Jacquie Phelan's Weblog

Nuttin in this one…

It didn’t take long to answer the siren song of the curved-top black rubbish bins.

Mrs. Magdala’s Treasure Trove

Just yesterday I came back from a meal delivery –Jac Strachan was freshly home from a hammer session with Martin Steele –‘rainy day risotto’ (it features leeks) and found an entire kitchen pitched into a tip on a posh street next to the Deaf School.

Come to think of it, the meal itself was dumpster cuisine…thanks to a five pound dumpage of Arborio grains–dry, clean, fine, courtesy of Real Foods in Broughton Street.

I called the Scotsman’s Alison Gray to see if she might be interested in sampling my found gourmet provender… no..

Anyway, the stuff I found and squirrelled away: ironstone (beige enamel 6-quart ) covered pot. Denby pottery pitcher and tea pot (kept the latter). Olivetti Lettera 32 portable typewriter in its snappy turquoise zippered case with black racing stripes.  Langley oval covered dishes….wooden cutting board. Brand-new analog P. Mercier ladie’s watch (easily worth £10!) I LOOOOOOVE watches.
Slotted spoon that had polka-dot holes instead of slots.
Extremely sharp kitchen knives…tea cups, Royal Curmudgeon brand, very fine, saucer included.

Even…sponges, cleaning supplies (just what Helen had asked for when I told her I was going shopping. Howlelujia!!!

The garbage truck rolled up, and the man approached. I had arranged all the cool stuff I couldn’t haul away on the sidewalk..and instead of chewing me out

he shook his head, poked through the stuff, and kept the brilliant orange kitchen bin with swinging white top. ANd for a few minutes we commiserated….he held up the fifty year old wooden rolling pin and said, ~if anyone gives yae ana cheek, yae kin clap them on the heed with thus” (rough approximation of his lilt).

Dropped a lot of stuff off at Shelter, and aimed for points south.

~ by jacquiephelan on June 26, 2008.

Posted in dumpster treasure, Edinburgh, food, Jacquie Phelan