House fully warmed

I had tried to organise a housewarming for all my close colleagues back in April. But my office mate Paul hadn't been able to make it and James pulled out, so I wanted to have another go at it. It wouldn't be the first time I warm my house in shifts. And by the time I managed to pin both men down for a date I had another office mate: Juan, a Puerto Rican. So one Saturday evening I welcomed four tired guests and colleagues in my house. Paul, Stella and Juan had just been through a week-long summer school, and pretty much only had this evening with me to rest; three days later they would be off on a cruise, for which not all organisation had finished. And James had just come back from Ireland where he had been an external examiner.

I had decided to make them Nasi Goreng; a staple of Dutch food, but largely unknown in this country. But the supermarket on the mainland is so big they sell nasi goreng spices, and satay sauce. And prawn crackers. I was going the whole way with pisang goreng and fried egg and all! If I make it for myself I don't bother with all the bells and whistles...

 This is what my nasi most definitely did NOT look like

They all arrived dripping, and of course the Caribbean arrived the last. It was a nice evening! It might have been late May but it was an evening for the gas stove, candles, and dark beer. And the food went down well! Juan even remarked he would never want a banana raw after having had pisang goreng. And at around ten they all went home. To bed, one hopes! Now my house is properly warmed. Maybe I'll find an opportunity to add another warming for the Thursday Nighters, although none of these live as conveniently close by!