Being a bit of an Anglophile I am always reading books about British life and watching a lot of Masterpiece Theater. I read a great little book called Toast by Nigel Slater in which the Aga played a small starring role. Sprinkled among all the talk of his favorite childhood foods is the story of how the Aga made much of this food possible. Toast is a great book for anyone who wants a small glimpse into the often odd world of British food.
The Aga in America is not something the average family has, not unless they have traded in the family car for one. At $6,300 the Aga Legacy pictured above may well be the Rolls Royce of stoves, but how many people do you know that own a Rolls Royce?
I still like the idea of the Aga, just as I like the idea of living in London-and when I win that 300 million dollar Powerball jackpot, I may be able to move to London and warm myself by the heat of an Aga.
Until such time, I was looking at videos and found this little gem from a sweet young Martha Stewart raving about the virtues of the Aga Range. I also found a video talking about the serious business of cleaning an Aga range with several warnings about how dangerous the task can be. Of course, that’s the Maid’s job anyway, isn’t it?
Not just an Aga, but a way of life, rural life at that. However it’s becoming increasingly difficult to justify having one because it consumes energy at a frightening rate. It takes the best part of a day to reach temperature so not easily turned off. Don’t do it!
I will take your advice to heart.