Dinosaurs, Valentines, Bowling, Dinner

Apatosaurus formerly called Brontosaurus, produced a lot of wind

This post was inspired by Denise Hammond of My Life in Retirement. If you read some of the comments from yesterday's blog, we were talking about global warming and the fact that dinosaurs were responsible for a whole heap of global warming because of their flatulence. This is the source of methane gas. I Googled and it appears likely that it certainly happened at the time, but the effect is not still ongoing from what I read. "Cows today produce something like 50-100 [million tonnes] per year. Our best estimate for Sauropods is around 520 [million tonnes],"  said Dr. Wilkinson and that, I believe, is only one section of dinosaurs. It's a fascinating article from the BBC. Just as well humans didn't exist at that time, we would have been smothered by the fumes. They were not the only producers of methane gas at the time so in fact the count would have been considerably higher. Today we produce 500 million tonnes per year from every source. Do read the article, it is interesting.

Hmm, just realised it's Valentine's Day, what a topic to start off with. Sorry, I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's.

Bowling, we won 5 our of 7 points today. Our missing bowler did have a good excuse. His dad died 6 months ago and his mother at the end of January. So last Monday he was with her lawyer. So, I couldn't say nothing except sympathise. I had an 86 game to start and a 229 to finish. Go figure.

Then later I decided we were going to the Red Lobster for dinner - a Valentine's treat the day before the rush. In fact the place was pretty busy, I think everyone was there for the day before the rush. It is the beginning of Lobsterfest so we fell for it and ordered the following, Fire-Grilled Lobster and Red Shrimp - Our fire grill brings out every flavor in a tender Maritime lobster tail and a garlicky skewer of wild-caught jumbo red shrimp. Finishing touches: rice and your choice of side.I took the description from their web site. Plus I had a glass of wine, a 9 oz. glass I might say. Poor Matt will not drink even one drink when he is driving. He followed his main course with Bananas Foster Cheesecake We top our rich caramel cheesecake with fresh bananas and crunchy candied pecans. We serve it with vanilla ice cream, which slowly melts under the warm spiced-rum caramel sauce we drizzle on top. which was 1,110 calories and I ended up with my downfall, Chocolate Wave Cake - boy do I feel stuffed and I'm sure Matt does. He, of course will not gain an ounce, me, I will be terrified to step on the scales for a while.









Got home just in time to see Jeopardy - The College Tournament for the next two weeks.

Just in case you don't go out and feel like cooking at home, here is a delightful dessert.

Ricotta Crêpes with Honey, Walnuts and Rose

Cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi invented these delicate crêpes to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent, which is also called Pancake Tuesday in England. Their floral, aromatic sweetness comes from rosewater and honey, two Middle Eastern ingredients that Otttolenghi grew up with.

1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup whole milk
6 Tbs water
3 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 tsp rosewater
6 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp edible dried rose petals

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes, until browned and fragrant. Transfer to a plate to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Whisk in the milk, water and 2 eggs until a smooth batter forms. Set aside while you make the filling.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, ricotta, toasted walnuts, lemon zest, cinnamon and allspice. Stir in the 1/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons of rosewater and the remaining egg until smooth. Refrigerate the filling while you make the crêpes.

4. In a nonstick 6-inch skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter over moderately high heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of the batter into the skillet, immediately swirling the pan to evenly cover the bottom. Cook until set, about 45 seconds. Flip the crêpe and cook until lightly browned on the bottom, about 45 seconds more. Transfer the cooked crêpe to a work surface and repeat with the remaining butter and batter to make 11 more crêpes.

5. Brush a 12-by-8-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the filling into the center of a crêpe, fold in the sides and roll up into a tight tube. Transfer to the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining crêpes and filling, fitting the crêpes in the baking dish snugly in a single layer. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, until the crêpes are light golden brown and the filling is warmed through.

6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the honey and lemon juice with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of rosewater and warm over moderate heat. Drizzle the honey mixture evenly over the crêpes, then lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar and sprinkle with the rose petals. Serve the crêpes warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead:  Refrigerate the crêpes and filling separately for up to 3 days before filling and baking the crêpes.

Notes: Edible dried rose petals are available at specialty food shops and from amazon.com.

Yield: 12 crêpes

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day