We went to a novel event a book/ supperclub at The Lockhart, a Southern American US cuisine restaurant in Marylebone. It was organised by Molly one of the owners of the Lockhart, so the book, also set in the deep South of America fitted in well with the food. I love to read and eat good food so this event sounded right up my street! As I won tickets at the last minute I didn’t get a chance to read the book, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, so I couldn’t contribute to the lively discussion it provoked but I could eat and boy did I do a lot of that!
We kicked things off with gumbo and shrimp and grits accompanied by super strength mint juleps. If you want to feel like you’re on a porch in a sultry American summer, I recommend downing a couple of these! Brad McDonald (chef) sources his grits from America as he couldn’t find ones that measured up to his exacting standards over here. I wasn’t as sure about the grits, having not grown up with them to me they tasted a bit like savoury porridge, but the gumbo was lovely full of sausage and delicious things. We then moved on to fried chicken and honey butter cornbread. I have seen a lot of Instagrammed photos of the cornbread and all I will say is that it lived up to the hype! The butter caramelizes around the edges creating a lovely honeyed warmth. The fried chicken was also good, crunchy outside giving way to a succulent interior. But a note of caution, don’t fill up on the cornbread because you’re going to want to save some space for what comes next which is… lemon icebox pie. Like a lemon meringue pie but better!
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The book club is going to move around restaurants so it can better reflect the books it covers. Keep an eye on Molly’s twitter feed so you can watch out for the next one. Thank you Canongate books and The Lockhart!
Twitter:
http://lockhartlondon.com/
THE LOCKHART
22-24 SEYMOUR PLACE
LONDON
W1H 7NL
http://www.canongate.tv/
http://canongatebookclub.com/
About goantolondon
International food and travel blog by London based British Goan duo: Jason and Chiara Pinto.
Twitter:
@goantolondon
@jasonpinto100
@chiarapinto
About Goa:
Goa is a small state on the western coast of India. Though the smallest Indian state, Goa has played an influential role in Indian history. Goa was one of the major trade centers in India, thus it had always been attracting the influential dynasties, seafarers, merchants, traders, monks and missionaries since its earliest known history. Throughout its history Goa has undergone continual transformation, leaving an indelible impression on various aspects of its cultural and socio-economic development.
History of Goa:
The East-West symbiosis of Goa makes it different from other parts of India, more than the historical and social niche. The history of Goa is a sweet and sour story of colonial heritage, oppressive rulers, a glorious culture, and uneventful immediate past.
As a land with the identity of its own, Goa was brought into focus when it was liberated of Portugal from its oppressive rule of around 450 hundred years in 1961. Goa was captured and annexed to the Portuguese in 1510 following the urges of trade and demand of spices and also cottons and indigo. But, Goa has a history that starts much before Portugal even thought of Goa being where it is.
Goa was coveted and ruled by a great number of Indian kingdoms and dynasties from the 4th century onwards. The first kingdom to rule Goa and Konkan were Bhojas, who were the feudatories of Ashoka in 4th and 5th centuries AD. The city of Chandrapur (present Chandor) was founded by Prince Chandraditya, son of Chalukya King Pulakesin from 566 to 597 A.D. after this, Goa was ruled consecutively by Silahara Dynasty, Kadamba Danasty, and finally Hoysalas from 1022 to 1342 A.D.
From the 14th century onwards, Goa became a great trading center on the west coast, especially in the vast trade of horses imported from the Middle East. This was the time for bigger empires to move in and Vijayanagar Empire conquered it in 1344. But there empire was not going to last too long and in 1347, Bahmani Sultans defeated Vijayanagara forces in 1347 and controlled Goa. Afterwards, it was a time of great prosperity and peace for Gpa, especially during the rules of Yusuf Adil Shah and Ismail Adil Shah. They created beautiful houses, fortified Goa, and encouraged local craftsmen. Their liberal and progressive rule was not going to last too long and situation changed in 1510 A.D.
Goa for all purposes was not on the Portuguese Radar even after a long time of their presence in India. When the Portuguese nobleman Alfonso de Albuquerque and his cousin Francisco de Albuquerque were sent with a powerful fleet in 1503 on the orders of King Dom Manuel I, the purpose was to defend the cargoes of spices, mostly pepper, against Arab Muslim raiders.
The center of spice trade was Calicut at that time and Portuguese had built forts in Cochin and Cannanore. It was in 1506-08 that an opportunistic pirate, Timoja, persuaded Albuquerque to attack Goa and acquire a better land base. This made Goa, Portugal's first real territorial acquisition in Asia. After a brief period of recapturing by the Muslims, Goa Albuquerque finally captured Goa in 1510.
The inquisition of Goa in 1540 reversed the previous liberal policy of Albuquerque and imposed strict censorship of literature and new laws to forbade non-Christians from professions. Forced conversions took place continuously, censorship was established on literature, the temples were destroyed, and non-Christian priests, holy men, and teachers were evicted. This led to continuous fleeing of Hindus from Goa to other parts of India.
It is not that the relationship with Portugal brought only destruction for the Goans. Portuguese also built great churches like the church of St. Cajetan and Bom Jesus basilica in Old Goa, which is a pilgrimage site for the Christians from around the world. But it is also true that pre-1961; Goa was a highly impoverished region very backward and primitive. It is after the liberation that Goa of today has emerged and it has surprised even the locals many of whom had left their homeland before its liberation. Portugal and India are today friends and Goa continues to be a fascinating blend of Latin and Oriental.
Information sourced from:
http://www.royalorienttrain.com/goa/goa-history.html
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