Today I had a lamington for breakfast from one of our local bakeries and it led me to reflect on the old aussie country town bakery and wonder why someone who doesn't care about bread would become a baker. When run by an inspired foodie the Aussie country bakery is truly an inspiring place, cream buns with real cream, steak pies full of rich gravy and actual chunks of meat and lovely, fluffy lamingtons, the cake slightly yellow from the real eggs used in the sponge, fresh dessicated coconut and a juicy layer of chocolate sauce, creating a gooey barrier between the coconut and the sponge. (I've thought a lot about this!) Unfortunately many lamingtons are not like this and seem to be an excuse to use up any stale old sponge cake the baker has lying around.
The lack of a good lamington is symbolic of the lack of good solid , locally made crafted products in every area of our lives. When you take your stale cake lamington home and eat it off your Ikea plate that is not really quite the right size and the glaze is chipping off, drink your tea bag tea out of a manufactured mug whos rim is slightly too thick for comfort and add milk that is at least seven days old and comes from a corporate farm thousands of miles away you are wasting an opportunity to experience what I call the Everyday Sublime. These little moments each day when you can relax should be enhanced by the finest, freshest (and that usually means local and often organic), handmade items you can find. As one of my cash- poor friends once said
"When you are poor you can't afford to be cheap."
4 comments:
The Everyday Sublime - love it!!
I love your description of food ^v^
xx
hear hear! It sounds like a contradiction but life is too short to take the short cut.
I love that photo. Why am I so attracted to it? I think I really want another bite.
ah, what a surprise to see a photo i have taken put into context with words. it leaves me unsettled (because i reach for convenience), but at the same time in agreement (i appreciate and cherish the handmade and artisanal goods, both edible and not) with what you write. nothing beats a country bakery, or even a really good suburban bakery (although, the best lamington is made with day old sponge - it holds the chocolate icing far better!), i hope we never lose them in australia.
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