THE beginning of February: partridge- and pheasant-shooting ends, but salmon

sea fishing begins. It is the feast of St Bridget of Ireland when barmbrack is eaten, followed by Candlemas Day or the Feast of the Purification and salmon rod fishing. The Feast of St Blaise is on the 3rd, when dishes of garlic flavour are featured to prevent dis- eases of the throat, as he is the patron saint of throats, having removed a fishbone from a choking boy (I hope the Queen Mother keeps a medal of him handy), and curiously enough he is also the patron of sick cattle, so all the farmers should make a little prayer to him. Poor fellow, he was perse- cuted by the governor of Armenia when he was Bishop of Sebastea, ordered to be starved to death and finally skinned and beheaded, not a very rewarding fate. St Veronica comes on the 4th, whose French name is attached to dishes garnished with seedless grapes — I wonder why. Then there is poor St Agatha who had her breasts cut off and dear little Dorothy who was stretched on the rack but died smiling because she had converted the warders. What times they endured!

It is so tragic that oxtail has been ban- ished by those fools, especially at this time of the year; it was such a comforting dish or soup. However, I have found this simple Mexican broth to be excellent.

Gallego broth 4112 pints good meat stock 6 celery stalks 1/2 lb beef, chuck or skirt 4 slices bacon 1/2 lb pork

3 slices cooked ham 1 lb chicken meat — any part 12 peppercorns

31/2 oz sausage-meat 1/2 small cabbage 1 large clove garlic 3 turnips

2 teaspoons paprika 6 leaves Swiss chard a handful French beans

Bring the stock to the boil. Meanwhile dice the pork, beef and chicken, then cook them in the stock with a little salt. Chop the vegetables, apart from the garlic, with the ham and bacon and, when the diced meats are about half cooked, add them to the stock. Grind the peppercorns with the gar- lic in a pestle and mortar, then pound in the sausage-meat, add to the broth and simmer until all the ingredients are tender. Adjust the seasoning and just before serv- ing dissolve the paprika in a little of the stock and stir into the mixture. Serve with some good bread; I don't think you need more than a salad and cheese afterwards.

To continue the Mexican theme (culled from my nephew-in-law's mother, I think), I can't resist the title of this one: A receipt of the senor which cooked itself at the goodness of God

8 large potatoes

1/2 cup (4 fl. oz) seedless raisins

4 eggs 12 olives — stoned

1/2 lb minced pork

12 peeled almonds 1 small onion 4 fl. oz medium sherry 1 large clove garlic 6 sticks celery 1 large tomato

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water. When cooked, peel them and mash with 1 beaten egg. To prepare a hash, chop the onion, garlic, tomato, raisins, olives and almonds. Season them with salt and fry with the pork in a little lard. Add the sherry and cook until the ingredients are fairly dry. Make little pancakes with the potatoes by pressing them into rounds on a board, fill them with spoonfuls of the hash and roll them into croquettes. Roll in some plain flour and dip into a dish con- taining 3 beaten eggs. Fry in a little lard `You've forgotten your passports.' until nicely browned all over. Serve with sticks of celery.

Now a nice little side dish or perhaps to be used as an hors d'oeuvre.

Little boats of cucumber

4 small cucumbers 8 oz cooked prawns 8 fl. oz mayonnaise (do make your own) chopped parsley flowers of the red pepper, if available

Divide cucumbers longways down the middle and peel, leaving alternate strips or stripes of green and white showing. Remove the flesh from the centre of the cucumbers with a sharp little spoon or a grapefruit knife. Chop it up and mix with the prawns and mayonnaise. Check the sea- soning, then fill the cucumbers with the mixture. Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with pepper flowers or what you will.

Bananas as I arrange them for guests of the last minute Peel and pare six ripe bananas, beat them to a froth. Add the juice of a large lemon, 3 tablespoons of honey, 2 table- spoons of thick cream and 2 tablespoons of tequila or brandy, beating after each addi- tion. Pour into individual glasses and chill thoroughly. What could be more delicious and simpler?