100 YEARS OLD AND STILL CHANGING HIS MIND...
PREJUDICES, I have often felt, do not generally receive the respect they deserve. There is something reassuring about taking a decision not to like something or somebody and sticking to that decision throughout one’s life. When I was young, I decided I didn’t like beetroot or modern art and didn’t care much for Americans. My views have not changed much over the years, though I now realise that beetroot goes very well with goat’s cheese and Americans, taken one at a time, can be admirably good company, though in a large group they can still be pretty deplorable.
Recently, I had the opportunity to test two of my long-held prejudices and the results were quite a revelation. The event was the launch at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden of a new version of Cointreau, made with blood oranges instead of the traditional non-bloody variety. And between glugs of the Cointreau, we were treated to a rehearsal not of opera but ballet.
Ballet, I should point out, has long been one of my prejudices. Watching young, lithe dancers twisting their bodies into probably very painful contortions while pretending to enjoy it is not my idea of fun. And it usually, in my opinion, spoils the music.
My long-held attitude to ballet has been to close my eyes and hope it’s Prokofiev. His Romeo and Juliet music is always delightful and dancing only distracts and detracts. This time the music was Stravinsky and the ballet, called Jewels, was perfectly in tune with the music and delightful to watch as the ballet master coaxed more and more impossible contortions from the performers. And the performers, while clearly close to exhaustion, seemed to be enjoying it. Next time I have the chance to see some ballet, I shall definitely keep at least one eye open.
Meanwhile, back on the Cointreau, I was able to test another of my old prejudices, for Cointreau was a favourite tipple before I discovered Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne. The new blood orange Cointreau, I am pleased to report, has rekindled my delight in this fruity liqueur and the cocktails of it with cranberry juice and lime were deliciously invigorating.
I had intended to do some research on the effects of alcohol on ballet appreciation, but my enjoyment of both soon drove that idea from my mind. Instead, I began asking myself, as I do with many joyous experiences, how do I turn this into chocolates?
The answer came the next day when I had a chance to play in the kitchen.
Ingredients: One Lakeland chocolate mould; one bar dark chocolate; a few squares white chocolate; a glug or two blood orange Cointreau; double cream.
Method: melt the dark chocolate and swill around the individual chocolate moulds; leave to set. Melt the white chocolate and stir in the Cointreau and the cream. Mix well and leave to cool.
Yawn, nap or watch the news for half an hour then fill the moulds with the mixture before topping with more dark chocolate. Leave in fridge until cool then push out the delicious chocs. Offer to any passing ballet dancers to replenish their energy sources. Enjoy while pondering your prejudices.