Burn's Supper

Every year, on 25th January,a classic scottish traditional event called "Burns Supper'' is held privately to commemorate the birthday of famous poet Robert Burns from Alloway near Ayr in Scotland . It started as a small get together of some of his friends reciting his poems over a wee dram (Drambuie whisky ) and Haggis ( a meat -based dish- because Robert Burns wrote 'Address to a Haggis' )and has now been adopted as a popular traditional event by most Scots when they prepare a classic dinner comprising of fine Scottish cuisine -Oatcakes with cream cheese and smoked salmon for starters,  Haggis which is a  spicy  dish made with foodgrains cooked with meat  (a vegetarian version is also available nowadays ), neeps(mashed turnips ) and tatties (mashed  /roasted potatoes) for the main course, and 'Cranachan' for dessert which is a delicious dessert made with pinhead oats,raspberries,whipped cream and golden/maple  syrup laced with a hint of whisky  . Gatherings can be formal in the form of ceilidh dances or informal at home with family or friends where the dress code is tartan .

            The first Burns supper I was invited for was 3years ago at some friends where a cosmopolitan mix of europeans toasted the event,each one bringing one dinner item from home like a potluck, and others like me,helping in cooking . Usually Haggis is bought from the shops as its too complicated to obtain all the ingredients from the butcher,and is the centrepiece of the dinner table .This is placed on the table after the lead male - usually a scotsman dressed up in a kilt leads the ' Haggis Procession ' followed by the youngest one holding the tray of Haggis behind him followed by the rest of the guests.Guests then gather around the dinner table with their scotch glasses in hand and each one takes turns in reciting a verse from the poem 'Address to a Haggis ' or the lead Scotsman recites it entirely ,stabbing the lump of Haggis with a big knife when the appropriate verse is recited.Dinner follows with everyone else helping themselves to the delicious simple food ,and this can be followed with a dance or games on history of Scotland etc .

            Last year, me and some of my friends decided to organise a Burns Supper my dear friend Karine's house .It took a lot of planning as we had a huge crowd of 25 people and had to estimate when and where to buy the food ingredients from and also, since we were making Cranachan which is a retro dessert recipe as well as cock-a-leekie soup(Chicken soup with Leeks) we had to research and try out recipes from scratch as not many scottish people from Glasgow had even heard of Cranachan , forget tasting it or guiding us with its recipe and cooking tips .

We shopped at three different supermarkets for the food ingredients including Costco  and   attempted a trial Cranachan a day before the party which turned out delicious and prepared for the rest of the dinner .  On the day of the dinner party, we had a hard time peeling the giant turnips as they were so hard,chopping them was even worse , we can't remember how we managed juggling all the tasks together as we do not have any domestic help but finally the starter, neeps , mashed tatties and   cranachan dessert were ready and Rosemary prepared the cock-a-leekie soup for everyone and brought it from home . Martyn was the only Scotsman in the gathering of mixed nationals so he was the star of the party in his kilt who led the Haggis procession and recited the poem and stabbed the lump of  Haggis at the dinner table . Though the preparation was so hectic , everyone enjoyed the meal , the dram and eventually a coffee with tablet which is a wicked scottish version of fudge -its sweeter and more brittle and heavenly though not so good for the teeth because of his heavy sugary content .  

Knitting bees

' Knitting bees ' is a group of friends who get together at each other's houses once a fortnight or more often and knit together .Women have been doing this for centuries,making things for themselves and for their family.Knitting is clothing made in spare moments using just a pair of knitting needles and wool sometimes   around the fireplace , a centuries old tradition that is still being kept alive via knitting lessons passed on through the generations  and various 'Knit and Knatter ladies clubs' being offered at local libraries for free .

 

There is something strikingly simple, constructive and bonding about the ladies who knit as they are a close set of friends who have been doing this for years. Learning new patterns from each other, chatting away while working , reminiscing the old days of childhood and newly wed life , laughing at the good times they have had and comparing their finished products to gift away to their loved ones seems like a much needed change from the hedonistic 'Kitty parties' we are used to back in India with ladies who compete to prepare the best dishes and overfeed each other, gossip and occassionally play card games or gamble to pass the time .

 

It seems like nowadays , knitting is the new Yoga - the peaceful clacking of needles creating a heartbeat , a rythm of rest , a meditative oasis in the midst of a frantic lifestyle . This trend may have started off as a marketing ploy by the wool industry but its certainly taken off . When  I asked a lady why she knits , she replied ''Because it gives her a sense of calm and order as its easy to keep order in knitting.'' And sure enough it is - count one,two,three.Simple numbers,knit one, purl one, yarn over needle , slipstitch.Easy does it.Drop a stitch and catch it up again.It's easy to fix mistakes in knitting .

 

Knitting is straight , orderly , neat rows with even numbers .Though the mind is not like knitting as its always messy and tangled , perhaps knitting in a simple order gives a sense of calm and peace at the times of stress .