Death by Water

I've been re-reading our Phyrne Fisher collection (by Kerry Greenwood). Comfort reading at its best in spite of involving plenty of murder, theft and other crimes. I'm not aware of being stressed, though on some level I probably am, however when stressed my brain seeks familiar territory. In the past I've read the print off Mom's and my Dick Francis collection. I'm now so familiar with the Harry Potter books the words don't make a movie in my head anymore. But I haven't got every plot of the Phryne books memorised yet. 

At the back of Death by Water I found not only a recipe for a 'Perfect Champagne Cocktail' but some post-it notes where I'd scribbled passages I particularly enjoyed - or had no idea about - in a previous reading. If you're like me you read through all sorts of things you don't know exactly what they are about but just guess from the context. It was rather satisfying to look these things up. 

Description of their cruise ship:

"...screens by Tiffany, furnishing by Liberty and William Morris, light fixtures by LaFarge..."

Illustrations on the Tiffany screens:

"...flowering gum and... a pohutukawa" (a New Zealand tree)

Bedspread:

"dark blue morocain" - A fabric; so far as I can tell this is another spelling for Moroccan and may refer to a distinctive print.

Terminology:

"So what were the on-dits?" Definition of on-dit: a piece of gossip or vague rumour.

"Fribble": Noun - a trifle, a frivolity; Verb - to waste something away, to fritter; to waste time.

"Keas" (a New Zealand bird - a very smart parrot) 

a Sou'wester

Chicken Veronique

References:

"Phyrne was in complete agreement with Oscar Wilde about people who were witty before breakfast."

Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast.

                                                               - Oscar Wilde


"She may look like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but as they said in the eighteenth century, I'll warrant that she wouldn't choke on cheese".  - 'butter wouldn't melt in her mouth' refers to someone who is very cool in their demeanor. Couldn't find any reference to choking on cheese other than literally.

And now, what you've been waiting for:

The Perfect Champagne Cocktail

1. Chill a bottle of dry champagne. It doesn't have to be expensive - in fact this is a great way to dress up cheap champage - but it must not be sweet.

2. Take a big glass and swill about a teaspoonful of Cointreau around to coat the inside. 

3. Drop a cube of sugar in, place three drops of bitters onto the sugar. If you like sweet tastes, put in two sugar cubes but don't add any more bitters.

4. Very gently pour in champagne and fill the glass. Garnish with a thin strip of orange peel.

5. This is the only champagne which can be drunk through a straw. To make a champagne cup, dilute this half and half with Schweppes lemonade. It's worth getting all hot and tired playing deck tennis if there is champagne cocktail in prospect.