“I wrote my friend a letter using a highlighting pen but he could not read it, he thought I was just trying to show him certain parts of a piece of paper.” – Mitch Hedberg, comedian Just a few selections out of the last couple of dinners, as you’ve seen many of the dishes before….… Read More Dinner Highlights

“Imagine the whole universe begins to vibrate and resound.” – Gustav Mahler, writing about his Symphony No. 8 Time for one of our bimonthly vegetarian dinners – additional to the regular ones – we still get a good number of requests, and still rarely fill them, but at least I can say to the folk… Read More Symphony of Vegetables

Blackadder: “Well saddle my horse then.” Baldrick: “What d’you think you’ve been eating for the last two months?” Blackadder: “Well go out into the street and hire me a horse!” Baldrick: “Hire you a horse? For ninepence? On Jewish new year in the rain? A bare fortnight after the dreaded horse plague of old London… Read More The New Year, 5771

“I get on the floor, and I can do things a woman a fifth my age can’t do.” – Kitty Carlisle It was Kitty’s 100th birthday, and she nearly made it, having passed away just over two years ago. Most people probably only know her as a “has been” actress who was a regular on… Read More Here Kitty, Kitty…

“Here the citizen does the talking about the country himself; the stranger is not asked to help. You get all sorts of information. From one citizen you gather the idea that Mauritius was made first, and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius. Another one tells you that this is an exaggeration.” –… Read More And You Thought Madagascar was Hard to Find

“The word “Hungarian” is thought to be derived from the Bulgar-Turkic Onogur, possibly because the Magyars were neighbours (or confederates) of the Empire of the Onogurs in the sixth century, whose leading tribal union was called the “Onogurs” (meaning “ten tribes” or “ten arrows” in Old Turkic; see below). The “H-” prefix in many languages… Read More Dining from the Great Alfold

The Battle of Aljubarrota was a battle fought between the Kingdom of Portugal and the Crown of Castile on 14 August 1385. Forces commanded by King John I of Portugal and his general Nuno Álvares Pereira, with the support of English allies, opposed the army of King John I of Castile with its Aragonese, Italian… Read More No Crisis at the Portuguese Dinner

“The actual origin of the superstition, though, appears also to be a tale in Norse mythology. Friday is named for Frigga, the free-spirited goddess of love and fertility. When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch. It was believed that every Friday, the… Read More Friggatriskaidekaphobia