Monday 2 August 2010

1st August Celebrations



Hullo ma wee blog,

Today we had our very own Swiss national day here in bonny Scotland. Family and friends came to help us gorge our way through lots of Raclette and Bircher Muesli washed down with lovely Swiss wine from the village where our relatives live, as well as a few bottles from elsewhere around the globe. Lorraine and The Lovely G decorated the hall and kitchen and laid the table with special tablecloths, mats and lanterns and other bits and pieces brought back from our short trip a couple of weeks ago.

We found authentic Raclette cheese from Ian J Mellis in Edinburgh and had lots of other cheeses, hams chicken and veggies to grill with our tabletop Raclette set. It's another one of those kind of retro meals, like that other Swiss tradition of fondue, which lends itself to conversation around the table as everyone picks what they are going to have and gets it onto either the top hotplate section to cook or puts in into an individual tray to go under the grill section before sitting back and chatting as the purpose built tabletop cooker does it's stuff.

So, as the afternoon quietly passed, we spent the time eating and talking and having a great time, even taking some time to phone over to Switzerland and speak to the family at their celebration. They're so pleased that we keep the tradition going at this end too.


As usual with a rare family meal, we bought far to much food and have lots of lovely left overs to use up over the next few days. G's brother Leonard was keen to borrow our Raclette set so they could have a party with some of their friends that they ended up taking the set back home to Fife for a while.

9 comments:

Scottish Nature Boy said...

Must have a chat sometime - my wife lived and worked in Berne for a couple of years and we have a Raclette machine which gets the occasional run out! Sounds like a lovely day was had by all (et Al)!

Kat_RN said...

Looks like fun to me. Lovely photos.
Kat

Morning's Minion said...

I visited your photos last night and thought how simply elegant and appealing your table and hall look for this occasion.
[This peek into your living space will also serve as a backdrop when I read in future that you are wandering the rooms in a fit of insomnia.]

Big Swifty said...

We love raclette too! We host German evenings round the dinner table grill. And Morning's Minion is right, a glimpse of the house has taken some of the Crivens, Jings... mystery away!

Alistair said...

Hullo everyone,

SNB - been to Berne a couple of times but not recently - they still had bears in the Barengraben which was quite sad to see. Nice town of arcaded shops is what I remember most. Always up for a chat.....

Kat - it was great fun.

MM - is always in charge of table decoration and does a great job. Glad to help with the imagery on my nocturnal sojourns.

Swifty - We struggled to get the right cheese for a while until we found this supplier. It makes all the difference. I'm a lover of all German food and drink - well probably ALL food and drink would be nearer the mark! I never thought of myself as being mysterious before, but glad to help.

lom said...

lovey table.

Scottish Nature Boy said...

Al - you have a shed! Another mystery revealed! Although it might be a sumemr house - hard to tell!

Bet you never post photos of your home again...

Alistair said...

Oh it's a shed. Like me, a bit dilapidated and in need of a wee touch up! If I don't get the grass cut soon it'll disappear.......

La Belette Rouge said...

Happy Swiss National day to you, your family and to your alter-ego!!

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