Sputnik, The Dish, Matt's Skin Cancer Op.

On Sunday, Oct. 4, I discovered it was the 58th anniversary of Sputnik. This was the beginning of the Space Race and what gave the US the incentive to rush ahead and start launching rockets although the Russians launched the first manned rocket carrying Yuri Gargarin which made a single orbit of the earth in 1961. Funnily enough we watched The Dish again, which is a favourite movie of mine. It's background is the participation of Australia and their main satellite dish situated in Parkes, in the launch of Apollo 11 and the first landing of a man on the moon - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin - in 1969, July 20. I just found a disavowal from the actual main tracking station in Australia which debunks the movie The Dish, but admits it is a comedy although wildly inaccurate.  I still think it's a great movie and I thoroughly enjoy it every time I watch it.

Today, being Monday, Matt gets to shower for the first time after his operation. He is to take off all his dressings and then we have to put Polysporin and new dressings on, but not such elaborate ones. I will be interested to see his wounds, particularly those on his leg. The surgeon did a skin flap on his leg. I am not perfectly sure what that is or how it differs from a skin graft. I guess I will find out.

 Luckily I have all kinds of dressing materials which was given to me when I had my hip done and when I tried to return it they didn't want it back. He will end up with a bandaid on his forehead but a gauze dressing on his leg. I will also find out when she wants to see him again, it says 5-7 days on the instruction sheet. We assume he can drive, but don't know, and as she didn't do the graft, we are wondering if he can bowl after all. Luckily he has had little or no pain (where there's no sense there's no feeling maybe?) which is great. They gave him a pain control leaflet and I was surprised to see that they now say addiction to pain medications is unlikely and only about 1% of patients get addicted.  I think docs in England knew that before they did here, I know we used to have to practically twist the arm of our family doctor to get Tylenol 3. I remember they did a research in England and found that even with very strong drugs, once the necessity for them had gone, the patients mostly did not get addicted. I have had a lot of problems with making him keep his leg elevated. I really had to nag him at first.

I would also like to say thank you everyone, from both Matt and I, for the well wishes which poured in from everyone. You have all been so very kind and we are very appreciative.

Sunday lunchtime, around 12:30, we were eating and suddenly the phone went. An Unknown Number. Why on earth do these people call at that time of day? If they weren't political or advertising I assume they would leave a message. I get so teed off - we have a phone for our convenience, not theirs.

I don't eat potatoes very often, I am not all that keen on the ones available in this part of the world, and the ones I do enjoy are not cooked in a calorie conscious manner. Like fries or roasted for instance. However, the picture for this recipe piqued my interest, although as you will see, the calorie count on this dish (which I left in) is very high too.

Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

Emily Weinstein New York Times

• Yield 6 servings

 This golden and glorious mash-up of potato gratin and Hasselback potatoes, from the acclaimed food science writer J. Kenji López-Alt, has been engineered to give you both creamy potato and singed edge in each bite. The principal innovation here is placing the sliced potatoes in the casserole dish vertically, on their edges, rather than laying them flat as in a standard gratin, in order to get those crisp ridges on top. Allow extra time for the task of slicing the potatoes, for which it's helpful to have a mandoline (though not necessary, strictly speaking). And do buy extra potatoes, just in case; you want to pack the potatoes tightly and keep them standing up straight.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces finely grated Gruyère or comté cheese
• 2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 to 4 ½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick on a mandoline slicer (7 to 8 medium, see note)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    659 calories; 40 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 140 milligrams cholesterol; 278 milligrams sodium
  Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
  
  

Preparation

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Transfer 1/3 of cheese mixture to a separate bowl and set aside. Add cream, garlic and thyme to cheese mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add potato slices and toss with your hands until every slice is coated with cream mixture, making sure to separate any slices that are sticking together to get the cream mixture in between them.
2. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter. Pick up a handful of potatoes, organizing them into a neat stack, and lay them in the casserole dish with their edges aligned vertically. Continue placing potatoes in the dish, working around the perimeter and into the center until all the potatoes have been added. The potatoes should be very tightly packed. If necessary, slice an additional potato, coat with cream mixture, and add to casserole. Pour the excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over the potatoes until the mixture comes halfway up the sides of the casserole. You may not need all the excess liquid.
3. Cover dish tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is pale golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and return to oven. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp on top, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven, let rest for a few minutes, and serve.

Tip

• Because of variation in the shape of potatoes, the amount of potato that will fit into a single casserole dish varies. Longer, thinner potatoes will fill a dish more than shorter, rounder potatoes. When purchasing potatoes, buy a few extra in order to fill the dish if necessary. Depending on exact shape and size of potatoes and casserole dish, you may not need all of the cream mixture.

Have a great day