Thursday 8th August 2013

Saturday: Tuscany. The struggle begins to make Tuscany anew for this year. We’re planning Lucca, as a novelty.

Pre-boarding tension as always. I’ve just realised  – my Prada heavyweight clucks I got re-soled in time. But forgot about the laces. They’re frayed. Too late now to re-lace. My Tuscan laces will be frayed.

But everything packed or worn as a travel outfit must be perfect. I can trim the laces with nail scissors. Even dip in clear nail varnish. Could be an airport waiting activity.

My Tuscan wardrobe will feature absence. I’ve thrown away a number of short-sleeved summer shirts and not replaced them.

The only new items will be a Balenciaga black polyester T-shirt with complicated cross-banding (it’s what you pay for) and some Zara off-white polyester slacks that got stained but came up lovely after dunking in red wine Stain Devil and washing at 30c. Thank you, Zara, for not wrecking my life.

The Prada Factory Shop looms. Oh the shimmering excitement. Will there be anything in ivory to go with my Paul and Joe salmon slacks? Lovely slacks but very difficult to team. Crave ivory.

Must also look ahead to the autumn wardrobe. All my Topman trash is being housed at the cleaners – paid for, but left there until September. Just no room in the home for it.

But I supposed to be on food.

The Signature Poor Little Rich Gay dish for this gone Season was the Cold Vegetable Scatter with Tarragon dressing, created and launched by Laura Malcolm at her May dinner. Beans, broad beans, peas and asparagus (Waitrose Essential frozen baby broad beans are ALL RIGHT). Put masses of chopped tarragon in your dressing.

Otherwise I have revived Summer classics for comfort OR I have invented or re-created restaurant dishes – a new departure for me. Never before have I not been recipe-based – hard as it is to concentrate for long enough to follow a recipe. Or nerves take over.

Summer classics have included: Agneau Printanter, given at the dinner for Joshua Baring at which he fell out with Jesus. Jesus has still not forgiven, which isn’t like him. Apricot Fool, Gooseberry Fool, Hazelnut Meringue Cake, Corrie Chicken for Glyndebourniana, Tarte a l’oignon.

Invented dishes or recreated from restaurant memory: when Reggie Cresswell dined with Harry Rollo, Valèry Duplessis, Conrad Matheson and Bruce MacBain I revived the Omelette Cake, possibly made in Tuscany in 1977 or possibly figment of the imagination. It was all right but a bit harsh. Don’t use tinned tomatoes for the sauce next time. Fresh better. Try to get a bit of foam in the omelette layers. Not the full soufflé omelette but they should be lighter.

In Tuscany, I’ll re-attempt the omelette cake.

For Glyndebourniana I invented a redcurrant sauce for duck. Poor colour because of flour in sauce. Also concentrated flavour of redcurrant doesn’t come through from a purée. Next time use redcurrant jelly and rosemary. Don’t cook breasts on a rack. Place directly on tin and hope to get something from which to make a glaze with red wine. No need for flour thickening. Accept it a bit wet.

My best recreation without recipe was for the Lady Carmichael (mother of the Blond Multi) dinner at the beginning of July. Slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with baked aubergine pieces and a saffron sauce with whole chickpeas. I had it at Petersham Nurseries (restaurant in garden centre with gravel floor) on an outing with Harry Rollo to Ham House. But will I be able to do it again? Can’t quite remember the method.

It’ll never be the same again.

But there we are.