In 1995, I was living by myself and I saw a cooking program on television. They were making ‘Fish and chips with a twist’. The ‘twist’ was adding a can of your favourite chilled beer to the batter. They also showed you how to make the side salad.
After watching the program and taking note of the recipe, I went to buy the ingredients at my local supermarket. I collected all the necessary ingredients and placed them on the check-out counter. I then noticed that the person in front of me had the same kind of ingredients: flour, eggs, vegetable oil, tomatoes, baby spinach, Spanish onions and a deli parcel wrapped in white paper. Surely it wasn’t fish?
It was uncanny, bizarre, and it couldn’t possibly have been the same recipe. That’s what I was telling myself anyway, hoping that no one else would notice.
How embarrassing.
I had a quick glance at the lady in front of me and just smiled. I don’t think she knew what was happening. I finally paid for my groceries and left the supermarket in a hurry.
I was still missing one ingredient — the beer — so I entered the local bottle shop, grabbed a can from the fridge and went to the counter.
Lo and behold, I saw the same lady with the same beer as was used on the television program. It was also the same as the one I had in my hand.
My suspicions were confirmed.
She was quite attractive and me being a bloke, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass by. I started a conversation with her and found out that she also saw the TV program and yep, she was cooking for her parents that night.
Somehow I managed to ask her out and eight months later we got married. Every year since, we have celebrated our anniversary with ‘Fish and chips with a twist’.