Headaches, Book, Bowling,

One learns things from the most surprising sources. Wednesday morning our cleaner came and later in the morning, when she turned on the vacuum cleaner, I realised I had a headache. I joshed her and said she made so much noise etc. then she said maybe it was the pressure (i.e. barometric pressure). That had never occurred to me before. Thursday morning I had another slight headache and decided to do some Googling. Apparently if you are prone to migraines (which I certainly was although not so much now) apparently barometric pressure changes are thought to cause you headaches and even migraines. I've only been having them since I was a kid and had never heard that before. My mother used to have them and she called them "sick headaches". I think she got them for longer than I because I remember once  they went to some friends for the weekend and she had a migraine all the time. If you have never had one, you are very lucky although it does seem that when you are older they get less frequent and, in my case, pretty rare. There are times I felt I could have cheerfully cut the top of my head off.  Now I find a lot of it could have been triggered by the pressure.

Just finished J.D. Robb's Dark in Death, I really love this series of books although I am not sure I haven't missed one or two. Thinking about going back to the beginning, maybe. There are actually about 46 of them and it would be a lot of re-reading. Not only are they excellent books about the future, great Homicide Stories and a marvellous love story all intertwined. The author, J.D. Robb is a nom de plume of Norah Lofts who's stories I have not followed much, read one or two, not a patch on the J.D. Robb books. I really think I will read them again, from the library of course, would cost a fortune to buy them all.

Bowling again today, none of it very good. I got a tad annoyed with Matt, there were a group of four with whom I had become friends whilst he was recuperating from his broken ankle. They are somewhat handicapped mentally, but not badly, but he was complaining because they made too much noise. It was actually just one of them. He is a whizz bowler mind you and was telling me how well he had done in competitive bowling lately. We used to compete, but not any more. For some reason our bowling alley doesn't hold any competitions other than for Junior Bowlers. The other local alley does so though. However, at our time in life, I don't suppose we would compete now anyway.

Being a nut about asparagus, I am always on the lookout for new recipes. This is one I came across the other day. Only problem is I just ran out of Orzo and couldn't find any in the store the other day.

Grilled Asparagus Pasta Salad

1 cup orzo
1 bunch asparagus
3 roma tomatoes sliced
1 inch sliced red onion
2 Tbs drained caper berries
2 Tbs lemon juce
2 tsp Dijon
1 Tbs maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil plus more for grilling
1/2 tsp salt/pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbs mint
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles - optional

1. Heat grill pan or grill on medium heat

2. Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water. Drain and put in a bowl.

3. Grill asparagus spears, halved roma tomatoes and onions until tender with a few char/grill marks. Remove from heat and chop asparagus into 1 inch pieces, tomatoes into bite size and chop onion.

4. Add veg to bowl with orzo. Whisk together capers, lemon juice, Dijon, syrup. Gradually add olive oil. Toss veg and orzo in the dressing then add herbs and/or cheese and toss again before serving.

Source: The Everyday Chef

Have a great day
 

Bomb Cyclone, Bowling,

Are you affected by this deep freeze we are having in this part of the world. I can't believe some of the reports we have been seeing on the news. We have been having extremely cold weather with warnings of the dangers of the current cold temps particularly in view of the wind. It's a lazy wind, it doesn't go round you but right through you!! So far we haven't had storm conditions but looking at some of the charts I think we might be getting some of it. The radio has mentioned -37°C with the wind chill factored in. That is, to put it mildly, bloody cold. Personally I am NOT planning to venture out again til Monday. Glad I don't have to go to work. Talking to one of the girls at the pharmacy and she has to work again tomorrow and shop on Saturday. Glad I am retarded retired.

I went bowling this afternoon, not bad, not good. Legs hurting so that was my excuse. I plan to go league bowling on Monday though. Gotta maintain my highest average after all LOL.

I came across this recipe in an article which I thought was about Chinese dumplings. However, they are easy enough to make and I just might have a go. All I would have to buy would be the puff pastry.

Argentinian Beef Empanadas

There are as many variations of empanadas as there are cooks in Argentina. This version was developed by BA contributor Gaby Melian, who is from Buenos Aires and was taught as a little girl by family members how to make them. After years of perfecting her method, she prefers the

empanadas baked, not fried, and the addition of green olives and raisins in the filling is essential

3 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 ½ lbs ground beef (20% fat)
2 onions, chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded, chopped
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3 Tbs ground cumin
2 Tbs sweet paprika
1 Tbs dried oregano
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
2 tsp sugar
½ cup raisins
3 packages (12 each) Puff Pastry Dough for Turnovers/Empanadas (preferably Goya)
½ cup pitted green olives (Picholine or Spanish), rinsed well, cut in half lengthwise

1. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over high. Cook beef, breaking up with a spoon, until browned but not completely cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving as much fat in pan as possible.

2. Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, bell peppers, and remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, stirring, until tender but not browned, 6–8 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Add cumin, paprika, oregano, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and reserved beef along with any accumulated juices to pot. Stir in sugar, 4 tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until most of the liquid is evaporated, 15–20 minutes; taste and season with salt and black pepper, if needed. Stir in raisins. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover, and chill at least 3 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Let dough sit at room temperature 15 minutes to temper. Remove 6 rounds from package, keeping plastic divider underneath, and arrange on a work surface. Place 2 Tbsp. filling in the center of each round. Top with 2 olive halves. Brush water around half of outer edge of each round. Using plastic divider to help you, fold round over filling and pinch edges to seal. Using a fork, crimp edges. Remove plastic and transfer empanada to a parchment-lined sheet tray, spacing 1" apart. Repeat with remaining rounds (you’ll get about 12 empanadas on each tray).

4. Bake empanadas, rotating tray halfway through, until golden brown and slightly darker around the edges, 25–35 minutes.

5. Do Ahead: Filling can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Unbaked empanadas can be made 3 months ahead; freeze on sheet tray, then transfer to freezer bags and keep frozen.

Yield: Makes about 36

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Cooking.

Sorry everyone, this is just going to be a quickie. Would you believe I forgot? I can't believe it's June 1 today either. This year is just rushing past.

Spent the morning by first going to have blood work done for diabetes, at least I only have to go twice a year these days. Then making asparagus pesto which is now in the freezer. It is absolutely delicious, I had kind of forgotten how good it is. I thought I had posted the recipe this year, but it doesn't look like I have. Will check it out further. Yes I did post it, thought I had.

Tuesday afternoon we went to the bowling alley to escape the noise. They seem to have finished cutting back all the balcony floors - or at least half way. Not sure what is happening next. One of the proprietors gave me a large bundle of rhubarb plus I had bought some at the asparagus farm on Monday so when I got home from the alley, I cooked it all up and now I have a large pan of stewed rhubarb. At least I remembered the ginger this time. I think I am going to try freezing some of it. Can't seem to find out if it freezes OK, but there is too  much for me to eat and of course, Matt doesn't like it.

Being Wednesday of course, it is league bowling. I do hope I do better than I did on Tuesday.

Very odd to me, but the younger owner of the bowling alley, who loves seafood and fish of all kinds, doesn't like (or has never tasted) smoked salmon. One of my favourites.

Fettuccine With Asparagus And Smoked Salmon

Fresh pasta, asparagus and smoked salmon are tossed with shallot cream sauce in this elegant weeknight dinner that can be prepared in well under an hour.

½ lb fresh asparagus, medium thickness
Salt
1 Tbs butter
½ Tbs minced shallots
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz smoked salmon sliced 1/4-inch thick
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
9 to 10 oz fresh green fettuccine noodles
2 Tbs minced fresh dill

1. Snap off the ends of the asparagus where they break naturally and peel the stalks. Cut the asparagus on a slant to pieces about an inch long.

2. Steam the asparagus until they are just barely tender and still bright green, about three minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain well on paper towels and set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.

4. While the water is coming to a boil, melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Add the shallots and saute until soft but not brown. Stir in the cream and simmer about five minutes, until the cream has thickened somewhat.

5. Cut the salmon into slivers, add it to the cream and remove the skillet from the heat. Season with pepper and lemon juice. Add the asparagus.

6. When the pot of water is boiling, add the fettuccine, stir it once or twice, then cook two to three minutes after the water has returned to a boil. Drain well.

7. Briefly reheat the sauce. Transfer the fettuccine to a warm serving bowl, pour the sauce over it and toss. Sprinkle with dill and serve.

Servings: 4

Have a great day
 

Dentist, Cleaning Silver and Bowling

Not what I call and exciting day. Some of it I have spent with my mouth wide open being poked an prodded by a dentist and then a lot of it I spent cleaning silver. I wash and used the cleaner, Matt dries and polishes. We both have to sit down periodically because of pain in the back. It's the standing in one spot that does it. Growing old sucks, but then I don't think much of the alternative either.

Tomorrow we go bowling although there is no longer a summer league. The winter league starts in September but we like to continue bowling twice a week. Good for us doncher know!

I hope this blog is OK. Something weird has been happening to the formatting. but when I see the preview it looks fine.

Tomorrow is shopping day and I will be going with Matt at 7 a.m. (horrors) to make sure I have everything I require for my guests who are coming on Saturday for lunch.

