There is a mordant sadness, that is nearly tangible, about such a miserable February morning as this one . Normal antidotes, such as lighting the fire, and listening to Radio 4 with a steaming bowl of coffee cupped between slowly warming hands, seem to have as much chance of success as did the Forlorn Hope at the siege of Badajoz. Nonetheless, I have advanced boldly into the withering fire of this overwhelmingly depressing morning only to find that the defenders are falling like flies. Warm brioche, spread thickly with good butter and apricot jam, working in tandem with excellent coffee, have made a pretty good fist of driving out the blues, which had insidiously invaded my Sunday from the moment that I drew back the curtains this morning. The direct link between palate and spirit is clearly established as the smile on my face spreads as easily as the butter on the toasted brioche.
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Camerahols link
Roger Stowell link
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I’ll have mine with a huge, steaming hot bowl of cafe au lait. Ahhhh …
It’s a good cure for rainy day blues:)
Sure is!
Roger, this menu went straight to my heart. Sounds absolutely Devine. ENJOY EVERY LAST CRUMB.
Got to go into the past tense. I have enjoyed the last crumb – more’s the pity:)
Did you make the brioche? It looks delicious. I think that this recipe could be the cure for much more than the blues
To make brioche here would be a sin. They’re too many French bakers who make such a good job of it:)
Looks delicious! Your photo alone can scare away the blues
. I need to have breakfast like that everyday!
It’s a good start, but most days all I get time for is a banana:)
Ha ha – I have a great antidote to cold wet Sunday mornings, the Islington Farmers’ Market – then I rush home for Radio 4 comedy and the Food Programme.
No brioche and jam for me, but I did get 2 more pheasants (don’t worry I’ve already blogged more than enough pheasant for one season)
The pheasant gods must have you marked down:)
Know what you mean. But sadly no brioch around, only brown bread from the day before yesterday. Might make something………
You’re going to have to dig deep if you’ve only got yesterday’s brown bread:)
i think i need that, when i got up this morning and saw more cloud and more cold and more wind, my shoulders drooped noticeably.. I do have some peach jam in my cellar still, and maybe I will make scones, that might do it!! no brioche around here.. c
The scones will be wonderful. I’ve tried to bake them,but they just don’t come out right for me:)
Scones love me! c
From the mood of my recent writing, it sounds like I need to try it.
Though, I can’t write stuff like that when I’m sad, which is weird.
If you need some sunshine, I have a photo of yesterday’s here: http://andrawatkins.tumblr.com/image/42680781724 I hope it cheers a bit.
It looks beautiful, Andra. I so wish I could see a sky like that – until then, it’s apricot jam for me:)
No brioche here, Roger, but I made do with a cannoli. A rainy Sunday morning isn’t the most pleasant to have but, considering what just happend to the East of us, rain isn’t such a bad thing after all.
From what I’ve heard, that’s true. Never tried cannoli – an omission I must sort out:)
I think that your ‘cure’ is absolutely fantastic & I would submit that this ‘mordant sadness’ can just as easily manifest itself on a steaming hot, sunny Sunday morning in August, in Florida. While we are not there yet, of course, I am actually not looking forward to that. And when it comes would probably gladly trade it for your February Sunday morning.
And now, this being Sunday afternoon, I am going to make myself a strong cup of Assam Banaspaty Estate Tea and accompany that with a toasted roll, some organic butter, and strawberry preserve!
Cheers & best wishes!
That sounds a wonderful afternoon tea. I’ve never been to Florida, but I can imagine that the heat and the humidity of summer could be hell. I’m really enjoying the pictures and cyanotypes on your site, and I very much liked the water picture, today.
Passing the full length mirror methinks it is just as well no brioche or jam around . . . it is raining cats and dogs here and thundering in between: no ‘mordant sadness’ whatsoever – together with all the many plants in my garden I am saying ‘thank you’ to the Powers above for the wonderful soak
!
Our plants are putting on life belts:)
Dammit. Now I want brioche! Your delicious sun-drenched photo has tempted me.
I bet you can resist anything but temptation:)
It’s amazing how a simple slice of warm toast can warm the heart:)
…and very successfully:)
C’EST TRES BON!!!
Biensur, c’est bon:)
The sunny color of the apricot jam is enough to brighten anyone’s day.
….and it needed some brightening:)
I had this today, Roger. The sleet gets into your bones. Buttered toast did it for me. Must invets in some apricot jam. Lemon curd’s nice.
Lemon curd is more than nice. I’d forgotten about lemon curd.
Hmmmm….don’t suppose you’ve got a decent recipe?
There is one, I’m sure, hidden deep in my files. I’ll have to try and find it.
Sorry, invest
My mouth is actually watering. Gorgeous orangey-golden tones.
February used to be my least favorite month (the longest, in my opinion) until we moved to California. Now it’s much more bearable.
I guess it’s a bit better in California:)
This makes me want to grab a spoon and my marmalade. Beautiful photo.
Marmalade is another good thing – not a lot of it around in this part of the world. They do make a very good jam of Oranges Ameres (Bitter Oranges) which I guess is the same>
your words speak the truth. Food is such a happy part of life. I would love that serving of jam on brioche. Stay warm Roger!
Many thanks, Marina.
If the blues can be driven, this softened,sweetened apricot-topped brioche could surely do it! Stone fruit jams are favorites of mine, and brioche? Who doesn’t love brioche? Really, what could be finer in February??
It is such a good combination. Apricot jam is my favourite and for some reason, even as a child, I associated it with France.