GALE, Haka, Bears, Pumpkin Death.

Yesterday I had my attention drawn, by Sam Champion the meteorologist on GMA, to an innovation called GALE which, if you read the article, is a damned expensive and expendable gadget for giving forecasters more information on hurricanes – they cost $30,000 a shot. As someone commented on Facebook, and I quote - If we are launching one of these every 12 hours during the life of a hurricane, we will be dropping approximately $500K to tell people what they already know: "This is a wicked big storm. Get the hell off of the beach!"

On TV yesterday afternoon, there was a rugger (rugby) match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Argentinians. As usual, the All Blacks did their Haka before the game started which I why I personally watched. I love to see them do their war chant to frighten the enemy. This video I found on YouTube gives a translation of what they are actually chanting. http://youtu.be/tdMCAV6Yd0Y I also watched a bit of the game, not that I really know anything about the rules, but I do know that when they get into a scrum, they can almost have their ears ripped off. As a young woman I used to hang out with a bunch of rugby players and they would come to parties with all kinds of bumps and bruises and I see they still do not wear protective padding. Man are those players tough and very impressive when you watch them.

Sad little story of a mother bear with three cubs, two of whom had to be rescued from a dumpster at a school. The cubs will be rehabilitated, but it is apparently too late in the season to relocate the family so the mother will have to be killed because she has become too used to getting food from garbage. This happened in Coquitlam, BC and people are recommended to keep their trash secure as more and more bears are using garbage dumpsters for food and more and more are having to be killed because of this. In the picture you can just see the cubs’ eyes  but not much else.

Another story both stupid and tragic, cyclists in Gatineau, Quèbec saw teens stealing a pumpkin from outside a door, attempted to intervene and the man was severely injured by the 19 yr. old which resulted in death – over a pumpkin??? The young man has been charged with manslaughter. An unbelievable story.

Talking of pumpkin, I don’t think I have any pumpkin soup left. That being so I will have to make some as it is one of our favourites. I have published the recipe before, but maybe you would like it again. It is particularly delicious and for a party, it is very impressive served in a cleaned out pumpkin which acts as an insulator to keep the soup warm. The only time I have seen this done (other than doing it myself) was at the Yacht Club in the island of Malta when my parents lived there in the late ‘60s.

Pumpkin Soup - Time Life

1/2 oz butter
2  Tbs finely chopped onion
2 Cups cooked Pumpkin
1 UK pt  chicken stock
1 UK pt Half and half 
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice 
2-3 drops Tabasco
1/2 tsp salt

1. If using fresh pumpkin, cook it til mushy. If using canned, drain.

2. In a heavy 5 pt. saucepan, melt butter over mod. heat. When the foam subsides cook onion for 2 to 3 mins, stirring, until they are transparent but not brown. Add the pumpkin, stock, cloves, sugar,. lemon juice, Tabasco and salt. Stir thoroughly to blend all the ingredients

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to its lowest point and cook the soup, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins. Then purée the soup. Stir in the half and half and return the soup to a pan to reheat without boiling. Taste for seasoning.

4. Can be garnished with croutons and served hot, or served chilled with slices of chilled, peeled orange.

Servings: 4

Source: Time Life US Book.

Have a great day