Hotel Gourmet, Day Eight: Shrimp and Serendipity

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The eighth day of my stay in Hitchin coincided with a British bank holiday. When I took a walk around lunchtime, the town was hopping. Vendors and artisans filled the town square and I browsed for a bit, enjoying the sights and smells. When I headed out later, on my evening shopping excursion, things were different--Hitchin was a ghost town. In spite of my diligent efforts, checking the Waitrose's hours on multiple websites, it was, in fact, closed.

It was a funny thing, though. On my way to Waitrose, for no conscious reason, I crossed the street earlier than I had on any day prior. Thanks to this spontaneous variation in routine, I stumbled upon the most marvelous dandelion patch in all of Hitchin.

After my serendipitous harvest--following the foragers' code, of course--I ventured off toward another store. Sure enough, the Sainsbury's was open and had plenty from which to choose. It was actually a larger market than the Waitrose I had been frequenting, albeit with a slightly more blue-collar feel. No pastured British pork spareribs here...but if I can make do in Tampa, Sainsbury's would work just fine.

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I did not find the pastured beef, pork, or poultry I was accustomed to but, where there's a freezer section, there's usually some type of healthy protein (hint: it's always plain frozen seafood). I enjoyed the prawns back on day one and thought they deserved a reprise. Had the the item right next to the prawns not been sold out, you would, instead, be reading about Scallops and Serendipity. Such is life.

While definitely not in season (in old England or New England) there were a few tempting fruits I could not pass up. I snagged some fresh figs and persimmons for tomorrow, the latter of which the English apparently call sharon fruit.

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This is what I made for dinner:

Serendipitous Shrimp and Greens

• Cut and boil greens until soft.
• Warm frozen precooked prawns in a pot of boiling water.
• Mix together with good salt and clarified butter.

Creamy and Crunchy Salad

• Chop some crunchy vegetables.
• Cut up a ripe avocado.
• Put into bowl and season with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil.

Mashed Coconut Sweet Potato

• Chop sweet potato.
• Boil until soft, then drain.
• Mash with coconut oil and salt.

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That was a close one--I almost had to eat sardines on a salad again. Truth be told, I wanted to try the Sainsbury's anyway, and this was apparently the opportunity I had been waiting for. (Also, I actually like sardines on salad.)

When you're just trying to eat healthy food, almost any grocery store will do. Sometimes you luck out--like when that amazing organic food co-op was walking distance from our hotel in New Orleans--and sometimes you eat sardines. Either way, you're well nourished and better positioned to enjoy your trip.

Captain's note: I'm finishing this post from my fancy Sofitel hotel at Heathrow Airport (complete with replica chair from the bridge of The Star Ship Enterprise). With any luck, I will be home in less than 24 hours. I intend to complete this food chronicle of my trip. It's all real, just a bit delayed. Thanks for following along!

In good health,
Ethan