Robert stopped what he was doing and whispered “It’s almost time!”.  Thank God for that, though Sophie.  “What is it, darling?” was what came out of her mouth though.

“In a few minutes, I will explain everything to you.  I will present you with a symbol of the sacred feminine such as you have never seen.”  Ooooooh, thought Sophie, he’s got me a Faberge egg!  Maybe I’ve been a little harsh in my judgement!

“Close your eyes, darling” murmured Robert as he sidled up to her and covered her eyes with his hands.  Sophie was expecting a small, expensively wrapped box to be placed in her hands.  She held her breath in anticipation.

“Okay… this is it!  You can open them now!” cried Robert.  Oh well – maybe the gift was too large and heavy to place in her outstretched hands, she reasoned optimistically, and opened her eyes.  Nothing.  No box, no ribbons, nothing of a gift-like nature at all.  In fact, all that had changed since she closed her eyes was that a shaft of moonlight had fallen on a painting on the opposite wall, illuminating it. 

“There, darling – do you see it now?” asked Robert breathlessly. 

“Of course I see it,” said Sophie, “so what, it’s a painting.”

“Yes, but not just any painting!” he cried.

“Big deal – it’s Hieronymus Bosch’s Ship of Fools.  I’ve known it since I was a kid – bunch of crazies eating a Sunday roast on a boat.  What’s the fuss about?” asked Sophie, beginning to lose patience.

“Look carefully, darling.  See the lute he’s holding?  A wonderfully ovoid symbol of the sacred feminine if ever I saw one.  And the fact that the priest and the nun are sitting at the same table subverts the notion current at the time that the monastic orders should be separated.  All of which further proves what those shady characters at Ova Dei don’t want us to know:  Mary Magdalene and the concept of the sacred feminine were far more important to the church than we have ever been told!”

“And I suppose next you’re going to tell me that the owl in the tree represents heresy and that old Hieronymus was a member of the Poulet of Sion?”

“Exactly, mon cheri!  The clues are everywhere!  You just need to know where to look!  Oh I can’t wait to get home and write this all down.  Come, let’s take a romantic walk along the rose line all the way back to our arrondissement!”

Poachedeggshollandaise2 Oh well, thought Sophie, it’s too late for the opera anyway, it’s a beautiful night and I’m starving.  If they got home in time she could throw together a quick snack and watch Desperate Housewives.  Something like oeufs en cocotte on wilted rocket and toast, with a generous dollop of hollandaise. 

Hmmmm, now there was a reason to get excited about ovoid symbolism… 

This is my contribution to the 16th End of Month Egg on Toast Extravaganza, a bi-monthly ovo-literary foodblogging event.  And the good news is… there’s still time to join in!  Just leave a comment containing a permalink to your Da Clucki Code eggy extravaganza and I’ll add you to the roundup.

More deliciousness for you!

  • Saturday Snapshots #256Saturday Snapshots #256
  • Mustard-crusted pork chops with caramelised apple ringsMustard-crusted pork chops with caramelised apple rings
  • Saturday Snapshots #171Saturday Snapshots #171
  • Saturday Snapshots #307Saturday Snapshots #307

Never miss a Cooksister post

If you enjoyed this post, enter your e-mail address here to receive a FREE e-mail update when a new post appears on Cooksister

I love comments almost as much as I love cheese - so if you can't leave me any cheese, please leave me a comment instead!

« Race for Life 2006: We came, we saw, we ran
Boerewors, Peppadew & halloumi skewers »

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Stephanie says

    June 14, 2006 at 7:03 pm

    You know, if Tom Hanks had gone around looking for eggs and toast, there’s a slim chance I’d have seen the movie!
    Nah; that haircut really turned me off.

    Reply
  2. ejm says

    June 14, 2006 at 11:29 pm

    Excellent! Excellent!!
    Had to look up “oeufs en cocotte” to see that they are shirred eggs! Did you shir them in butter or cream? And how very extravagant to add Hollandaise!
    (And I must say that I do like your view of extending deadlines!)
    -Elizabeth

    Reply
  3. Jeanne says

    June 15, 2006 at 11:18 am

    HI Stephanie
    Yes – I’m with you on that one. Tom Hanks is bad enough – but Tom Hanks with long hair?? Surely against the Geneva Convention?! And the entire plot would have been vastly improved had there been more egg-on-toast references, I agree… I mean, what coudl be more sacredly feminine than an egg??
    Hi Elizabeth
    Thought you might enjoy it! I was going to do a Da Clucki sonnet… just for you… but then sanity reasserted itself!! :o) As for the eggs, I just used butter as I thought anything else might be a bit much when combined with the hollandaise. The whole combination it very decadent and delicious – you must try it!

