More Medical and the South, Seafood and Sun,

Tuesday I went to see the surgeon about my hip and he said he doesn’t really think its bad enough that, even though hip replacements are his favourite operation, doing one for me would give me much relief. Yes, but……. We discussed it all and the consensus was that all my other problems with spine and veins might be aggravating my hips. I really am cracking up. No, I don’t think I can dance any more, let alone do the can can. I had to pop into my family doc’s as well and reminded one of the receptionists, who comes from Georgia, that we would be going south soon and she wants boiled peanuts and grits. She said she would phone me to let me know exactly what she wants. You really have to be a southern girl to long for those items. Boiled peanuts are OK but I wouldn’t buy them, and grits are very bland, have to have butter or something added to them. I do like the recipe they have in the south of Shrimp and Grits. That is very good. Not that I have ever made it.

I was only saying to Matt the other day that we should visit T & W Oyster Bar more often this time (not sure we went at all last year) they specialise in fish of all kinds and it’s a good place to eat. Once in a while I treat myself to crab legs but not often because people, Matt included, don’t want to sit at the table forever whilst I devour every little piece of meat. I learned to eat lobster properly in a Belgian restaurant many years ago, and friends have hated waiting for me ever since whenever I am eating shellfish. They do crab legs on special at weekends at our favourite Chinese restaurant, but we rarely go to any restaurant at weekends; I don’t think I would want to take the time or even choose them in The Mandarin because the rest of the food is so good. I had a craving this week for their Hot and Sour Soup, deeelicious. I have just arranged with friends to go there for lunch on Thursday.

It amused me the other day to hear advice on the radio about sun burn and sun stroke. Considering the weather has now changed from the devastatingly hot, sunny weather we had for weeks and weeks and we now have rain and clouds, I thought they were a tad late in their advice. So many people don’t seem to know how to expose themselves to the sun. Small increments is the key. Don’t stay in the sun for more than 15-20 minutes (fair) or 30 minutes if you are darker. When you begin to get a bit of a tan you can increase the amounts of time you spend out there. A small amount of sun is good for you, Vitamin D, but the way some people go from winter skin and stay outside in boiling hot sun for hours and then complain all they do is go red, or burn; no really, I wonder why? I personally don’t advocate a lot of sunbathing either, we all know about skin cancer. As for sun stroke, that can be really un-funny. I remember my mother falling asleep on her stomach lying in the sun which was not very strong that day either, and ending up in hospital for a week with sunstroke. She was a very sick puppy.

I thought these looked absolutely delicious. I have had Vietnamese rice paper rolls and loved them. The picture looked particularly delightful I thought.

Shrimp-and-Vegetable Summer Rolls

Source: Food and Wine at Cooking.com

Vietnamese rolls stuffed with shrimp get crunch and color from yellow peppers, lettuce and carrots—which, like most orange fruits and vegetables, are high in cancer-fighting alpha carotene.
INGREDIENTS

2 cups shredded carrots

1 small red onion thinly sliced

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 garlic cloves smashed

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

16 8-inch round rice papers

16 cilantro sprigs

1 head Boston lettuce separated

1 pound cooked large shrimp halved lengthwise

2 yellow bell peppers cut into 1/4-inch strips

3 1/2 ounces bean thread vermicelli soaked in hot water until pliable and drained well

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, toss the carrots, onion, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Let stand until the vegetables soften, 30 minutes. Drain.

In a glass bowl, mix the remaining vinegar, sugar and garlic. Microwave at high power for about 30 seconds, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the fish sauce and set aside for 30 minutes; discard the garlic.

Meanwhile, soak 1 rice paper at a time in hot water until pliable, about 10 seconds; transfer to a work surface. Set a cilantro sprig and lettuce leaf on the lower third of the rice paper and top with 3 shrimp halves. Top with some of the yellow pepper, vermicelli and the pickled vegetables; roll up tightly, folding in the sides. Place the roll on a platter and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Halve the rolls and serve with the sauce for dipping.

Have a great day