2004 October -Who's Cooking? Rona's story

From: rona  (Original Message)

Sent: 10/10/2004 10:22 p.m.

Fasten your seat belts folks, we're off on an epic journey of a very short duration, but quite a lengthy story.  So sit tight, buckle up and we'll be off!!   Background information first.  About two, four six months ago (memories going you see), "He who must be obeyed" and I went to see his brother about borrowing some tools.  When we got to said brothers house he was cleaning out his hangi pit.  OK you're thinking, nothing unusual in that, BUT this one was in a keg!! Yes, you read right.  Now I'm not too sure if you've seen or heard about these mini-portable hangi contraptions.  You know some Maori are pretty damn clever, and to come up with something like this - whoever it was should be given a medal of some sorts!  What happens is:  (now don't quote me line and verse on this) but you take one keg and cut the top off it, give it a good clean out cause it's still likely to be reeking of beer fumes.  Take one good engineer, (He who must be obeyed is one of such) and he will do the rest.  Put handles on it, do stuff inside of it so a basket sits just above the bottom, put some other bits on the top so when you put the top back on it sits like a lid, do some other stuff to it, make a basket for it and PRESTO, Bob's your uncle, you have a mini-portable hangi.  We are experimenting with ours at the moment.  One of my good stainless steel bowls was purloined for this, filled with dirt, that sits at the bottom of the keg to which water has been added (to both the dirt and the keg), sit atop a gas burner for 2-3 hours and lovely doubly, hangi!! (I suppose I've just described a pressure cooker type thing.)   I know it sounds easy-complicated, but who cares it tastes lovely and you don't have all the fuss and bother of digging a hole in the back yard, getting wood, just about setting your house and the neighbourhood on fire, it is just so clean and fuss free - well for the males that is.  The women folk still have to run around, stuffing chickens, getting veges ready etc.  Kind of like having a BBQ. aye guys.  "I'm cooking tonight.  We're gonna have a BBQ" - a collective groan cause we know what's gonna happen.   Well after all that.  John (Laura's hubby) has got one done and Gerald (He who must be obeyed) made him the basket - at which he is getting really good at doing.  It's been ready for a few weeks, so I thought it would be a good enough reason to go back to Taranaki.  I worked Friday night, got home 6.30am ish, had  a few hours sleep, and at about 12.30pm we were off.  Weather was OK when we left, but just after we arrived in Normanby it poured down with rain.  Nice welcome home I must say, didn't even get to see the mountain decked out in all it's winter glory.  "Snow right down to here" - I was told.  The rest of the night was spent interspersed by a rugby game or two with copious amount of chatter mainly by myself and sister Laura, (and of course her grandson) and untold cups of coffee.  Mind you come midnight, Cinderella turned back into a pumpkin and had to go to bed cause she was tired.  (Me not Laura).  I betcha you were wandering who the Cinderella was going to be?   Sunday dawned just as gloomy - after I got woken up at 7.00 and asked what the ticking noise was.  How the hell would I know I just bloody well woke up!!  Got up - more coffee (can't start the day without it) more talk, breafast and then decisions on what to do.  We decided it would be best to take a leisurely trip back to Wellington considering the weather.  It rained most of the way back, not heavy, but just enough to be a nuisance.  So in just over twelve hours it was there, visit and back again. Got home to a lovely welcome - "What's for tea Mum?" and was told the cat missed us.   But wait there's more...................................I won't go there this time, but "Trying Situations" will be featured next.  Gotcha hooked?  Good.  Watch out for the next installment.   Lotsalove Rona