So, finally I did go to Oxford for the Food Symposium, and it was a wonderful experience.
I wanted to fulfill last year’s plan to attend with Aglaia, which unfortunately could not materialize for the serious health reasons most of you know. As she was going to the Symposium for many years, and I had never been, this was for me one way to trace her steps and meet the people of whom I had been hearing a lot and had by now become quite familiar names.
Even if you do not have a very close relationship with food, like me, it is difficult not to like the event. But you will certainly find several interesting presentations, like for example the ones about Appalachian parties I attended, something I had no idea it existed (and incidentally, you may also want to check this out).
But being at Oxford also gives you the chance to get a feel for the town and its buildings, the beautiful surrounding countryside, and of course the people.
Much of Oxford alone is an architectural museum. It is not only the centuries old buildings, but also the Symposium’s exquisite venue and dorms, St Catz College, designed by Jacobsen.
My wonderfully minimalist room faced the fields and in my first evening, it was dusk, I saw a young badger strolling around the hedge outside, was a wonderful welcoming as I had never seen one.
Downtown, I got some books from the famous Blackwell’s bookstore and admired the many wonderful new book covers. Then I visited the legendary Ashmolean Museum. And in the market there were still small stores, a worldwide rarity these days, like the one where I changed my watch battery in the center.
The only thing I completely forgot to visit was the Botanical Garden, from where Aglaia would bring me a peculiarly wonderful gin. Maybe next time.
But of course the most important ingredient was the Symposiasts. A very easy going atmosphere, where you could talk to interesting people you never met before over a sophisticated menu supervised by chef Cameron Stauch, executed by a hard working kitchen group of people, and served by an army of tireless waiters.
I could not attend the small mention to Aglaia’s passing at one session, but I hear it was heartfelt. I am so thankful to Nader Mehravari for the thoughtful organizational details he took care of, the beautiful picture of Aglaia that now stands on the living room shelf, and a condolences book. And I am grateful to chef Cameron for reading what I had written for the occasion, and preparing the kollyva (recipe below), the typical Greek memorial wheat berry dessert.
And I was delighted to finally meet Elisabeth Luard, Janet Beizer, Priya Mani, Birgitte Kampmann, Cordula Peters, and see Ursula Heinzelmann after several years. I could not omit to mention the wonderful pleasure of seeing Claudia Roden again. And of courseto thank Cathy Kaufman who was behind the organization of the whole Aglaia event; I will end with Cathy’s rewarding quote summarizing my visit to the Symposium: “We all miss Aglaia, but you brought her closer to us.”
For the kollyva recipe, please go here. For several years, it used to be my favorite dessert, and Aglaia would make sure there was always some in the refrigerator. Apart from being healthy, it is delicious! I am not quite sure Aglaia would agree, but I guess you can improvise and add any extra ingredients you may come up with, as Greeks do, so long as you don’t overdo it (please, no chocolate of any sort though…) And, in any case, it is prefect with Greek mastic ice cream (or vanilla).