Thursday, May 15, 2014

Giant Planet, The News, Bowling.

Giant PlanetScientists have found a giant planet circulating a dwarf star. This planet is further away from it’s star than has been seen before. At the moment they are not sure if it’s a planet or because it is so large, about 10 times larger than the biggest planet in our solar system, it could be a brown dwarf. I don’t pretend to be totally up on this kind of thing but I found the article interesting. The picture is an artist’s conception of the planet.

If you read the news pages at the moment, there is so much missing-girls-alberta-sistersviolence going on. For instance, having lost 247 people in the Turkish mining accident, they are protesting and the authorities are shooting. Enough life hasn’t been lost already? Girls are being kidnapped, some because they are trying to get educated others from their school in Alberta by their mother, however, the girls are believed to be in danger. It is all enough to depress anyone. Sometimes I feel like crawling under the covers and burying myself so as not to hear what’s happening.

Then there’s bowling. Wednesday we started our summer league. Our team had a very disgraceful first game, I did OK in the second and another member of the team had an excellent third game, but for the rest of the time you would have thought all four of us had never bowled before. A few bowlers didn’t turn up and we didn’t know why, others had already said they wouldn’t be there. One poor guy had to bowl all on his own.

Luckily there is asparagus.

This recipe came from the magazine put out by our local Liquor Board, and is a somewhat high falutin’ recipe. If you have access to lobster, you are OK.

Asparagus and Lobster Crêpes with Fines Herbes Hollandaise Sauce

1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed (unless it's farm fresh)
Cooked meat of 1 large lobster, or 2 lobster tails (about 1 1/2 lbs lobster before cooking)Asparagus Lobster Crepes
sprinkling of salt plus 1/2 tsp.
Fines Herbes
Hollandaise
2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed
2 Tbs lemon juice
white pepper to taste
1 Tbs fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1 Tbs fresh chives, finely chopped
1 Tbs fresh chervil, finely chopped.

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. In a large pot, steam or boil asparagus until just tender, about 10 mins, cool under cold water, drain and set aside. (If you have farm fresh asparagus it cooks in 2 minutes).
3. Coarsely chop cooked lobster, set aside
4. Prepare crêpes.
5. Divide the asparagus into 8 separate bundles. Place a bundle in each of 8 crêpes, sprinkle with salt and roll to enclose. Place asparagus in a glass baking dish, top with lobster and cover with foil. Just before serving, and no sooner, place in heated oven for 15 mins to warm through.
6. In a small saucepan over medium high heat reduce (boil) vinegar, water and 1/2 tsp salt until approximately 3 tbs remains, remove from heat.
7. Lower heat to medium-low, add yolks to pan and return to heat, whisking constantly until foamy and lightly thickened. Make sure not to scramble eggs; if the eggs begin to cook too quickly pull off the heat and whisk vigorously to cool slightly before continuing.
8. Begin to whisk butter into pan 1 cube at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated, whisk in lemon juice, white pepper and fresh herbs. Use immediately.
9. Place two asparagus crêpes on each plate and top each with some of the warmed lobster. Spoon hollandaise overtop, serve immediately

Servings: 4

Source: Food and Drink Spring 2010

Have a great day
Jo

15 comments:

  1. The situation with the mining accident is just sad.

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    1. Isn't it? More are still trapped apparently.

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  2. I avoid the news and paper. I check in on CNN and a few other sites in Seattle and Boston but I pick and choose what info I read, so I am not up on some stories like Turkey, Ukraine and the girls that were kidnapped in Africa.

    Access to lobstah? Living on Cape Cod it's a staple food but it's extremely expensive. My guy hauls it from a place in Pocasset out to a big store in upstate NY called Price Choppers, and sometimes to Logan Airport in Boston. If he asks them for a couple to bring home (provided he's coming right home), they always give him some. But I'm allergic to it....even when he cooks it in the house I have allergy issues. If he ever stops trucking, he said he's gonna start putting his pots back in the Canal again and catch them.

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    1. We get news on TV or the radio during the day. Hear it as the day goes by.

      Right, I am on my way to visit. Lobstah is my favourite food of all. Sorry you are allergic, I'm so glad I'm not. Never got to Cape Cod, Plymouth though.

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  3. Drat, I just lost my whole comment - don't know what I did!!!!!

    I simply love fresh asparagus - I've had it several times in Germany at this time of year .... It's called Spargel in German and during May and early June there are signs outside every restaurant advertising fresh Spargel. We'll be there early in June so I'm hoping there's some still left for us :) We can get it hear, but only imported and by then it's a few days old.

    The news is so sad and heartbreaking all the time .... I can't take it .... Mostly I try to only listen to the headlines once a day - between stupid celebrities and even stupider politicians a lot of the time it feels like the news channels are just looking for disaster to feed on. I feel so sad for the families of those young girls in Africa and the miners ... Sometimes I think it was better when the news wasn't quite so immediate.

    Anyway, as you say, there is always asparagus :) I've never tried lobster, but next time we get to New England it is something I must have a go at.

    Fil

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    1. Don't you live in the British Isles? You should be able to find a place which grows fresh asparagus surely? I understand the Germans eat a lot of white asparagus. Never had lobster, I am astounded, there again, I used to get it when I lived in the UK. You shouldn't have to wait til you get over here.

      I think you are right, news immediacy doesn't help

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  4. I'm not a huge fan of asparagus or bowling, but, well, we know what cheers me up. If only I could find a healthy pick-me-up. Summer fruits are coming soon.

    Take care.
    xoRobyn

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  5. Hi human, Jo,

    My human is well into space discoveries. Also heard about a mysterious object evidently circling our sun.

    That situation is Turkey was an outrageous travesty that could of been prevented with proper safer measures instead of cost cutting.

    My human, when he moves, shall take a photo of his five pin bowling trophy and pawst it up. Like you, he loves bowling.

    Thanks for the recipe and have a good day, eh.

    Pawsitive wishes,

    Penny :)

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    1. I missed the bit about the object circling our sun. Unfortunately money takes precedence with a lot of these people so they think they can get away with it.

      Will be glad to see the trophy. We don't do trophies any more just a moderate cash prize and I do mean moderate. Pity he moved where 5 pin isn't.

      Hope your human can get the lobster to try it. I am pawsitive it's delicious. A good day to you too, eh.

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  6. Sometimes having immediate news does not give us time to think about it and what is worse, so many times there is nothing we can do which makes us feel more helpless in the face of misery and heartache. But taking pleasure in small things helps--cooking for example and perhaps helping a friend or bowling with friends.

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    1. The helplessness is the worst part I agree. Not much else one can do other than helping a friend or having fun with something you like doing.

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  7. While I would love this, my husband thinks asparagus is about the most disgusting vegetable of all.

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    1. That's such a pity. Luckily Matt and I basically like the same things. There are a few things he doesn't eat, but it is only a few.

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