Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Medical Update, Language,

I finally phone the orthopaedic surgeon and it turns out he is retiring this year and is booked right through until then. Damn. I had a lot of faith in him as he had done both Matt's replacements as well as mine. However, his secretary, who knows me very well, recommended a new young surgeon who has moved into the area. So I phoned my family doctor, unable to get through, so I then faxed them but haven't heard anything in return. Not only that, I saw my doc on Thursday evening, but the secretary at the surgeon's office said she had not had a referral. I am beginning to think that going back to the group in the next town would be a good idea as getting a response is so difficult. Mind you, my hip has been heaps better anyway although my back has been worrying me and nothing is underway for that. Now I need to concentrate on hip and lower back exercises if I don't want to end up as a cripple.

I know, some things I spell the English way and some the American way. Most of the time I no longer know the difference unless, like now, a word is underlined by the system as I type (referring to orthopaedic). Sorry, doesn't look right to me without the dipthong. If I go to England they think I sound Canadian (or more likely American, we don't know the difference in sound) but in Canada they think I sound English. Unless you come here as a very young child I don't think you ever lose your original accent. I don't think I have ever heard a Scot who didn't sound like a Scot. In my young days we were always told that the right way to speak was as heard on the BBC. However, that doesn't apply any more as no matter where you come from in the UK you are not expected to change they way you speak to be on the radio. With the result that all kinds of grammatical mistakes are creeping into the English language, and maybe creeping is understating it.

I love leeks and frequently use them instead of onions or even as well as. I also like to braise them. This recipe caught my eye, it is, supposedly a French recipe

CHARRED LEEKS WITH ORANGE SHERRY VINAIGRETTE



by 
Michael Anthony

Whole leeks roasted in the oven reveal a deep, soulful side of their character. They're charred on the outside and soft and tender on the inside, and we'll finish them with a vinaigrette and fresh
cilantro to keep things bright.


LEEKS
3 Leeks
3 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper

VINAIGRETTE
1 C Orange juice
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 Clove garlic, smashed
3 tbsp Sherry vinegar
3 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro, for garnish
Orange segments, for garnish

For the leeks: 
Heat oven to 375 F. Trim the root ends, then remove the green tops and any tough, damaged outer fronds. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse in cool water to remove the sandy soil they grow in. Pat dry and place on a roasting pan cut side up. Drizzle olive oil over the leeks, season with salt and pepper and roast until tender, 15-20 minutes.
For the vinaigrette: 
In a saucepan, add orange juice, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer until liquid is reduced by half, 5 minutes. Finish making the vinaigrette by removing the garlic from the reduced orange juice and whisking in vinegar, then olive oil. 
Assemble the dish: 
Arrange the leeks on a serving platter, drizzle several tablespoons of the vinaigrette (reserving the rest for another use), and garnish with cilantro and orange segments. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Have a great day

16 comments:

  1. Hi Jo - good luck with the hip and the back, the exercises are the important bit in the meantime. Cheers Hilary

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  2. Hopefully the exercises will help strengthen things so you don't have to have the surgery for awhile.

    I always get asked why I don't have a New England/Bostonian accent...even when I lived here the first time, since I'm a native. I have always assumed it's because my parents, aunt & Uncle, with whom I spent the most time, were from New York (well technically my dad is from S. America but I never noticed his Caribbean accent. my friends did). Then I lived out west for over 20 years and I seem to have a west coast/Canadian/midwest hybrid accent now.

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    1. Hopefully, you are right JoJo.

      It's funny how accents go and what you acquire. When I was a kid and we moved around the country because he was stationed in different places, my mother would complain I picked up every local accent I heard.

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  3. Sorry you are having issues getting through to anyone in the medical field. Maybe it's a sign that you don't need that surgery anyway.

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  4. Shame the previous surgeon is retiring, but I often think going with young doctors can be a good idea; they have a whole bit of different training I think in this new age of technology and some of them have a zeal that the older doctors don't seem to have (I get this by the length of reports an older doctor might do relative to a younger doctor who explores all options and explains them in his reports).

    betty

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    1. It is a shame, Betty, but as you say, the new guys do have more up to date technology and training as well as enthusiasm.

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  5. Such a journey you have. Good luck getting it all straightened out. Also, the pain in your back could be a direct result of your hip. Amazing the way pain migrates. I do hope you're feeling 100% soon.
    That vinaigrette sounds lovely!

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    1. Thanks Yolanda, it's beginning to. True about the back pain. Hadn't really thought of that.

      It does doesn't it?

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  6. I am glad your hip is feeling better and, as you wait, I guess the exercises will help out especially with your back. I feel I don't have an accent at all but once, years ago, when I was in Michigan visiting relatives, a family friend of their said i have a strong Canadian accent. I think he is wrong:) Hahahaaa. My mom still has her German accent but not as bad as her best friend.

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    1. They will Birgit. One doesn't hear one's own accent. When people say anything about my accent, English predominantly, my response is "I don't have an accent, this is the original sound"!! Friends of ours, he sounds Canadian, his wife sounds as though she hadn't long come from Germany and they have been here since they were 18.

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  7. Glad your hip is a little better, but hope your back follows through. A pity you can't just ring up and get things done! Would have been nice to have surgery with a familiar surgeon.
    Accents are funny. I sometimes mistake Scots and Irish accents when someone has been in Australia for quite some time and the rough edges have been softened. I can usually pick Canadian by their big hollow vowels as compared to the US more nasaly vowels. That's how I hear it.
    So you keep chomping on those leeks Jo while you get those surgeons sorted! Take care...:-)

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    1. Of course if the hip is much improved, they probably won't operate anyway Denise.

      I met some people in a store once, in the States, and asked them if they were from England, they said no from Australia. I was staggered as they spoke with a BBC English accent.

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  8. I heard you speaking on the radio in a podcast you put on your blog a couple of years ago and you sounded English to me. We've been blogging friends for almost 2 years now, Jo!

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    1. The Canadians would disagree with you Pinky. Amazing how time flies isn't it?

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