A Monday memory....

Popovers!

Six weeks after co-signing a lease on a basement apartment just outside Boston following my college graduation, and being unsuccessful in securing a teaching position, I was getting pretty desperate for some income.  That's when I answered an ad for a new restaurant opening in the historic Quincy Marketplace.

The restaurant was called The Proud Popover and it served - you guessed it - popovers.

Never heard of popovers?  Well, neither had I, but I had heard of being a "hostess" and a paycheck, so I quickly said yes when offered the job.

One of the perks of my employment was the ability to sample some of the food.

Starting with the popovers.

They were to be served piping hot, in a basket, for an appetizer.  Honey was to accompany this offering.  The newly hired waiters and waitresses, as well as hostesses, were instructed in how to demonstrate to customers the correct way to add this delightful fluid using a honey "drizzle" stick.

The combination was heavenly!

I stayed with that job for three months, then moved on to try my hand in the business world.

But the memory of those hot popovers, dripping with honey, stayed with me.

Fast forward several years......

After marrying an Englishman, I was to discover the delicious tradition of "The Sunday roast."

Roast beef, mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts, gravy and Yorkshire Pudding.

Wait, what?  Pudding for dinner?

No, not the pudding Americans refer to.  This pudding was made in the roasting pan and tasted like.....to my utter joy.... popovers!!!

A popover pan was purchased and for years thereafter the Englishman satisfied my need for popovers with his Yorkshire Pudding.

Except for the honey part.

I finally decided to do something about that this year.  (Better late than never, right?)

While in a kitchen store in London last May, I purchased the honey pot and drizzle stick pictured above.

And last week I baked my very own popovers.

Ta da!

Here they are, broken open and ready for a drizzle of honey. 

(Top photo are the pre-opening version)

The Englishman was quite impressed with the results and enjoyed a couple of popovers with me. 

I have to note he did not add honey to his.

The taste was everything I had remembered and been dreaming of.

Hmm, what's next on my list of "Haven't done that yet"?