Having cleaned out our freezer on Monday, I came across some stewing lamb, new it was there, but decided I had better do something with it before it became unusable. This recipe talks of red cabbage, I pickled mine some time ago. This is a classic dish from England although I must admit I haven't made it in years.

Lancashire hotpot with braised red cabbage

BBC Food

Serve with braised salsify.

Ingredients

For the lamb stock

• 1 large carrot, cut into 3 pieces
• 1 onion, cut into quarters
• 2 cloves garlic
• sprig rosemary
• sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch rock salt
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 litres/3½ pints water

For the lamb

• 1 middle neck of lamb with bones, about 1kg/2¼lb
• plain flour, for dusting
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
• 3 Maris Piper potatoes, very thinly sliced
• unsalted butter

For the braised red cabbage

• 1 small red cabbage, cored and sliced
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 150g/5½oz unsalted butter
• 200ml/7fl oz red wine vinegar
• 50g/2oz clear honey
• 100g/3½oz demerara sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• sprig thyme
• salt

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
2. First make the stock. Remove the meat from the middle neck of lamb and set aside. Chop the bones and put them in a roasting tray. Roast until lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, cook the carrot, onion and garlic in a little olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot until lightly browned. Add the herbs and salt, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the roasted bones and cover with the water. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for one hour, skimming off any fat or scum regularly. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Return to the heat and reduce until you have 1 litre/1¾ pints of stock.
4. Turn the oven down to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
5. To make the hot pot, cut the lamb into 2cm/1in thick slices. Dust them with flour. Heat the oil in a pan and quickly fry until lightly coloured on both sides. Remove and set aside.
6. In the same oil, quickly fry the onion, carrots and garlic until lightly browned.
7. Layer the lamb, onion and carrots in a heavy casserole dish, filling it to 1cm/½in from the top. Season each layer with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and the herbs, spooning liberal amounts of stock between each layer.
8. Arrange the potatoes neatly all over the top of the dish. Dot a few small knobs of butter on the potatoes, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours. Remove the lid and cook for a further 45 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, make the red cabbage. Mix together all of the ingredients. Put into a roasting tray and cover with foil. Place in the oven and cook for about 1½ hours, stirring regularly, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
10. Serve the hot pot from the casserole onto warm plates with the cabbage.

Have a great day

 

St. Paddy’s, Medical, Bowling.

St. Patrick’s is the anniversary of my first wedding 52 years ago. Had I stayed with my first husband I would be a widow now anyway. I don’t suppose I would have ended up in Canada either. The church in the background was the one which is featured in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations where Pip meets the convict. It’s pretty old. It goes back to the time of Edward the Confessor and is mentioned in the Domesday Book; the actual current building goes back to the 12th century. It is also the birthday of Matt’s younger daughter and her husband Mike, the wildlife artist too. Unusually, they are both the same age. There is a link to Mike’s wildlife art on this page. If you have never checked it out, do so, I am sure you will enjoy his art.

We saw the specialist on Monday and Matt is due for his procedure on Thursday at 1:30, of course he has to be at the hospital at noon. I have asked a friend to drive us there and back as I am still having dizzy spells which I think are to do with the Cipro I was taking. Hoping to catch up with our doc on Saturday as I am still getting lots of episodes of hypoglycemia too, (low sugars) as I mentioned before.

The weather people were talking about flurries of snow last night. I do hope not. Bowling wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad either. No 300 games though. Won’t be bowling again till next Monday as we will be at the hospital on Thursday. Just as well, I hadn’t registered it was March Break, doesn’t mean a lot to us but of course it does mean that the bowling alley will be full of screaming kids. Well many of them will scream.

I am a Scotch whisky (without the e) drinker and a champagne drinker so seeing this recipe which uses Irish whiskey for St. Paddy’s Day as well as champagne, I figured I would share it.

Cork County Bubbles

Contributed by John Coltharp

• SERVINGS: Makes 1 Drink

Mixologist John Coltharp likes making this Champagne cocktail with herbal, woody Jameson 12-year Irish whiskey (made in Ireland's County Cork).

1. Ice
2. 1 ounce Irish whiskey
3. 1/4 ounce yellow Chartreuse
4. 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
5. 1 teaspoon honey mixed with 1/2 teaspoon warm water
6. 1 ounce chilled Champagne
7. 1 lemon twist, preferably spiral-cut, for garnish

1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the Champagne and garnish and shake well. Strain into a chilled flute, stir in the Champagne and garnish with the twist.

Have a great day

Bowling, Weather, Kargrandes.

