Glasto 2009- this is what 100,000+ tents look like- click to see bigger!

Every year at this time, more than a hundred thousand Brits go slightly bonkers all at once, by camping on the same farm, enjoying a staggering lineup of international musicians and performers, praying for sunshine so the whole place won’t turn into a gigantic mudbath, and queuing for appalling portaloo facilities in between. Much fancy-dress (US: costume) is worn, many fire-eaters on stilts and suchlike are admired, and in general everyone has the biggest party in the world.

Even though we have never been to the festival ourselves, our “UK base” is just a few miles from the action, and this year one of the teenagers has managed to wangle** a ticket with family friends, and is making her inaugural visit with great enthusiasm, so we are all excited on her behalf. It’s hard to explain what is so special about Glastonbury, but something about this unique mixture of music, camping close enough to hear your neighbours snoring/singing/chanting Druid rhymes all night in the surrounding fifty tents, holiday-bonhomie (people actually talking to strangers in a friendly way! a major departure from the usual buttoned-up English habit) and (last but definitely not least) Very Extreme Hardship, really does both suit and summarise the British character. Maybe one year we will make it over there. Probably when scientists finally invent weather machines and can actually guarantee sunshine.

** “Wangle” is one of those ridiculous-sounding British words that Americans find hilarious. It means “to resort to trickery or devious methods”, in the manner of the Artful Dodger etc. There are an awful lot of words for this concept in the GB, for some strange reason- it’s a bit like the legend of the Inuit words for “snow”. One very popular one is “fiddle”, as in the recent MP expenses scandal. In the US, this words means “play” in an honest if unfocussed way, and does not imply deceit of any kind.

millionaire’s shortbread (click for larger view, you won’t regret it)

We are very excited to announce that two of our top favorite sweets are now available in two of our top favorite South Austin food stores- you can now get original flapjacks and millionaire’s shortbread at Thom’s Market on Barton Springs Road, and Farm to Market Grocery on South Congress. These are wonderful independent food stores that support local artisan businesses like ours, offering hope to all of us who have had enough of megasupermarket culture and support the rise of human-scale shops with human-friendly products and produce.

Thom’s Market is owned by Bill and Beth Thom, who once took their kids out of school for a year to sail around the world- how cool is that?! Here’s the Austin Chronicle’s great and enthusiastic piece about them. And here is a lovely write-up of Farm to Market, owned by Peggy McCoy, in Edible Austin- which also kindly mentions us on their front page at the moment.

As not everyone in Austin has even heard of flapjacks or millionaire’s shortbread yet, please do share the news with your South Congress area-loving friends. The campaign continues…

“What delicious pies!” the President was thinking.

It’s been a while since our last post and we’ve been busy if not exactly blogging- more news to follow in the next couple of days, but for now, we bring you an important (if slightly overdue) news item: President Obama was offered Cornish Pasties on his first ever visit to the Queen of England!

According to this article, the important part of the gift-exchange was the personalised ipod Barack and Michelle presented to the Queen (did it have “Elizabeth Regina” etched on the back? Or just a lot of Pet Shop Boys singles? We do not know). But we beg to disagree: surely the main thing was the mini Cornish pasties offered by Elizabeth and Phillip to the Presidential couple as part of the world leaders’ summit buffet! They may have been hidden between posher items such as champagne, wine and canapes of chicken with zucchini on skewers [...] smoked quail eggs, foie gras and tiny rolls of duck filled with melon, but certainly the fact that they were included in such distinguished company more than proves the superiority of these traditional and delicious hand-held peasant pies!

Delicious Cornish Pasties, from the Full English stall, every week at SVFM- just look for the British flag!

Although, we also feel that the Queen and her consort might have done more to promote the cause of British food in their menu-planning, as everything else seems to have been more along the lines of what Mr and Mrs Sarkozy might be expected to serve.

Still, a definite win for those of us in the Cornish Pasty community! Three cheers!