More Snow and Lots of Food in Essex

Last weekend, as the snow continued to fall and temperatures continued to drop, we escaped to Tollesbury in Essex to visit David. The snow was piled high and the temperature even colder (-10C when we arrived Friday night in Witham). But like any visit to see David, the weekend couldn't have been warmer and more full of merriment, with meal after delicious meal, many roaring fires, and the discovery of hot water bottles (the most ingenious invention)!

David braved the icy roads to pick us up from the train station and as we drove the narrow, snow-covered, hedgerow-lined roads back to Tollesbury, cutting through blanketed fields and frozen fog, I realized we were entering a magical wintry scene that felt worlds away from London.

David welcomed us that evening with a meal to really warm us through: mashed potatoes, peas, roasted carrots and parsnips, and the best chicken and ham pie ever! David is a true epicurean with, like all excellent chefs, a standard for quality that is uncompromising. His whole wheat pie crust, topped with sesame seeds, was flaky yet rich and with a crumb so tender it melted in your mouth. Eating in front of his roaring wood fire with glasses of red wine, we were thoroughly warmed.

Our plans for a foodie exploration of the area on Saturday were postponed til Sunday and so Ryan and I walked around Tollesbury, along the coast and harbor, through churchyards and graveyards, and indulged our giddiness in the plethora of snow.

Here I am feigning innocence before hitting Ryan with a superbly packed snowball. That evening David orchestrated a feast of a meal for a large group of us at the Maypole, a sit-down Chinese restaurant that David kept referring to as 'blingy.'

On Sunday, with the snow mostly melted, we packed in visits to the Wilkin and Sons jam factory in Tiptree, Blackwells rare breed farm near Coggeshall, the Food Company in Colchester, and a visit to Father Antony at St John's Greek Orthodox Monastery in Tolleshunt Knights.

I tried making friends with the geese at Blackwells Farm but they mostly just squawked and hissed at me. Our visit to the Food Company, a mega foodie market/shop/cafe, included yummy paninis, espresso, mince meat pies and a hot chocolate exploding with marshmallows from an enthusiastic waiter whose favorite word was 'awesome.' This was nicely juxtaposed to the humility that marked our hosts at the monastery where we enjoyed thoughtful and genuine conversation over milk-less tea with Father Antony and Father Melchizedek. And as if our adventurous, exploratory day wasn't enough, David labored over another

flawless meal of steak, braised cabbage with bacon, mashed potatoes, caramelized onions and mushrooms, and roasted sweet potatoes and parsnips that we heartily enjoyed in the company of Sue and Simon. We finished the evening with churros and chocolate ganache that I made with the assistance of David's well equipped kitchen. It was another merry evening, complete with another roaring fire.

As we took the train back to London that evening and I reflected on the wonderfully rich and full weekend we had with David, the many scenes and layers of Essex we had seen, I realized that cold weather isn't so bad. With the right meals, company, and a hot water bottle or two, even the coldest winter can be made warmer and merrier than a summer's day!