On the 1st day of Christmas, my true love gave to me.....aubergine erotica

I've recently alluded to receiving a briliant gift, so time to explain. During my time in sixth form, free periods would often be spent in the school library. Occasionally doing homework, but more often doing things like testing each other on the contents of the Top 10 of Everything (1995) (this included morbid gems like the Top 10 serial killers by numbers of confirmed victims), or daring each other to climb through the serving-hatch like hole in one of the walls between rooms without being spotted and thrown out by the Librarian. But when we weren't debating the position of ET in the Top 10 highest grossing films, we would be enjoying 'Winning Ways with Cheese'.

I don't know who discovered this magnificent tome, but it rapidly became the most sought-after book in the library. Well, among me and my mates anyway. Simply, it's a big book of cheese recipes. Not that exciting really, but when you're a 17 year old boy (or, for that matter, a 29 year old) then the book offers a vast expanse of hilarious potential. It was basically the names of some of the recipes that would set us off, and you can probably guess the kind of level of comedy that we're talking about. I'm amazed (and glad) that the book was never stolen from the Library. Many times it was deliberately hidden away in different sections only to be rediscovered weeks later and the enjoyment would begin all over again. Since leaving school I've banged on about this book on numerous occasions. Mere mention of the title alone will result in people who have never actually seen the book respond instantly with 'Olio Bowlio'!

Good friend Moon was recently over at ours and she's a big fan of cheese. Inevitably, I started talking about the book that had provided so much pleasure during my sixth form years. So it was with immense delight that, a couple of weeks later, Moon presented me with my very own copy which she had tracked down on the internet for the bargain price of 61p.

To celebrate, and because it's now Advent, I'll be providing a classic recipe from the book each day for the next 12 days*. What better way to begin, then, but with....


You weren't expecting that were you? That must be a googlewhack, right there. Aubergine Erotica! Cheese is really only a secondary ingredient there isn't it? If anyone fancies making this, please do let me know how it goes. Or even better, send me a photo and I'll put it up here.

God rest ye merry, god rest ye.

*Yes, I know that the 12 days of Christmas actually begins on Christmas Day, but it was either this or one for every day of Advent and I couldn't see myself sticking to that