There’s probably more than a few hangovers in Canberra today as the Prime Minister John Howard – a great friend of George Dubya) yesterday celebrated ten years in office. If we believe the PR, he was Australia’s great white hope (don’t mention multiculturalism) rescuing us from Labor, high interest rates, unemployment and almost certain doom.
I’m not one of the big man’s cheerleaders. But I am feeling a tad delicate myself. Pat over at Gourmet Traveller reminded me of Fergus Henderson’s restorative, a Dr Henderson.
For a man who’s suffering from Parkinson’s, I can’t believe there is a picture of Henderson in his cookbookNose to Tail Eating knocking back a full wine glass of the stuff.
I prefer to use medicinal-sized doses. Take two tablespoons of Fernet Branca and add one of Créme de Menthe. Adding crushed ice improves it no end.
FB is a very bitter drink made from a secret recipe, which includes some 40 herbs and spices, apparently including myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom and saffron. It is brown in colour and with the addition of the créme looks the colour of pond water. The unsophisticated think this stuff tastes terrible but in reality it is a wonderful post supper digestif.
Anyway, knock back the mix and be careful. As Henderson says: “…this is so effective you can find yourself turning to its miraculous powers with increasing regularity. Do not let the cure become the cause.”
And if you are too hungover to mix this yourself, there is a mint version of FB available.
Over at the Labor camp there may be a few sore and battered heads too. Perhaps they could leave out the Crème de Menthe. The bitter taste is what they seem to enjoy.
Food fascist
1. If FB is too bitter, Averna makes a decent set of training wheels.
2. Why oh why do you have Créme de Menthe in your drinks cabinet?
3. Is it true the Pope drinks Créme de Menthe?
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think John Howard drinks Shirley Temples so he will have no need of this cure. Peter Costello will certainly need somthing to wash down the bile
Ah, for the Fernet Brothers nectar. I was compelled to try it in Italy having read James Hamilton-Paterson’s ‘Cooking With Fernet Branca’ (a cute read and potentiallly a companion to your road kill recipe). I never recovered. And if Averna is still too bitter, Montenegro is a gentler introduction.
Great book. I ws thinking of trying out a few recipes, maybe FB and garlic icecream for a laugh.
I always wondered about the Allen Pie with smoked cat and FB. But I like cats too much (uncooked that is). The ice cream is probably more accessible.
Surely if you like cats that much you should at least try eating one. Now I think of it, this could be the fate of all those “Lost Cats” feqturing in posters on telegraph poles.