Not an Eton Mess

I recently discovered (I was reading a cook book by mistake), that an Eton Mess is what I might call a pavlova that got dropped on the way to the table. (If you don’t know what a pavlova is, I pity you.)

Anyhow, this is my introduction to a mish-mash of images for your eating viewing pleasure.

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This is what greets me when I finally choose the right key to get into the apartment foyer.

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Those are rather lovely (and old) bricks.

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The first Venetian cat I’ve seen so far. It wouldn’t follow me home, darn it.

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A couple of pastry cooks at work. They wouldn’t follow me home either, darn it.

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I did slip some food in, it seems. Do you like persimmons? I like their colour.

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This is for you, Susie.

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And this is for you, Linda.

This afternoon, I’m joining a group of Graffiti Busters, to do some cleaning near the Miracoli Church. I thought I was on vacation!

70 Comments

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70 responses to “Not an Eton Mess

  1. What r the purple tendrils rising behind the persimmons?? I wanna bite of them!!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I ate an Eton Mess 2 days ago. Yummy.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. this post is a kind of patchwork gourmand in Venice. What are you visiting in that town ;: the bakeries? 🙂 I tease you., Yvonne , I am a bad Frenchman !! 🙂
    Love ❤
    Michel

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I have mini pavlovas in the oven as I write, cooking for my staff Christmas party tonight.

    It’s a shame you couldn’t entice those pastry chefs to come home with you.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Great to see you back in Venice. I’m already savoring all the things that you’d discover. Great place, too. How did you find such a gem? Will we get to see pictures of the interior? This is the best time to be in Venice. Enjoy it.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I hope I don’t disappoint you, Daniel. (The pressure …)

      Venice is like heaven right now, you could swing a mighty big cat in any of the calli, but don’t let me catch you doing that!

      I have a good contact for accommodation, I always look forward to what he finds for me. I guess folks wouldn’t be too bored if I show some of the interior.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Please don’t feel the pressure. I’m sure you will discover interesting things, and if they are not (rather difficult because our threshold for interesting in Venice us very low), you can always wrap them up with a nice bow and we’d buy them gladly.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. So what a beautiful apartment. Now is that a well in the lobby or a full immersion baptistry?

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Remember, you’re not on vacation, you’re practically a native.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Good for you to be helping out already! Didn’t you barely just land?

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    • At least they gave me one full day before putting me in the harness, Sue. I’ll post some photos of where we worked. The ugly graffiti was on a brick wall, and the paint is very hard to remove. It’ll take more elbow grease.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. The pavlovas are on special at Aldi’s. Is there one in Venice? Don’t drop it while using the chair-lift. What a lovely place.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. I thought Pavlova was a ballet dancer!

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Thank you for the lovely cat. I found that in winter they are less plentiful than in summer. They are curled up somewhere nice and cozy…I would suggest leaving your door open to let one wander in but considering you are on the 4th floor (I would be making good use of that chair lift) they probably wouldn’t make it that far before they found someone else offering a cozy spot.

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  12. I agree with Cynthia! (And for those who don’t know: a pavlova is a New Zealand invented dessert stolen by the Australians and claimed as their own). Persimmon is my favourite fruit… There are two kinds: the edible and those used for making chutneys. Bite into the chutney one and its bitter taste – unlike the cat and pastry cooks – will follow you all the way home.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Oi! Everyone knows pavlova is Australian. You can have the Kiwi fruit.

      I find it hard to get past the texture of the persimmons, maybe I should try harder?

      It’s nice you agree with Cynthia about important things.

      Liked by 1 person

      • If ever there is a trans-Tasman war it will be over pavlova!

        Liked by 1 person

      • Caroline

        I thought pavlova was French! I only learned earlier this year (courtesy of Lou) that it is popular in Oz, but still hadn’t realised it originated (somewhere) Down Under. I’ve now been inspired to check Wiki & was fascinated to discover there’s a book called “Pavlova Story: A Slice of New Zealand’s Culinary History” 🙂

        We started off thinking kaki (or cachi) were OK, but then had a bad experience with some with a horrible woolly texture which coated our mouths and was hard to get rid of. Wonder what makes them go like that? Prior to that, I’d had modest success following a suggestion to freeze them then semi-defrost them for a ready-made sorbet. We currently have 3 grown by one of Phil’s students sitting in the kitchen, which we haven’t been able to face trying yet…

        Your flat sounds amazing – can’t wait to see it!

        Liked by 1 person

        • Life is too short to waste it on cachi! Drink spritz instead. This apartment is wasted on me, for sure! I keep wandering around exclaiming “I didn’t see this before.” I’ll be interested in your reaction to it. See you soon.

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  13. I think you’re living in a movie….

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Susie L

    Thanks for the altana Y, it’s a beauty, and it even has privacy panels! Keep working on that cat, hopefully she’ll follow you home soon! She looks like my Stella, and your Minx. Take photos of the clean-up day!

    Liked by 1 person

    • I just got back, I was too busy working to take photos! Karen was there, also. Maybe there’ll be something on Facebook.

      That altana is on Campo San Anzalo. The cat was so pretty, it was at that Bovolo place.

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  15. They look just like Japanese persimmons. By the way the word for that fruit is almost identical in Japanese and Italian – kaki (pronounced a bit differently.)

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Gorgeous. But when I was in Venice I saw many cats out sunning themselves. Mostly on small boats in the canals. No dogs, though.
    As for persimmons? Delish. Dice one up with a sliced banana, and add the pulp from a passionfruit mixed with cream and a little sugar. Or, if you’re feeling virtuous, passionfruit yoghurt. Not quite as calorific.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Now, it’s all dogs, toutparmoi.

      Your idea of serving persimmon might just get me to change my mind about them!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Oh, persimmon are lovely. Buy one that’s bright orange but still firm to the touch.

        Dogs in Venice? I’m amazed. Florence was dogs. But when I was there a cat show was advertised. I translated the ad, literally, as A Great Show of the Cats of Florence.
        Who would not be a Cat of Florence?

        Liked by 1 person

  17. Eton mess, cats and pastry cooks… all the ingredients for a perfect post, if you ask me!

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Linda Bailey Zimmerman

    What a fun post….something for everyone!
    I love, love my chimney…it’s a beauty!
    Darn those pastry chefs…little do they realize the pleasures that awaited them!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Surely you were NOT reading a cook book as you cook everything by scratch? Right? Super impressed. Lovely pictures!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. When eating at my sister’s house, The Firs, we often have a Firs Mess, which is pretty much anything you can get into a meringue nest

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Maybe you’ll hafta take the initiative and follow the pastry cooks to their home.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Lucky you, being in Venice and living in such a lovely building with a fabulous foyer to come home to.

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