VHS, Saturday Supper, Bleeding Finger,,

A friend fixed it so we can watch both VHS and DVD movies these days and, being in isolation, I fished out one which was of a Pavarotti concert which took place in Hyde Park, London, in 1991. Princess Diana and Prince Charles were in the audience, everyone getting soaked. The VHS was in pretty good condition considering it is 30 years old and the sound was good too. This is the second VHS we have watched lately. Having watched Saving Mr. Banks for a second time, I fished out our copy of Mary Poppins. I knew there was a glitch in the tape, but after all these years, the glitch, when it got to it, stopped the tape completely. Now I am undecided, should I buy a DVD of it or not. The glitch happens just when Mr. Banks is being "fired" by the bank big wigs. If you've never seen Mary Poppins, the original, you should. It was a great movie and Walt Disney did a wonderful job with it which is what Saving Mr. Banks is all about. I have a lot of VHS movies and some personal stuff which I recorded. There is even some of my first wedding and honeymoon which took place in 1962, i.e. almost 58 years ago. I wonder what condition that is in.

Saturday night for supper I cooked a large sirloin steak which I had bought at VSM the other day. It was excellent, their meat may be a bit pricey but it's good stuff. I made a sauce with it, shallots, red wine, Balsamic vinegar, it is really delicious with beef. I even managed to get the knife good and sharp, I am getting better at sharpening knives.

I somehow bashed my finger, just below the knuckle, the other day. On my desk drawer which was shut. Stupid thing won't stop bleeding. Having trouble keeping the Bandaids on particularly with all this extra hand washing. Every time it falls off I think the wound is OK and then an hour or so later, I'm bleeding to death again.

Sunday night PBS had Jonathan Antoine on again, same concert as before, and, as before, we missed the first bit. I would absolutely have loved to go to the concert in Toronto, next October, but not possible. His voice is so fantastic.I was in tears, this song is so sad, from Les Miserables, and to hear Jonathan sing it, words fail me. Apparently he did lose some weight, but I think he needs to lose a tad more. I am planning to buy his DVD being released at the end of April



Here's a simple recipe from Kevin Lynch, one of my favourite cookery writers

Chicken and Avocado Burritos

Burritos stuffed with juicy chicken, cool and creamy avocado, oozy gooey melted cheese, spicy salsa

verde and sour cream!

4 burrito sized tortillas (corn tortillas for gluten-free), warmed
1 lb cooked chicken, sliced or shredded
1 large avocado, diced
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
2 Tbs cilantro, chopped

1. Assemble the burritos, optionally toast, and enjoy!

Servings: 4

Tips: Use taco lime grilled chicken, cilantro lime grilled chicken or tequila lime grilled chicken instead of plain chicken

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Cooking

Have a great day
 

Covid 19, Bowling, Seminar, Mary Poppins,

I have had many emails from stores and restaurants telling me what they are doing to deal with the virus. But one that got me, this morning, Sunday, was the family doctor who sent a long email saying what they are doing and telling us what we should be doing health wise. I promptly sent a response and said thanks, but how do I get this through to someone with Alzheimer's. In the first place Matt doesn't understand what a virus is or what a pandemic is. I have been using the words illness, disease and such, but he still doesn't really get it. As for washing his hands regularly, that's a joke. He thinks I am just being a nag and loses his temper. I have a couple of small, purse sized, bottles of Purell which I have been using occasionally, but there is no way I can replace it. Everyone else thought of it first. What neither ladydog nor I understand is why people are stocking up with toilet rolls. I need them this week and my store doesn't have the ones I want although they do at least have some rolls. I hope they still have them by Tuesday.

I just decided to put through my order (I can add to it until the night before pick up) and they tell me they haven't got the Basmati Rice I use, whole milk and the cereal Matt eats. I will phone tomorrow and find out if this is true. I suppose people will stock up on Milk, but Fibre One cereal (IMHOP horrid stuff)?, and I am surprised at rice. I have asked ladydog to see if she can get Matt's cereal at her local store. Now the library is closed although one can download ebooks. I have downloaded one to try, but I am not sure where I can read it other than actually on the PC.

Well, enough of that, I am still going bowling tomorrow. Gotta get some exercise somewhere along the way Tuesday I am going to a seminar on Caregiver Support which takes place in the afternoon. I will be interested to see what it is all about. There are four of them. I never realised just how much support caregivers need. I just wish it was possible to get the word out to more people - do, I beg of you, offer help if you come across someone in this situation. I regret I never did so when I knew of people with a loved one who had Alzheimer's.

Having watched Saving Mr. Bates the other day I heaved out my taped copy, on VHS, of Mary Poppins. I knew there was something wrong with it towards the end, but it used to get past it and play the ending. Not any more unfortunately. Pity, I was enjoying the movie. Haven't watched it in years. I never realised before that yes, it is Mr. Banks who wants saving, not the children. It really is a great story and Disney made a very good job of it.

I thought this looked pretty good but then I saw 2 bottles of wine which, unless I can buy more on sale like I did last week, seems quite extravagant. There I see the recipe is for 8. I would cut it down to 4 or even 2 if I can, that would make half a bottle of wine. Maybe I am being a bit cheeseparing, but it is not the cheapest ingredient in the world even if it does sound good. Do not, for goodness sake, be tempted by the cooking wine they sell in grocery stores. Apart from anything else I understand it is very overloaded with salt apart from being a low quality wine anyway. If you are tempted, make it with the real deal please.

Red Wine Spaghetti

It’s a showstopper. Two bottles of red wine get cooked down to a glossy mahogany butter sauce that stains the spaghetti in addition to flavoring it. Use a very dry red wine that you enjoy drinking, such as a Sangiovese-based wine like Chianti, or Merlot, otherwise the dish will be too sweet. If this is

sounding like “eating red wine” to you, don’t worry, it tastes like wine in the way beef bourguignon does, and is acidic yet creamy like our beloved pasta al limone. This recipe is from Montreal’s cozy-cool coffee-pizza-wine restaurant

12 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
16 Tbs (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1" pieces, divided
2 750-ml bottles red wine
Kosher salt
2 lb spaghetti
Finely grated Parmesan (for serving)

1. Combine garlic and 3 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl. Heat a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium; pour in garlic and oil. Add red pepper flakes and 2 Tbsp. butter; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is very fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add wine, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until reduced by two-thirds, 20–25 minutes; season with salt. Cover and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, about 3 minutes shy of recommended cook time.

3. Drain pasta and add to sauce, along with remaining 14 Tbsp. butter. Set pot over medium heat and bring sauce to a simmer. Cook, tossing often, until pasta is well coated and sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

4. Divide pasta among bowls; drizzle with oil and top with lots of Parmesan.

Servings: 8

Source: Bon Appétit



Have a great day