    Reply
  4. ejm says

    June 15, 2006 at 8:04 pm

    Sanity reasserted itself?? (cough) And we couldn’t do a sonnet – that’s already been done. I’m always nervous about what you’ll think of next… and I’m really nervous that you will decide that it’s going to have to be a full length novel in Ancient Greek!
    I’ve never been a fan of shirred eggs but I do love Hollandaise so we may just have to try it. I do like the idea of the rocket as a buffer for all that richness.
    -Elizabeth

    Reply
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Never miss a Cooksister post!

Get my latest recipes delivered by e-mail!

Search over 500 recipes

Recently on Cooksister

  • Masalchi by Atul Kochhar – Indian street food in Wembley
  • Barbecued salmon with blood oranges and capers
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts with feta, pomegranate and pine nuts [GF, V]
  • Love Yourself healthy meal delivery [Review]
  • Antillean
  • Festive roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
  • Rustic blood orange and pistachio galettes
  • Cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit

Archives by month

Archives by category

Popular posts

Peppermint Crisp fridge tart - a South African treat
Oxtail and red wine potjie
Jan Ellis pudding - a classic South African dessert
Gem squash 101: how to find them, how to grow them, how to eat them!
Roosterkoek - a South African braai essential
My big, fat South African potato bake

Featured on

Also available on

Anybody for South African chocolate-studded malva Anybody for South African chocolate-studded malva pudding? Think a lighter version of sticky toffee pudding with melted chocolate chunks drenched in a  creamy syrup... heaven 😍🇿🇦 #malvapudding #southafricanrecipes #southafricanfood #southafricandesserts
🌸🌸🌸Waltz of the cherry blossoms 🌸🌸🌸

#cherryblossomtree #londoncherryblossom #cherryblossomseason #sakuraseason #cherryblossoms2022 #floweringcherry #prettylondon #londoninbloom #springinlondon #blossomwatch #blossomseason #pinkpinkpink #mydarlinglondon
London cherry blossom season 🌸🌸🌸 My favou London cherry blossom season 🌸🌸🌸 My favourite time of year! 

#londoninbloom #springinlondon #blossomwatch #sakuraseason #blossomseason #londoncherryblossom #londonsbest #floweringcherry #explorelondon #mydarlinglondon #prettycitylondon #pinkpinkpink #londonbylondoners
🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London! Every 🌷🌷🌷 It’s tulip season in London!

Everywhere you look, these long-legged floral supermodels are adding a splash of colour to parks and gardens and I just can’t get enough of them! It’s easy to see how they inspired a collective buying frenzy in 17th Century Holland, called “tulip fever”, but today there are less dramatic ways to enjoy them. Here are a couple of suggestions of where to see them at their best:

🌷 The ultimate tulipalooza is the annual opening of Keukenhof gardens outside Amsterdam where 7 million (!) bulbs burst into life each Spring. This year the gardens are open 24 March-15 May (click on the link in my bio for FAQs and my top tips for visitors)

🌷In London, Kew Gardens always has spectacular displays of tulips; but you can also see excellent and free tulips in most of the Royal Parks such as Regents Park. 

🌷The Hampton Court Palace tulip festival is on until 2 May and the Hever  Castle’s Tulip Celebrations until 24 April - both within easy reach of London.

🌷The Morges Fete de la Tulipe in Switzerland takes place every year against the spectacular backdrop of Lake Geneva - it is on until 8 May this year.

I spotted these spectacular red frilly parrot tulips beside St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday 🌹 Where is the best display of tulips that you have ever seen?
Spring daffodils in London parks - can there be a Spring daffodils in London parks - can there be a happier sight?? 🌼 

#daffodil #daffodilseason #isitspringyet #yellowdaffodils #colourfuflowers #springbulbs #londoninbloom #springinlondon #narcissus #colourmylife #colourmehappy #colourinspo #spring2022 #londonparks #londonpark #blossomwatch
MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food MASALCHI BY ATUL KOCHHAR - pan-Indian street food restaurant in Wembley

Remember to save this post so you can find it later! 🔖

[Invited] If you thought Brick Lane and chicken tikka masala or madras were all there is to know about the food of the Indian subcontinent, think again! In the shadow of the Wembley arch,  @chefatulkochhar has opened his first casual dining restaurant,  showcasing the rustic, spicy, diverse street foods of India. 

