Bubble & Squeak on Boxing Day

All the Commonwealth celebrates Boxing Day and what a day it is. December 26, officially a public holiday, celebrates the post-Christmas sale season. People wake up early and wait for hours by the entrance to their favorite store so when the doors open they can race in for some serious bargain hunting. Unbridled commerce at its merriest. When I ask celebrators about the origins of Boxing Day, they scratch their heads and mumble something about donation boxes being opened and the collected monies being distributed to the poor. And it comes with a look that says, "What, am I Queen Victoria? Read Dickens or some other writer from Antiquity for the answer." Contemporary times require contemporary answers. It is for having an extra paid day off work. It is for hitting the sales and eating holiday meal leftovers.

Sounds like Thanksgiving and the Friday after it, doesn't it? But you are more likely to eat Bubble & Squeak on Boxing Day. A very catchy name for fried-up leftovers. Traditionally, that would be yesterday's potatoes, cabbage and meat. The dish takes its name from the murmurings and hissings the ingredients make while cooking in the frying pan. I've actually read recipes on how to make some variation of this from scratch. But get real, why deny previously prepared food its noble encore? Especially when your feet ache from chasing 60% OFF all day.

Alas, no Bubble & Squeak for us this year. We had a potluck picnic with my brother-in-laws family. Lots of cold salads and Kev grilled up some quail. You know its a gourmet type of poultry when each six ounce bird has about two ounces of meat on it. No leftovers here. The bro brought just enough ham for the brunch. No doubt there is some squeaking going on in his house. But that is quite alright. It's difficult to drive home when one is in a food coma. And there were more than enough Scottish butter cookies and fruit mince pies to fill any imaginary gaps.

A short word on the picnic site. Observe three Callaghans enjoying the shade of an ancient fig tree surrounded by mature palms. Hyde Park (established in 1897) must have been the place for society to stroll on a Sunday afternoon. Simply gorgeous with a pond in the center (seen behind the Grill Meister in picture above.) It is patrolled by ibis and ducks to make sure that no foodstuffs remain on the ground to attract undesirable wildlife. The royal Callaghans, wearing their paper crowns atop shadier chapeau, approve.