Alcina’s quick potato salad

(this post was written a few weeks ago and was languishing in my drafts)

Poor little blog, how much neglection can it take? How many words can I make up?

I saw some Handel on the weekend (Alcina). It was long, so long that the opera started a full thirty minutes earlier than any opera I’ve ever been to. Of course, I hadn’t bothered looking at the ticket until I started packing my bag, so I had the fright of my life when I realised that it was about to start in 40 minutes and counting and I hadn’t even left the house. Fortunately, a taxi was found with no time to spare because if you miss the doors closing they make you wait outside until the intermission. They give you a telly to watch it on kindly.

I was a little crochety by the last act because of the length, but it was was lovely. The staging was wonderfully imaginative and gorgeously intricate. They had columns carved with beasts and men and the chorus (painted up like stone) would poke their heads out of removable panels. They had a mirror backdrop with separate scenes that would occasionally reflect what was happening on the main stage but with some detail changed (ie timing or the roles reversed in gender) so it was disconcerting.

Another thing about the opera, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a fat opera singer. There was a time when most women were fat and the odd skinny person was a big star purely because they could do tele-movies with Placido Domingo. But I strain to think when was the last time I saw a fat person on stage. Unfortunately, I think that they now preference appearance over voice, because the voices are just not of the same standard as they used to be. As far as I remember anyway, for what that’s worth. I was also hoping for a counter-tenor or two but it was not to be. There were some definite giggles in the audience in some of the steamier scenes as the “hero” was getting it on with another woman.

The music was divine, the conductor was Richard Hickox so it was no surprise that it was executed superbly. I can understand how Beethoven named Handel as the greatest composer that ever lived, his music is just so exquisitely beautiful. It’s a pity that his music fell out of favour but great that we have started rediscovering him. I think this was the first time ever that the Australian Opera performed this particular opera. Got me inspired to read all things Handel, though it is not the easiest task trying to find anything Handel in bookstores. I ended up going to the library and getting a large pile, though it will be quite a few weeks until I have time to delve into them.

Anyway, what has this got to do with potato salad? Not much except that I went to the Belgian Beer Cafe afterwards and ate tasty potato chips and cheesy balls, got a hankering for potatoes and then made this very easy potato salad with the stuff closest to me because I’m lazy. I don’t put quantities because it really is up to taste, how much you need and what you have.

Baby potatoes
Fresh sage
Good Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic crushed (optional)

I got a new Panasonic microwave that I’m just in love with. It automatically cooked my potatoes perfectly by just pressing three buttons. Anyway, microwave them or boil them until cooked (ie you can poke a fork into them and not feel hard nasty raw bits) and then cut in halves or quarters if they are a big bit. Place in a bowl and tear up sage leaves over them. Drizzle with some tasty olive oil and salt/pepper to taste. You could also add a clove of crushed or chopped garlic but I didn’t feel like it strangely enough.

It’s not really much of a recipe, but it was very tasty, the sage cooks slightly with the heat of the potatoes.