MISS IT SO MUCH!

After spending a year with my head in a Marmite jar I decided I needed not only a break but a way of jump-starting my travel-writing 'career' again.  So, just after New Year, husband Gary (he came up with 'Tar-in-a-Jar') and I headed off to Honduras. Well, more precisely, the little island of Utila. In a bid to keep our luggage down, the Marmite was left behind. Stupidly thought that because of the British influence on Utila - English is the first language - a dusty jar of the mighty-M might be found lurking on the odd bodega shelf. Wrong! And cannot believe how much I miss it. At first I wasn't bothered. Hey, I told myself, I've eaten enough Marmite lately to keep me going for a while. But every time I pick-up warm bagels from the bakery (which is just about every morning) I yearn to smother them in the stuff. As for eating bananas here - the country which gave the world that gem of a 'fruit' - I find it ridiculous that I left home without it! What, you've never tried lacing a mashed-up banana with Marmite? A favourite treat - only equalled by peanut-butter and M. But totally surpassed by mixing all three together and adding apple sauce. I think I need to get home.....

MARMARATI 'HONOUR'

The book has pulled-off a major triumph! A new Marmite is scheduled to hit the market later this year. It's going to be extra-strong. It will sell under the name Marmite XO - which stands for Extra Old. In a bid to promote the newcomer Unilever (manufacturers of M) held a competition via its Facebook page. It invited Marmite fans to prove their passion by taking the challenge to be dubbed a Marmarati. Entries were then voted on. Only 200 - of the 694 entries - would make the cut. And Mish-Mash did it! A sweet victory that I am savouring because...well see the penultimate sentence.

My entry - among the hundreds of very stylized, complicated and fanciful offerings - was very simple. It was a photo of the front cover along with one paragraph that said:  Anyone who spends nine months with their head in a Marmite jar to write a book about the black-magic deserves the honour of being declared numero uno Marmarati!

An e-mail told me that a 'hand-crafted, commemerative' jar  of the 'prototype' new-taste Marmite is on its way to me. The package will also contain 'instructions' for the next step in the fight for the Marmarati crown. I'm sure Mish-Mash has gone as far as it's going in this particular arena....but, what an honour to get this far. Particularly as it was produced without the 'blessing' of Unilever.  But will keep you posted.

The Sheffield Tel - Tells All, Twice!

The good old Sheffield Telegraph (where I once nearly got a job but flunked the final interview because the editor didn't like the fact I hesitated when asked what book I was currently reading!) finally came through. Nice piece about the book - but primarily about Dave Jeffery, illustrator extraordinaire, whom is orginally from the great steel city. Read it here: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/arts/Spreading-love-and-hate.5961486.jp  And then several days later its sister paper The Star happily got in on the act: http://www.thestar.co.uk/diary/Marmite-book-you39ll-either-love.5973445.jp

A Marmartous Festive Dish!

Here is a festive dish with a twist! Caviar Pie, minus the caviar (or lump-fish as most of us use) with a good dollop of you know what to replace it. Sounds like it wouldn't work. But it does. As my good friends Karl and Carrol Kindel proved, when it was a star on the buffet table at their annual Egg-Nog gathering, on Capitol Hill, Washington DC.  And the amazing  thing was the number of guests who said: 'This is great what is in it exactly?' Then when told gasped: 'Oh, that awful British stuff! But this was so good!'

This is the recipe the Kindels used to provide that umami - or 'wow' - factor: mash six hard-boiled egg and half a yellow onion, finely chopped, into quarter of a pound of softened butter; press, about an inch thick, into the dish you want to serve the 'pie' in; refrigerate until hardened; put a layer of Marmite on top; then cover with yoghurt and sour cream mixed. Voila - dip in with a cracker or spoon onto a crudite.

THE LUCK OF THE IRISH!

I hope the luck of the Irish transfers to sales of the book in Ireland. If it doesn't it will not be the fault of the award-winning NewsTalk radio station. One of its top hosts, Sean Moncreiff, did a 15 minute interview with me for his afternoon show, December 14th. We had a few laughs - hard not to when the subject if Marmite - especially when a listener revealed that his favourite way of eating it was on a dry Weetabix. Even to me that sounds pretty gross! All the fault of the Weetabix, of course....

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

Pete Myers is engrossed in the book - but then he's probably reading the entry about himself!

New Yorkers - and visitors to the Big Apple - can now get their hands on the book easily.  Head to the Village:  to Myers' of Keswick, the greatest pork-pie shop in the USA. Almost, the world - heck, make it the world! The Myers - Pete and daughter Jennifer - have made Mish-Mash an integeral part of their Christmas window display. To get your hands on a copy, plus some of the best Cumberland sausages this side of the Lake District, go to: 634 Hudson Street (between Horatio and Jane Streets).

                                          

And, How About This!

The 'plugs' just keep getting better and better....how about this one? The New Yorker!! I know it's only online, but  it is still the New Yorker.....and to be included in such illustrious company: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2009/12/in-the-news-death-of-the-fat-novel-marmite-memories.html