Carpal Tunnel,

Matt thinks I should give my blog a rest for a while as I am suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome at the moment. Obviously keyboarding doesn't help, but I think bowling could be an even worse culprit and I ain't giving that up. I left a message for my non-existent doctor that I would like to see someone about it. Once upon a time I did see a local surgeon and he put me on diuretics because he said it was fluid pressure on the wrist, however, these days I can't take diuretics so, unfortunately, I might have to have something done. So if I am not around much you will know why that is. Don't forget to cross your fingers for us tomorrow morning when we bowl in our Executive Tournament. Marilyn Tomlins of French Marilyn's Blog (see link this page) suggested as I am going to a pig tail and schnitzel dinner tonight, I should post a recipe for pig tails. I haven't cooked pig tails in years as they are not exactly diet food in anyone's book. However, this one below sounds pretty good. The interesting thing to me is that I didn't realise we Brits ate pig tails and really hadn't come across them until I came to this part of Ontario where there is so much German influence. We used to buy them from a local store where they had already been marinated in fruit juices and then cook them on the barbecue. However, M and M's, the local store, doesn't seem to sell them any more not that we have a regular barbecue these days. Crispy Pig's Tail Submitted to Cookit by: Fergus Henderson Comments: Fergus Henderson says: 'At other times I have sung the praises of how the pig's snout and belly both have that special lipsticking quality of fat and flesh merging, but this occurs in no part of the animal as wonderfully as on the tail. You must ask your butcher for long tails.' Number of servings: 4 This recipe was submitted by: Fergus Henderson, Chef and owner of St John Restaurant, London and author of the award-winning book ‘Nose to Tail Eating: A Kind of British Cooking’. Ingredients * 8 long pig's tails * 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped * 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped * 2 sticks of celery, chopped * a bundle of fresh herbs * 3 bay leaves * 10 black peppercorns * 1 head of garlic * zest of 1 lemon * ½ bottle of red wine * 1.1 (2 pints) litres chicken or light stock * 2 x 15ml spoons (tablespoons) English mustard * 4 eggs, whisked together * 450g (1lb) seasoned flour * 225g (9oz) fine white * breadcrumbs * a large knob of butter Making and cooking it 1. Place the tails in an oven dish with the vegetables; add herbs, peppercorns, garlic, lemon zest, and wine, and cover with the stock 2. Cover with tinfoil, place in a medium oven, and cook for 3 hours, checking on it so it does not cook too fast; when done you should be able to easily pinch through the flesh 3. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool in the stock, but remove the tails before it turns to jelly and drain any excess liquid off them (you can refrigerate them at this point) 4. When they're cold and firm, mix together the mustard and eggs and have ready three bowls: flour, egg and mustard, and breadcrumbs 5. Dust them with flour, roll them in the egg and mustard mix, and finally coat them in the breadcrumbs so that they are well covered (do this just before you cook, otherwise the crumbs will go soggy) 6. Get a large ovenproof frying pan or roasting tray hot, add the butter, and when sizzling add the tails and roll them around (watch out, they can and will spit - be very careful) 7. Place in a hot oven for 10 minutes, then turn them over, making sure there is enough butter, and roast for another 10 minutes, keeping an eye on them so they do not burn 8. Serve hot with watercress or red mustard salad. Some may like a spot of malt or red wine vinegar on their tails. Encourage the use of fingers and much gnawing of the bone. Have a great weekend.