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The Underground Comedy Dinner in pictures

September 9, 2010 1 Comment Filed Under: Uncategorized

The Menu
The day before was a seven hour marathon to crack the green cobnuts, I still only got through half a bag! The soup had a pleasingly fresh and creamy taste but was too mild so a dollop of chimichurri was added for zing.
John the poacher didn’t turn up with the mushrooms, so no Fun Guy!
I had a sleepless night thinking of what dish I could make with banana skins. Of course there is the bbq favourite of a chocolate flake inserted into a banana but I wanted something savoury. Hmmm, a banana curry? And then I had the inspired idea of using a glacé cherry to make a clowns nose with a baked stuffed curry banana as a ‘smile’. When it comes to conceptual cooking, move over Heston!
By this time I was exhausted so I cheated. I bought the gnocci gnocci who’s there? Baked them as a gratin with a tomato sauce and tons of parmesan.
Cheese board: Wallace & Gromit Wensleydale (the factory was going out of business until W&G made Wensleydale popular again); Stinking Bishop (hee hee); and, cheese strings. This was served with home made rhubarb compote, mini cocktail gherkins and crackers (fnar fnar).
Pud: custard pies of course!

pic:Gavin Rodgers

The comedy
Josie Long compered a brilliant mix of comedic styles. I laid a chef’s table in the little dining room next to the kitchen for them to sit, drink, eat and chat between acts “Lovely!” said Chris Neill “a children’s table!”
Josie asked all the guests to write down their worst cooking disasters on a piece of paper. Here’s a few that I remember:
“Once the cat ate my camembert” said one.
“We didn’t have a dishwasher so we decided to put the plates, knives and forks in the washing machine with towels. It didn’t work”
“I was making a meringue and put it in the roasting oven rather than the simmering oven. It was charcoal!” said another.
“You couldn’t get more middle class than that!” said Josie.

Josie Long pic: Gavin Rodgers
Chris Neill  pic: Gavin Rodgers
Claudia Odoherty pic: Gavin Rodgers
Maeve Higgins pic: MsMarmitelover
Tim Key pic:Gavin Rodgers
Josie and the other comedians watching from the doorway. pic:Gavin Rodgers (for more pix see his website)

The setting
The comics performed on the doorsill of the french windows “the stage is only 2.5 inches wide” commented Chris Neill. One of the comedians remarked that normally in nightclubs, the punters faces are in the dark. Here they were candlelit.
Tim Key mentioned how strange it was to perform without a microphone.
An audience of thirty had a whole evening’s entertainment in an intimate setting. It worked so well! Beyond any expectations! Thanks so much to Josie for organising the performance side of it…I think we’ve started a little revolution here.
Maeve Higgin’s sister Lily is a keen cook and is planning to do something similar in Ireland.

pic: Gavin Rodgers

Don’t forget to buy your tickets for The Underground farmers and craft market on September 19th £5 entry only.

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  1. MySecretTeaRoom

    September 12, 2010 at 8:49 pm

    Everyone looks to have enjoyed themselves and had a great deal of fun.

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

This is my food and travel blog, with recipes, reviews and travel stories. I also stray into politics, feminism, gardening.

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Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Supper club dishes from Saturday: pickled beetroot Supper club dishes from Saturday: pickled beetroot eggs, cheeseboard, stracciatella & cucumber, tomato/strawberry/peashoot salad with real balsamic & spruce oil, home cured dill gravlax, smoked salmon, homemade sourdough crisp bread, potato salad with wild fennel & lots more! #supperclub #midsummer #eattherainbow (miss you @linnsoederstroem)
Last nights supper club. My first supper club in 2 Last nights supper club. My first supper club in 2 years was great fun. I’m pleased with my food, the guests were lovely, it looked magical in the garden. But the weather! I even had to bring my duvets from the bedroom out. They looked like refugees. But this brought even more laughter! Next event September
My first supperclub in two years will take place t My first supperclub in two years will take place this Saturday 18th June starting at 7.30pm. Tickets are £50 byo you can book here: https://msmarmitelover.com/product/midsommar-supper-club there are still a few places left. Pescetarian menu. Scandi and botanical influences. #gettingbackonmyfeet #postpandemic #smallbusinesses #supperclub #london
I recently completed the 3 day @heathostile train I recently completed the 3 day  @heathostile training course. On the last day I was kidnapped by ex-special forces for a few hours & learnt how to deal with compliance training & a hostile environment. It was one of the most interesting experiences of my life. 3 intense days of combat first aid, navigation & how to survive in a war zone. I handled short, long guns, mortars, grenades, bullets, and tourniquet & bandaged an amputee. I learnt where to sit in a car, where to hide from a bullet, where to protect myself if in a car. It was brilliant. Highly recommended for any journalists, photographers, cameramen, charity workers, paramedics going into any difficult environment say a disaster or war. The stories from the tutors & the other participants were so interesting. My piece on it out soon. Book a course: https://hostile-environment.co.uk/  They also do jungle & desert training. I’d love to join the Antarctic expedition. Anyway that’s me hooded in the front. #adventures #het #hostileenvironmenttraining #experiences #travel
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I’ve taken down the previous post as it’s poor I’ve taken down the previous post as it’s poor timing considering what’s happened over the last 24 hours. Being British I’ve not grown up around guns. It’s interesting to be on this course and find out more about the reality of them, although my focus is learning the ‘golden triangle’ of first aid, communications and navigation. But at the same time It’s depressing how in America nothing will ever change regarding gun law. RIP.
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