I have been despairing of my bowling lately, not just because I have been ill either. I just couldn’t “find the middle” which is kind of what you have to do in 5 pin bowling. However, things just might be looking up as my last three games have given me reasonable scores, not brilliant maybe, but much better. Our team was in first place but has dropped to fifth – I don’t think it’s just me though at least I am trying to convince myself it isn’t.

The weather has been absolutely perfect again, for a March day at least, with lots of sunshine and this week our temps are steadily rising with talk of 7°C. I suspect that it will be the old story of March coming in like a lamb and going out like a lion. Pessimistic aren’t I?

I have been working on my A to Z posts a bit the last few days. I told Alex J. Cavenaugh I didn’t think I would be taking part after all, but my go hasn’t entirely gone after all and he was right not to take me off the list. Actually my theme is somewhat inspired by a comment of his last year. Of course Alex himself will be releasing Dragon of the Stars right in the middle of the A to Z so he is going to have a very busy month. I should ask the question he has on his special website, What are the Kargrandes? There are currently nine clues to help you solve the puzzle. I already know, having won the book a while back. I am not telling, of course, but I am not immune to bribery. Alex please note.

If it’s got noodles in it I tend to be interested. This recipe appeared on MyRecipes but originated with Cooking Light.


Fiery Beef and Rice Noodle Salad





Think salads aren't filling? Then you haven't tried this one packed with rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and tender steak.

Ingredients

2 ounces uncooked rice stick noodles
12 ounces flank steak, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1/2 habanero pepper, minced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
12 basil leaves, torn

Preparation

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Coarsely chop noodles.
2. While noodles cook, freeze steak 5 minutes. Remove from freezer; cut across grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add beef; sauté 4 minutes.
4. Combine steak, noodles, lettuce, onion, cucumber, and habanero. Combine juice, sugar, and fish sauce; pour over noodle mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle with basil.

Have a great day

Spring is Sprung, Lots of Books. Bowling Venue.

We have finally been getting some decent weather, boy has it ever taken a long time this year but at long last the trees are sporting young, fresh green leaves, the daffodils are nodding their heads and the forsythia bushes are all displaying their golden flowers. It makes you feel good to see it and gives a lift to the heart. This year it seems to have taken so long. Not only that, the asparagus is beginning to sprout. Having checked with Barrie’s Asparagus Farm they are talking possibly Sunday, cross your fingers for me everyone.

I am feeling a tad overwhelmed by literature at the moment. A friend sent me a copy of his book (excellent) which I am reading and enjoying, another friend lent me a couple of books, then right in the middle of this comes a Robin Hobb book which I have been awaiting from the library for quite a while. Blood of Dragons, volume 4 of the Rain Wild Chronicles. If you haven’t read any of the Rain Wild Chronicles I can highly recommend them, not only that, you won’t have to wait for any of them like I have had to. Great stories. They are so good I think I might do something about acquiring them in Kindle form if they are available. I guess I have been enjoying them for a number of years now, way before Kindles came on the scene.

We have now been given some new tales about the bowling alley, but will, no doubt, hear the full story at our banquet on Monday.

Here’s another dessert, not chocolate this time though. I just thought it looked and sounded really good. I found it on Cooking.com. I would probably cheat with the pastry, I guess if you are using bought pastry you could add grated orange zest to the crust before baking it.

Orange Chiffon Tart

Source: Dessert - The Grand Finale
Serves 10

INGREDIENTS

Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
11 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 egg white, beaten
Orange Filling
6 juice oranges
6 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Topping
4 oranges
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
Heavy cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS

Pastry:
Combine the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor and process to a coarse meal. Add the egg yolks, water and orange zest (rind) and pulse until the mixture comes together. Remove from the processor and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll out the pastry to line a 10-inch tart pan that has a removable base. Place a piece of foil, parchment or waxed (greaseproof) paper over the pastry and scatter with baking weights, dried beans or rice.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the tart shell from the oven and remove the weights and paper. Brush the pastry with a little beaten egg white and return to the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Orange Filling:
Juice the oranges and strain the juice through a sieve to remove all of the pith. Place in a a nonaluminum saucepan with the eggs and sugar. Whisk together over low heat until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Place the mixture in a food processor. With the motor running, add the butter cubes, piece by piece. When all of the butter is worked in, pour the mixture into the pastry shell. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Topping:
Slice the oranges as thinly as possible and remove any seeds. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
Using a pair of tongs, dip each slice of orange in the syrup and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool slightly.
Remove the tart from the refrigerator, remove plastic wrap and arrange the orange slices decoratively over the top. Serve immediately with cream.

Have a great weekend