Highlights when I visited included:
1. Carrot halwa
2. Papdi chaat
3. Chicken 65
4. Tandoori broccoli
5. Smoky aubergine chokha
6. A snap of all our mains - you can read all about these and more in the full review on my blog - click the link in my bio or go to:
 https://www.cooksister.com/2022/04/masalchi-atul-kochhar-indian-wembley.html

What is your favourite dish from the Indian subcontinent? Let me know in the comments 🌶🌶🌶
Join me once again at my favourite (and London's b Join me once again at my favourite (and London's best!) supperclub 😍 #luizhara @thelondonfoodie

Last night we had an excellent 8 course Japanese comfort food menu, largely from Luiz's second book The Japanese Larder. Here's what was on the menu:
1. Grilled scallop on sushi rice with to wasabi tobiko, nori & Tobanjan spicy sauce
2. Mentaiko spaghetti with a spicy chilli, sake and cod roe cream sauce
3. Dango Jiru - Japanese chicken & dumpling miso soup with winter  vegetables 
4. Okonomiyaki, Osaka style - japanese pancake with cabbage, squid, pork belly, kimchi and bonito flakes
5. Kakiage & pickles - tempura of coriander, crabcakes, burdock & carrot tops, with pickled mustard greens
6. Iberico pork with a teriyaki butter glaze on nori blackened cauliflower
7. Nikkei Tai Goham - steamed sea bream rice with a yuzu & jalapeño dressing, cooked in a donabe clay pot
8. Apple tarte tatin with star anise, rosemary and almonds

At £60 per head, incl. a welcome cocktail and canapé, in Luiz's beautiful home, it is superb value and always super special ❤ Thanks for an amazing evening Luiz! 

#nikkeifood #londonsupperclub #londonsupperclubs #thelondonfoodie #japanesecomfortfood
🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸 T 🍒🌸 It’s cherry blossom season! 🍒🌸

There is no season in London that I love more than cherry blossom season! From March through to April, trees in various parks and gardens in London put on an amazing display of delicate pink and white blossoms - and everything in the city seems a little more magical. This particular tree near St Pauls must be among London’s most photographed, and it’s not hard to see why 💕

Did you know that...

🌸cherry blossoms are Japan’s national flower and are known as Sakura 

🌸In 1910, Japan sent the USA some cherry trees as a goodwill gesture… and the Dept of Agriculture inspectors nearly caused an international incident by burning them as they were carrying insects and diseases! But in 1915 Japan sent more cherry trees that survived the inspectors, and these marked the start of cherry trees in the USA.

🌸 Peak blossom season is usually only two to three weeks in March/April but is hard to predict as the weather and the subspecies of tree influence the timing.

🌸The cherry blossom capital of the  world is Macon, Georgia with 300,000 - 350,000 Yoshino cherry blossom trees.

🌸 There are over 200 different varieties of cherry blossom and some are purely ornamental (meaning they produce no cherries)

Where is your favourite place to see cherry blossoms in London or around the world? Let me know in the comments and happy blossom hunting! 🌸🍒🌸

#pinkpinkpink
A wonderful lunch in at Masalchi - the new street A wonderful lunch in at Masalchi - the new street food restaurant by Atul Kochhar in Wembley. Highlights included the amazing kiwi fruit mojito; chicken 65; lamb chops; chargrilled broccoli; and carrot halwa. [INVITED]  #masalchi #masalchiwembley #londonrestaurants #atulkochhar #atulkochharrestaurants
Load More... Follow me on Instagram

Follow Jeanne Horak-Druiff's board Recipes by Cooksister on Pinterest.

Cooksister

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

The South African Food and Wine Blog Directory

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Salmon with blood oranges dill and capers
Brussels sprouts with feta and pomegranate
Roast lamb with pomegranate glaze
Blood orange & pistachio galettes
Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts

SITEMAP

Home

Contact

About me

Recipe Index

Restaurant Index

Copyright & Disclaimer

Cookies & privacy policy




blog counter

© 2004 - 2022 · Jeanne Horak unless otherwise stated - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You may not reproduce any text, excerpts or images without my prior permission. Site by RTW Labs

Copyright © 2022 · Cooksister on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Cooksister cookie consent
We use cookies to ensure you receive the best experience on our site. If you continue to use this site, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions. Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT