Charities, Blanket Repair, Foot Nurse, Artichokes, End of July,

Just went and cleared out our mailbox, not sure when I last went down, but it was very full. Amongst other things, we received an appeal from World Wildlife Fund and Canadian Parks and Wildlife Service mostly suggestion maybe I could leave something in my will. Unfortunately I have nothing to give now and probably nothing to leave in my will either. I would support them financially as much as I could if I had the money. Especially WWF which has been my charity of choice for a number of years.

Ladydog came with Zoey and brought lunch again. Afterwards we chatted for a while and then she produced her crochet hook and some wool and we went into Matt's bedroom and she hooked the hole in his blanket so it is in one piece again. It didn't take her very long at all, I really should learn how to crochet again, a very useful talent.

After she had gone we waited a while and then our Foot Nurse arrived. Now our feet are all pretty again. This time I paid her electronically which is so much easier than a cheque. She did cut one of my toes and put a bandaid on it. Insisted I call her if anything went wrong. Hopefully it won't.

Absolutely nothing scheduled tomorrow although they are supposed to be getting some more artichokes at the grocery store, I hope. Fingers crossed.

I just did the schedule for this blog, the end of July. This year seems to be racing past to me. Monday is Civic Holiday so everyone will be at home, well, most people except those who work in 24 hour places. People often talk about nurses, police, firemen, but you never hear them say prison officers but they too cover 24 hours a day and in a pretty dangerous job too. I know, Matt was one once upon a time.

I made this recipe for supper tonight. It really was quite delicious. I think next time though I will make it with chicken thighs instead of breasts. As there was quite a lot of chicken, I cooked that in a frying pan first and then tipped it into the pot once it was ready. I was quite pleased I used up two chicken breasts which were not skinned and boned. I did that myself, pain in the you know what. I also used my last skinned and boned one too so now have no chicken breasts left.

Instant Pot Orange Chicken

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbs canola oil
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs grated ginger
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 Tbs rice wine
4 cloves garlic minced
1 orange zested
2 Tbs fresh chopped parsley

1. Chop your chicken breast into small cubes.

2. Pour oil into your Instant Pot and press “Sauté”.

3. Add chicken cubes and cook for 5 minutes, until they brown. Stir constantly to make them brown on each side.

4. Add orange juice, tomato sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, rice wine, garlic and orange zest and stir.

5. Close the lid and cook at high pressure for about 5 minutes.

6. Once done, do a quick pressure release.

7. Open the lid and press “Sauté” again.

8. Add cornstarch to thicken the sauce and stir. If the chicken has dried too much, add some more orange juice.

9. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the sauce has reached the desired texture with no lumps.

10. Add the Chicken to a serving bowl, sprinkle with fresh parsley on top and serve with rice.

Servings: 6

Source: Corrie Cooks

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

PSWs, Errands, Artichokes, Visitors, Doctors,

Well, it seems we now have a PSW routine with Hassan most days and Biji when he is away. Fine except I miss George with whom I used to speak Spanish. Hassan got me to buy some special cream for Matt. Cost me $18 but he appears to need it. I think he is also suffering from bed sores except they are lounger sores. Told him it would happen but I guess he forgot about it. He knows now. I got bed sores when I was in hospital so I know how painful they can be.

Had a successful afternoon. Went to the store and got my artichokes, I had actually asked them to save me 4 but ended up with 6. I shall have to force myself to eat them! Then went to the liquor store and walked straight in. Got what I wanted and headed for the bank which is a few minutes drive away. No queue there either. Must be my lucky day. I had stolen Matt's wheelie (walker) as it is so much easier to put in the trunk but in fact I never needed it. Just managed with a cane as there were so few people about. Got back home a lot quicker than I expected. Just remembered I forgot to check the mail which I intended to do when I returned. Not really expecting anything.

I had looked up methods of cooking artichokes in the Instant Pot. of course, my little pot would only take 2 at a time. I found a recipe which was straight forward. It suggested adding aromatics to the water, I thought it was a waste of time but decided to try it. I was right, it was a waste of time. However, the artichokes came out fine. I decided to cook all of them and keep them in the fridge. Of course I ate a couple of them already. In case you wonder, Matt doesn't like them. Too fiddly for him same as bones in food or shells on shrimp or crabs. Lazy. I really enjoyed the two I ate. I forgot to ask where they came from, sorry. Maybe, if I remember, I will phone the produce dept. tomorrow and ask.

Ladydog and Zoey are coming tomorrow so that is something we will both enjoy. Matt will stuff the dog with biscuits as fast as he can though, doesn't save the pleasure and spread it out. The last about 5 minutes I think. We are having Subs again tomorrow and then next week going to the Red Lobster.

Tomorrow afternoon I have a phone consultation with the family doc. re getting Matt's prescription renewed. Reminds me, on Saturday I have a phone consult with the cardiologist to whom I have been referred.

Another recipe I must try. I love the chive flower as garnish.

Strawberry, Tomato and Fennel Gazpacho

One 7-inch piece of baguette, crust removed
2 lbs tomatoes, 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest chopped
2 lbs strawberries, hulled and 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest chopped
1 large green bell pepper, 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest chopped
1/4 medium fennel bulb, 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sparkling mineral water
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. (You will need about 1 cup.) Scatter the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes, or until crisp. Let cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, strawberries and bell pepper with the sliced fennel, mineral water, garlic and bread cubes and, working in 2 batches, puree in a food processor. Strain the gazpacho through a fine sieve set over another large bowl. Season the gazpacho with salt. Refrigerate for about 25 minutes, or until chilled.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, strawberries, pepper and fennel. Refrigerate until chilled.

4. Spoon the diced mixture into shallow soup bowls and ladle the gazpacho on top. Drizzle each bowl of soup with olive oil and serve.

Servings: 8

Tips  The gazpacho and the diced-vegetable garnish can be refrigerated separately for up to 6 hours.

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe
.

Physiotherapist, Lunching Out, Artichokes,

Matt's legs seem to have degenerated this week and when the therapist came this afternoon, he found Matt's legs were painful but not as they were. After lots of examination and discussion, I mentioned the pills he had been given three/four weeks ago. He looked them up on his phone/tablet and read out the possible effects. Turns out that shakiness, weakness and pain were part of the adverse reactions which could be experienced. Between us we decided I should ask the doctor about it. However, I phoned and couldn't get to speak with the doc. although I have a call booked for Thursday afternoon. I then tried the pharmacist who grudgingly agreed maybe I should stop them. Not someone I know at our pharmacy, he kindly pointed out that the physiotherapist was NOT a doctor. Fancy that!! Matt's legs have degenerated in the last 3 days, that I have noticed, and after reading the reactions, I have definitely decided to stop the pills again. They are an anti-depressant and Yung said there were other pills that  didn't have the same side effects. I still believe they make him a bit more confused too.

Kathy picked up our groceries this morning and stopped for a coffee. She is off camping tomorrow. In tents. Never done that and sure couldn't do it these days, not unless we had camp beds as well. I tried to arrange we all went out to lunch - ladydog too -  but in the end ladydog decided we would be too close to each other. Pity, I would like them to meet. She also suggested I ask Red Lobster about Matt not wearing a mask. The staff there said they thought they had to accept someone without a mask for medical reasons. However, they said the manager was away for a day or two and they wanted to check with him to be absolutely certain. Mind you, right now, I don't think he could walk into the restaurant anyway.

Oh yes, Hilary, I am getting some artichokes tomorrow. They ordered them for me and said to call and check this evening so I did. They guy checked his list and said yes, he had a box of 30 artichokes. I said I didn't think I could eat that many. He assured me I didn't have to LOL. Anyway, I am going in tomorrow to get them. Whoopee. I figure it is about 18 months or thereabouts since I last had any. Figure I can do the bank as well.

I really need to try this, sounds delicious.

Peanut Butter Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin
fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs peanut butter
1/4 tso ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pineapple preserves

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Trim fat from tenderloin.

3. Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper to taste.

4. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or aluminium foil.

5. Mix the soy sauce, peanut butter, red pepper and minced garlic together.

6. Spread mixture over pork loin.

7. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from oven.

9. Carefully spread pineapple preserves on top of pork loin.

10. Bake another 10 minutes or until meat reaches 150°F

11. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Servings: 4

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Artichokes, Shopping, Masks,

Maybe I am becoming, or already am, a crotchety old woman. Hilary said I should remember that a

lot of these youngsters in the stores, haven't had our European background, or, come to that, travelled very far anyway. Turns out they don't have my artichokes after all although the young man yesterday assured me they did and he would save me some!!! Now they are going to try and order them for me for next week on my shopping day. It's gotta be 18 months since I last had one. I was really looking forward to getting some today, boo hoo. Not only that, I just ate my penultimate fresh asparagus. I remember when I visited a French family in my teens and they had artichokes for a meal, don't remember which, probably dinner, and I didn't like them. In hindsight, they were some of the best I had ever seen and would love to go back to that table again. Not sure when I started to like them. In England we were only getting puny chokes as it wasn't long after WWII. The staff in PC Express probably don't know what they are anyway. That department was so good before Covid, then they employed extra staff who don't seem to know their rear ends from their elbows.

This afternoon I went to the grocery store and picked up the items they had forgotten. I also got some individual meringue nests so I will try dessert with them. If they don't work, I can always break them up and make some Eton Mess. They were given to me "on the house". I then decided to go to Victoria St. Market. Only trouble is they have started working on the road and it took forever with one lane closed on either side. Shouldn't have gone, I was only going to check for strawberries. Not only do they sell very expensive bananas, their strawberries are very expensive. too. I bought a Sirloin steak which was quite large as well as a box of Cevapcici (Yugoslavian, to me anyway). I looked at their asparagus out of interest, they were selling a bunch for the same price as I pay for 2.5 lbs. at Barrie's, of course, they aren't selling any more this year.

It is now mandatory in our town to wear masks in public places which, of course, includes inside apartment buildings. So, from Monday on, we have to wear masks in the halls, the laundry rooms, the lobby, the garbage room, etc. etc. I joked with my new cleaner who lives next door that she would need a mask to get from her door to mine. Of course the PSWs all wear masks but I had to ensure that Kathy would wear one when she comes. ladydog always does although Zoey does not. Of course Matt won't wear a mask for love nor money, but I phoned the Community Response and Behaviour Social Worker and she said that that was a good question and she would check what the law was regarding dementia patients. Turns out that the hubbies of two other women also will not wear a mask. Both dementia patients. Not sure if it's stubborn men or the dementia. I see a notice downstairs someone selling masks.

When ladydog was here yesterday she mentioned a potato salad she had made recently and how delicious it was. Needless to say, I asked for the recipe.

Herbed Potato Salad

• Author: Cookie and Kate Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Total Time: 25 minutes
  
• Yield: 6 side servings

This healthy potato salad recipe is full of fresh flavor. It’s mayo-free, easy to make, and sure to be a hit at your potluck! This salad is vegan, egg free and gluten free.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus about 2 tablespoons more for garnish
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped green onions, plus about 2 tablespoons thinly sliced for garnish
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 stalks celery, chopped

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven combine sliced potatoes and salt. Cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are easily pierced by a paring knife and pulled out with little resistance, about 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain. Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, ⅓ cup parsley, ⅓ cup green onions, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic and freshly ground black pepper. Process until the herbs and garlic have been chopped into little pieces. Then, while running the food processor, pour in the reserved cooking water and process just until blended. (If you don’t have a food processor or blender, just finely chop the parsley and onions and whisk the dressing together until the oil is fully incorporated.)
4. Drizzle the potatoes with the herbed olive oil mixture and gently mix to combine. (It will look like you’ve poured in too much dressing, but don’t worry, the potatoes will soak it up!) Let the potatoes rest for ten minutes, gently tossing every few minutes.
5. Add the celery to the bowl, along with a couple tablespoons each of additional chopped parsley and green onions. Toss again. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. This salad is best served within a few hours, but will keep in the refrigerator for about three days.

Recipe roughly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook and The Sprouted Kitchen Bowl and Spoon.

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Apollo 11, Laptop, Bowling, Silver, Artichokes,

50 years ago this week, I was on my father's boat in Yugoslavia. On July 17th John (my first husband) and I had to leave to go back to England. We got into the cab and the first thing we were asked was did we have a TV on the boat. No, we didn't. On the cab radio they were broadcasting the moon walk, in English of course, but their local station was overriding it in the local language so we had difficulty hearing it but I remember the excitement we felt. Of course, when we got back to the UK we saw all the pictures on TV. Incredible that it was 50 years ago and nobody has tried to go back. The TV here has been inundated with programmes about going to the moon and one thing someone said at the time, we would put men on Mars before the end of the century. What a disappointment that is. Finally they are building a new rocket to go back to the moon.

Not had a lot of time to do anything with my new laptop yet. It is up and running but I haven't installed any external programmes on it, I am delighted with it though. It is a 14 inch Hewlett Packard Snowflake. Smaller than my previous laptop. I haven't had time to install much on it yet, probably have to work on it over the weekend.

Went bowling this afternoon, I was thrilled to bowl one 158 game which I haven't done since before I went into hospital. I foolishly hoped all three of my games would be the same, no such luck, but my scores weren't that bad. We were apparently bowling against the top team and ended up taking the first and last game from them. Not bad considering the other two members of the team are not all that interested in team standings.

Thursday ladydog is bringing subs for lunch and then we are going to clean silver. There's quite a lot of it, big job. She and Sue offered to "chop carrots" for me and I said doing the silver would be much more helpful LOL. Unfortunately Sue is a working girl so it's just ladydog and me.

Had to go into the grocery store on the way home as I hadn't received a couple of things on my order. The store is a total mess at the moment because they are building this Starbucks. I checked out the Produce Department too and was delighted to find Artichokes, haven't had any for ages, the store just hasn't been getting them. I splurged and bought four. I love those things.

I thought this recipe looked good although using Saffron is an expensive proposition.

Persian Roasted Chicken with Dried Cherry-Saffron Rice

Anoosh Shariat, the executive chef at Park Place on Main in Louisville, Kentucky, likes to use

supertart dried sour cherries in this buttery, exotically fragrant rice dish. But raisins, dates or pecans are also delicious.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp saffron threads, crushed
6 lbs chicken breasts, thighs and legs, with skin, on the bone
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Water
2 cups basmati rice
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup dried sour cherries (4 ounces)
2 Tbs sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, onion, lemon juice, cumin and half of the saffron. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and turn to coat. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

2. Drain the chicken, scraping off the onion and saffron and transfer it to a large metal roasting pan. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 25 minutes longer, or until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the rice and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the rice in a colander and shake out any excess water. In a small bowl, dissolve the remaining saffron in 1 tablespoon of water. Return the rice to the saucepan and stir in the saffron water.

4. In a small skillet, melt the butter with the dried sour cherries and sugar. Spoon one third of the rice into a buttered 2-quart soufflé dish. Top with half of the sour cherries and slivered almonds. Cover with half of the remaining rice and the remaining sour cherries and almonds. Top with a final layer of rice and pour any remaining butter on top. Cover the soufflé dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes (while the chicken is baking), or until the rice is tender, light and fluffy.

5. Preheat the broiler when the rice is done. Broil the chicken, skin side down, for 2 minutes. Turn the chicken and broil until the skin is browned and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Pour the pan juices into a warm gravy boat. Serve the chicken with the rice, passing the pan juices at the table.

Servings: 6

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day
 

Top Tomato, M & M Meats, Movies

As I mentioned yesterday, I joined Matt on his shopping expedition at the crack of dawn, well seems like that to me to go shopping at 7 a.m., and amongst other things, I came across a “family pack” of small artichokes, 12 for around $6 as opposed to two larger ones for $8 although I must admit the larger ones did look delicious. When we were home I cooked the little ones so I could have some for my lunch. Much to my surprise I discovered they were grown in Markham, Ontario. I had no idea artichokes could be grown in Canada, to me they are a product of warmer climes (mostly from California here) although it can get pretty warm here in the summer. I Googled the name of the grower and found an article in The Star all about it. The grower’s name is Dominic DeFilippis and he was born here, but is of Italian descent. The company is Top Tomato Foods and they have been in business with more usual crops for a number of years, they have only recently branched out into experiments with such things as artichokes. One thing in the Star article, the author mentioned eating artichokes and dipping the leaves in melted butter, new one on me, I have always used a good vinaigrette sauce although these days I tend to use a bought Italian salad dressing which works very well.

I remember Markham, Ontario for its acres and acres of black soil where there is an inordinate amount of farming carried out. At the end of the article in the Star it states that the land the DeFillippis are renting may well be sold for housing. God forbid. What a dreadful waste of wonderful farming land. If you look at their site, they grow many other things and market Zucchini Blossoms which I have not seen for years. You can do all kinds of wonderful things with them, not least of which is to stuff them. They are delicious. I don’t know where these are sold locally, if at all, but I will be looking out for them.

In the afternoon, we went to M & M Meats, an interesting store which sells all kinds of frozen pre-made foods, if you click on the link it will give you some idea of what they sell. I was actually after a Carrot Cake, however whilst there we decided to try one of their pizzas. It was a thin crust with tomatoes, basil and cheese. We cooked it for supper and it was very enjoyable. I think I will buy some more and keep them in the freezer for a quick meal. M & M’s started around the time we first came to Canada some 36 years ago and have been very successful. They have quite a fantastic range of foods, not all of which we have tried, not all of those we have tried do I like. In fact we have bought teriyaki sirloin steaks which I found horribly sweet – Matt thought they were OK. We have bought other sirloin steaks from them with different marinades which have been very good.

I watched Dragonheart last night, I have seen it before, but I really enjoy that movie. Well its about dragons isn’t it? I have also got Jane Eyre to watch. There is a second Dragonheart: A New Beginning movie which I need to check out.

I had the devil's own job posting this blog today.

This recipe came from their website.

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

Ingredients

12 Zucchini Blossoms, stems and pistils removed
1 cup self rising flour
5 Eggs
1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese grated (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Prepare flour in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Wash zucchini blossoms and ensure they are relatively dry (use salad spinner or pat dry).

Heat up vegetable oil for frying. Dredge blossoms in flour and then in the egg mixture and place them in the frying pan and fry until golden. Enjoy!!

**Try stuffing them with goat cheese and then following the recipe instructions**

Copyright © 2011. Top Tomato Foods Ltd.| designed by m.sullivan

Have a great day
 

Food, Glorious Food - but No Hot Sausages

Yesterday I made myself some stewed rhubarb as described in my blog but didn't use yoghurt to turn it into a Fool. I found 2 tbs of Splenda to 1 lb rhubarb wasn't quite enough for my taste. I also added a little grated ginger to the mix, we used to do that years ago when stewing rhubarb. It was very good and I enjoyed it, probably the first time I have eaten it in 20 years or so. Nor did it make my teeth fuzzy which is why Matt won't eat it. I must admit that I cooked it a little too long and my chunks of rhubarb were more like a purée. We used to have rhubarb growing in our backyard years ago, in the end Matt dug it up as we weren't using it. I couldn't be bothered to cook it just for me. By the way, I discovered three hours later that it is also an excellent laxative, so be careful.

Actually I am doing well on my feasting at the moment with asparagus fresh out of the fields, fresh rhubarb and Matt picked up a couple more artichokes for me at the store. He said it was my step-mother's day present LOL. Actually I missed out, apparently our grocery store had a special on lobsters but they had sold out when Matt got there and he said they had lobster tails, not much bigger than the shrimp I already have in the freezer, at a horrendous price. I don't know why lobster has become so expensive. It was never cheap but when I was a young woman it certainly wasn't "mortgage your home" expensive like it is today. It was also quite plentiful - in England that was - and of a decent size. The ones you mostly see today are so small they are hardly worth eating. Maybe that is just in my part of Ontario where the source of salt water critters is so very far away (at least 1,000 miles). I do remember decent sized lobsters when we went to Plymouth, Mass one year. In fact they had one granddaddy of a lobster there for sale in the fishmongers - I understand it was bought for a party, it would certainly have made quite a few canapés. We ate dinner (lobster and swordfish) in the Mayflower Restaurant at the harbour in Plymouth right opposite the ship, Mayflower, which is a replica of the one in which the pilgrims first arrived. Very small considering how many people travelled on it. What horrified me is they apparently had an open fire to cook on. I am surprised they ever arrived.

Talking of Plymouth, I was very disappointed in "the rock" I expected some kind of a headland, it is just a big lump of rock. I suppose it has been moved because I can't see how anyone would have stepped on it where it is now. Whilst searching for this picture I came across a cartoon which might amuse you. Click on it so you can read the caption. It is so very appropriate for the illegal immigrant problems which exist today.

However, I did like the availability of fresh lobster in Plymouth and the fishmonger had lots of shelled meat available, we bought some to make ourselves a picnic lunch one day. That was on one of our first visits to the States. We moved further south the next day, I didn't want to leave the lobster behind. Matt promised me more, but what we hadn't realised, further south is no longer lobster country. Shrimps, oysters, clams, backfin crabs, but not lobsters. Not good enough, I wanted lobster. Because I don't get lobster very often, I never eat it any other way than cold with either drawn butter or mayonnaise. I have never tasted Lobster Newburg, I am sure its delicious, but I want my lobster just as it is. I have occasionally eaten it added to things or dressed differently in a restaurant, but my preference is plain. The picture on the left is ideal, lobster, drawn butter and a glass of white wine. Just show me the way.

However, if you would like to try a Lobster Newburg, here is a recipe for it I must admit, it sounds pretty good.

Lobster Newburg

4 servings

"Use fresh lobster if available, but 2 (6 ounce) cans of lobster may be used instead. This recipe is rich and delicious. If you do not like spicy food, use paprika in place of cayenne pepper. Serve hot, over buttered toast slices."

INGREDIENTS:

2 egg yolks, beaten 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup butter or margarine 2 tablespoons dry sherry or madeira

1/2 teaspoon salt 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1 pinch ground nutmeg 3/4 pound cooked lobster meat, broken into chunks

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and heavy cream until well blended. Set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the egg yolk mixture and sherry. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens. Do not boil.
2.	Remove from heat, and season with salt, cayenne, and nutmeg. Add lobster. Return pan to low heat, and cook gently until heated through. Serve hot over slices of buttered toast.

Have a great day.

Banquets and Artichokes

As I have mentioned in passing, we used to bowl on a senior's league in Hespeler, Cambridge. Unfortunately the alley in Hespeler is no longer there, however, several of the senior's league bowl on the Travel League and also we still have our bowling banquet with quite a few of the original league members. Tonight, is the night. We go to a golf club in Cambridge and eat dinner, drink a little and socialise. Of course we no longer have a prize giving, but it is fun to see everyone especially those we haven't seen since last year. On Monday the alley where we have been bowling recently has their banquet, in house. Not sure how this works, apparently we go at our normal time, 12:30 and then play games, not regular bowling, get prizes (we won't get any we haven't been there long enough to achieve anything) and then at 4:00 we eat. I have no idea what.

After all this, maybe I can get back to dieting, I didn't mention we also have dinner with friends on Saturday, so that's three occasions this week (my Weight Watcher week is Thursday to Thursday) where I am likely not to be too rigid with my diet. Oy vey. I will do my best. I have stayed at a loss of 13 lbs for several weeks now due to dinner parties, trips to restaurants and so on. I guess I should be happy I haven't gained.

I just saw a very sad story about two little girls with Niemann-Pick Disease which is very like Alzheimer's apparently and also, eventually, a killer. Because at least two of my relatives (maybe three) had senile dementia, it is always something I have been concerned about. However I had no idea that children could get a similar disease. I gather it is fairly rare, but it is pretty horrible. If you are interested read about it here it was yet another programme on Good Morning America.

I have just cooked myself a couple of delicious looking artichokes which I shall have for lunch today. I always used to eat them with a vinaigrette sauce, but these days I either eat them plain or use a Kraft Italian dressing. I don't use a vinaigrette sauce very much any more so I don't bother to make it although for years I always had a jar of it in the fridge. I learned to make it when I stayed with a French family in Paris and Madame taught me her recipe. Simple enough, but one of the secrets is to refresh it with newly crushed garlic every couple of days or so, or just prior to using it.

Talking of artichokes, and it being almost into the asparagus season, here is a recipe which we love but is absolutely killing in the fat and calories line. The first time Matt made this for me it was part of a surprise dinner for my birthday. A glorious hors d'oeuvres. It came from Great Italian Cooking by Luigi Carnacina. Not a cookbook I enjoy as it gives recipes with references to other recipes, i.e. 1 cup of recipe 456 and 1/2 cup of recipe 2233 and so on, I find this very irritating although Matt doesn't seem to mind it. However, with this artichoke recipe, I figured it all out and made it into one, pretty long, recipe.

Artichokes Ricca
Serves: 4

BECHAMEL SAUCE
2 oz butter
1/2 tbs finely chopped onion
3 tbs sifted flour
2 cup hot milk
1/2 tsp salt
pinch pepper
pinch nutmeg
2 sprigs parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme
bayleaf

MORNAY SAUCE
2/3 cup bechamel (as above)
1 cup heavy cream
9 tbs grated parmesan
4 1/2 tbs butter

DUXELLES
4 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt (generous)
1/2 Tbs finely chopped onion
1 tsp butter
1 tsp oil
1/4 tsp minced parsley
pinch of pepper

ARTICHOKES RICCA
18 asparagus spears, cooked til tender
1/2 cup grated gruyere
1/4 cup melted butter
1 recipe mornay
1 recipe duxelles
1 can artichoke hearts

BECHAMEL SAUCE: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion til transparent. Add flour, stir for 1 min. Add milk stirring, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and bouquet garni. Bring to boil over low heat for 15 mins. stirring occasionally. Strain sauce, stir whilst cooling to keep from skinning.

MORNAY SAUCE: Mix Bechamel and cream in heavy saucepan, boil over medium heat, reduce to two thirds. Add cheese stirring til melted and well blended. Remove from heat and beat in butter, bit by bit.

DUXELLES: Put mushrooms in a bowl, sprinkle with salt. Stand for 30 mins. Gather in cloth, squeeze out juice. Soften onion in butter/oil over moderate heat for 3 mins. Add mushrooms, cook very slowly til moisture evaporated. Add pepper, parsley, cool and store covered in fridge til needed.

ARTICHOKES RICCA: Combine Mornay and Duxelles in shallow oven proof dish. Arrange asparagus in centre, artichokes round edge. Sprinkle with cheese and melted butter. Cook at 500 F for 8 mins or until cheese is light gold.

Try it, you'll like it. Make it for a celebration.

Have a great day.

No Time

As I told you today, we are going to lunch with bowling friends and then on to a bowling alley in Elmira which is a few miles away. So I haven't a lot of time this morning. I will just leave you with a recipe and talk to you some more tomorrow. I just love artichokes so hope you will enjoy this pesto.

Artichoke Pesto on Ciabatta
Everyday Italian

Servings: 12

Ingredients:
Before the freezer:
1 (8-ounce) pack frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed down
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

After the freezer:
2/3 cup grated Parmesan (2 teaspoons per cube)
1 (12 to 16-inch) ciabatta loaf, cut into slices
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling


Instructions:
In a food processor combine the artichokes, parsley, walnuts, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Run the machine to finely chop all the ingredients, stopping the machine a few times to scrape down the sides. Then, with the machine running, drizzle in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Spoon the pesto into the cups of an ice cube tray. Tapping the tray gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Freeze for 1 day or up to 1 month.

When ready to serve, thaw the pesto. Mix in the Parmesan. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the ciabatta slices with the 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Grill until toasted, about 5 minutes. Spread the artichoke pesto over the toasted slices and serve.

Note: I have never actually seen frozen artichoke hearts but we have canned (tinned) ones here, make sure you don't get the pickled ones though.

Have a great day.