The Ponsonby Combined Probus Club is a mixing ground for retirees from different backgrounds and professions.
At the February meeting of Ponsonby Probus, we had a wonderful session on the history of food in New Zealand given by the award-winning author, archaeologist and historian David Veart. David is the author of ‘First Catch Your Weka: A Story of New Zealand Cooking’ (Auckland University Press 2008). His fascinating talk prompted a few members to meet for lunch to exchange food memories and anecdotes from very different cultural backgrounds.
Naturally, festive meals were fondly remembered. Originally from Montenegro, Dragica recalled the celebratory meal held every year on 9 October, when her whole family would gather for a traditional Srbijan Ortodox church feast devoted to their patron saint, St Jovan. The table would be spread like a banquet with a large roast lamb and vegetable platter along with a whole carp (head and tail removed) served on a scrumptious bed of caramelised onions, tomatoes, tomato paste and prunes.
Maryvonne recalled the long lunch celebrations of her childhood, when special events were commemorated with family gatherings. She described multi-course lunches to mark a christening or a first communion, at Easter and at Christmas, in the elegantly appointed dining room of her family home in Brittany. Dishes and sauces were all typically cooked with Breton butter, still a speciality of the region. The final treat was always the appearance of the far Breton, the unique regional dessert served at family meals and religious celebrations.
Peter’s food recollection was of a more regular occurrence; a typical Sunday roast dinner with Yorkshire pudding accompaniment. Peter’s home was in the historic market town of Penistone and in this area, the baked pudding came in a plate-sized version – one large pudding per person, served with lashings of gravy, meat and vegetables separate. After they had been fed, the children would all be dispatched to the parlour to amuse themselves while the adults ate in peace. Then, afterwards, the children would be expected to entertain the family with readings, skits, tricks or musical performances.
All these anecdotes remind me of the lovely term ‘come from away’ that people living in Canada’s Atlantic provinces use to describe anyone who hails from somewhere else. So many of us have ‘come from away’ and it makes for interesting conversational perspectives as we pick up on the cultural and philosophical tonalities that we inevitably bring from ‘away’. Let’s all continue to enjoy our differences.
We’d love to introduce you to the club if you think you might enjoy the opportunity to get together with other like-minded retirees. If you would like more information about joining, please contact Alison Ruddell on M: 027 261 6344 or email her at johnali2@xtra.co.nz