Supper # 25 - Troon, Ayrshire

I dived into the local shop to pick up some cream and then took over the kitchen. I wanted to make something special looking but not too complicated as I had a couple of very zealous helpers. Or maybe that should be pot washers. Poor Susie had the kids all scrubbed clean and ready for bed when they ram-raided the kitchen and got their little mitts on as much chocolate as they could get away with. "Oor Nan always lets us lick the bowl/spoon/whisk/pan/tin" they cried indignantly and started pulling up chairs to get that little bit closer to the choc action. Hilarious. They were completely one-track minded and nothing was going to come between them and the sticky pickings. In the end Andy came and broke up the frenzy and put them to bed.

Andy had promised us Chicken Balmoral but Susie waded in to rescue the situation after she clocked our reaction to the haggis at breakfast. I was all up for a bit of chook stuffed with haggis - it was just a bit hefty first thing in the morning. Anyway, before they'd hear another word Andy was back in the kitchen prepping a wonderful cream, green peppercorn and whiskey sauce to go with some serious looking steaks. It was so nice to see he knew how to handle a bit of beef and cooked it nice and rare.

WHO CAME: Andy, Susie, Alanna and me.

WHAT WE ATE: Susie's moreish bruschetta - a big, glossy mix of cherry tomatoes, basil, pesto, garlic, onion and pine nuts atop toasted granary bread. Plump, super succulent Aberdeen fillet steak, cooked perfectly on the BBQ and covered in this dreamy, punchy sauce, with boiled buttery potatoes.


DINNER TABLE TOPICS: Reminiscing on the wild days of yonder. How Andy lost his virginity to Susie then didn't see her for years and finally talked her round with his legendary gift of the gab. We talked about our friend Joe who's big and brown and would be like this great novelty chick magnet up in Glasgow back in the day. Andy got all the girls who didn't fit Joe's big ass requirements.

THE PUD: We drank a lot of red wine and sunk a few limoncellos, our energy regained from somewhere, then I rolled out the eveining's pudding - chocolate mousse and whipped cream roulade. These are so much fun to make - just layer them with a big slather of naughtiness and roll that sucker up, dust it with icing sugar and wait for the cries of delight.

Susie was thrilled - she used to swim for Scotland and knew she's be able to shake off the excess in the pool the next day. I knew nothing of the sort but ploughed in regardless.

MY BED FOR THE NIGHT: Finally it really was time for bed. We joked with Andy about the bed that he'd laid on for me - a roll-up mattress on the floor:"You're making me feel guilty now an' I'm no' even Catholic!" - but really, they both couldn't have been better hosts - 'our house is yours' they kept saying and never stopped looking after us. That's what I love about the Scots, their heart. It underlies everything and is as natural as breathing...or drinking.