Bidets, Weekend News, Books

Why don’t we have bidets in North America? Come to that, why don’t we have them in the UK? I think they are an eminently sensible part of one’s bathroom and had one installed in a house I lived in in England. Only trouble was, the water flow wasn’t reliable and one could end up scorching or freezing oneself. I remember the first time I saw a bidet, staying with a family in France, and being sure they were foot baths until my parents disabused me when I came home. They have them in France and Portugal, that I know of, and I can’t help wondering why this extremely hygienic practice hasn’t spread. Obviously, from the picture, which I couldn’t resist, it has other uses too.

A young woman named Amy Winehouse died over the weekend, I first heard about it on Facebook and I had no idea who she was. Although I have since seen a biographical segment I still have never heard of her. Matt said he had and that when she was younger she had a wonderful voice. What a waste.

Re the Norway bombing and shootings, the reports say the gunman wanted a revolution. Not sure how he figured he could bring that about by killing something like 93 people – quite a few more wounded too. So dreadful to attack children although he doesn’t seem to have been very old himself.

I have just started reading Kings of the North by Elizabeth Moon, it is the latest in the Paksenarrion books. The last one I read was Oath of Fealty which was a few years ago, so I have problems recalling who everyone was and what they did. The principal characters OK, but some of the others, difficult. I always enjoy Elizabeth Moon’s books, one of my favourites was a stand alone called The Speed of Dark which was about autism but with a fantasy twist to it. My other favourite was a “first contact” novel Remnant Population which I bought for my Kindle so I could have a copy of it.

Sunday I made a chilled spiced Indian tomato soup which I hadn’t tried before, it is delicious and so here is the recipe. It is quite different to a regular tomato soup.

Indian Spiced Chilled Tomato Soup

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cayenne
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp salt
1 (28-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
1? cups low-fat or non-fat plain yogurt
1 Tbs fresh lime juice

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add cardamom, cumin, and cayenne; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in onion, garlic, and salt; reduce the heat to medium and cook until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Add tomatoes and their juices, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes.

5. Remove from the heat.

6. Cool briefly and then stir in yogurt and lime juice.

7. Transfer half of the tomato mixture to a blender and puree until smooth; pour into a large bowl.

8. Repeat with remaining tomato mixture; pour into the bowl.

9. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

10. Serve chilled

Servings: 4

Author: Healthy Recipes
Source: South Beach Diet

Author Notes
Wonderfully aromatic, cardamom adds a distinct and delicious Indian flavour to this tasty soup, which is also good served warm in cooler months.

Have a great day.