Lost Snake, Egg Report, New Book, Guy Fawkes.

An article caught my eye yesterday, there is a 3 ft. long King Snake loose in a Toronto apartment building. Somebody lost their pet. In fact it is not a venomous snake, but even so, if you read the article http://tinyurl.com/22t6upn I too would be stupid enough to worry about using the toilet. I would think there should be a ban on keeping reptiles in an apartment block. The law does not permit landlords to ban pets so I suppose this comes under the same heading.

There is a new report out in Canada which says eggs are not as good for you as has been previously said and they are loaded with cholesterol. In the article http://tinyurl.com/25zbaof they are compared with a double down, but as I haven’t a clue what this is, its not a very valid comparison for me. I tend to eat around 2 or 3 eggs a week so I don’t think I am at major risk, but the report says you should not eat an egg a day.

Yesterday I had an email from Brandon Sanderson talking about the new book Towers of Midnight which is the penultimate book in the Wheel of Time series written by Robert Jordan who unfortunately died before he could complete the series. There has already been one new book The Gathering Storm, written by Brandon and this is the second; one more to go. I am guessing that will take at least another year before it is published. Brandon has been busy writing a major novel of his own, the first of which is already out and which I have blogged about before The Way of Kings

Oops, I nearly forgot, this is the day when the English remember Guy Fawkes who tried to blow up the houses of parliament.

Remember, remember the 5th of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot

Guy Fawkes is (or was) burned in effigy all over England with large bonfires and lots of fireworks. A pretty ghoulish practice when you come down to it. However, it was always a fun evening. We used to cook potatoes around the fire which usually ended up burnt on one side and raw on the other. Only way to eat 'em! Sausages too, but we were more careful with those.

French Onion Soup is very popular in Canada and is served in many restaurants. Here, Eating Well have made it into a full meal by adding chickpeas. There are actually quite a few extra ingredients compared to the classic recipe.

Quick French Onion Soup

From EatingWell: May/June 2008

French onion soup is a favorite but it usually isn't substantial enough to make a complete meal. We've solved this problem by adding fiber-rich chickpeas to a broth flavored with sherry and three kinds of onions. Of course, we didn't forget the gooey topping, we've just made it a little lighter and a lot easier to prepare at home—simply top toasted whole-wheat bread with cheese and pour the soup on to melt it.

6 servings,

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 large sweet onions, sliced

2 cups chopped spring onions, or leeks, whites and light green parts only

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup dry sherry, (see Ingredient Note)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

3 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium beef broth

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

1/4 cup minced fresh chives, or scallions

6 slices whole-wheat country bread

1 cup shredded Gruyère, or fontina cheese

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sweet onions and stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add spring onions (or leeks), garlic and thyme and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Stir in sherry and pepper; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth and chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chives (or scallions).
3. Meanwhile, toast bread and divide it among 6 bowls; top with cheese. Ladle the soup over the bread and cheese and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving : 374 Calories; 10 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 20 mg Cholesterol; 48 g Carbohydrates; 18 g Protein; 6 g Fiber; 591 mg Sodium; 555 mg Potassium

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat

Tips & Notes

Ingredient note: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don't use the “cooking sherry” sold in many supermarkets—it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, purchase dry sherry that's sold with other fortified wines in your wine or liquor store.