In a fit of longing for cream tea, I purchased a little jar of double Devon cream at the natural foods market. It's not Cornish clotted cream with a yellow crust, whose label description sounds so very appealing, doesn't it? And it will have to do until I can go to England again. Too bad I can't go in three days!
Yes, I should have read the label a little more carefully. The Devon cream can be stored for another nine months—unopened. Once it's opened you have to use it within three days. Much as I love slathering this 99% pure butterfat on scones, I don't think I'm going to make it, even if I do give myself license to throw all concerns of cholesterol and waistline to the winds.
But, what is cream tea? It's not tea with cream in it, it's the saviour of the footsore tourist in England. For about 3 pounds (this was nearly ten years ago, inflation may have bumped the price up), you can get a little pot of tea, a couple scones or some other bread, jam, and a big helping of clotted cream (with a yellow crust). And, most importantly, a place to sit down while you rest your feet, read a newspaper or book, and figure out what you're going to do next.
223 words | August 14, 2005 03:36 PM | Kitchen