Jamie's Fowl Dinner, MJ, Valdemar.

We watched a Jamie Oliver programme on Sunday night called Jamie's Fowl Dinners. A large number of people were sitting at dining tables and Jamie had a kitchen to one side. He also had other set ups in the area together with a number of experts from the field of egg and chicken production. One of the first things they did was to give each table a bunch of baby chickens which the diners had to sort by sex (light ones were males) which chickens (you know, those pretty little fluffy things) they proceeded to deprive of oxygen so, much to the horror of some people there, they died in front of the audience - male chickens are considered useless in the egg producing industry although their carcasses are used for other things. From there he went on to show all kinds of other horrid things which happen both in the production of eggs and in the production of chickens. Eventually he cooked a meal using free range products and battery products and the consensus of opinion was the free range tasted so much better. Many of us know what happens but you don't think about it, Jamie made everyone in the room think twice about the mistreatment of chickens and what is done to ensure we have cheap food. One woman did say she wouldn't change because of the difference in cost; she figured a lot of people couldn't afford to change. If you would like to read more Jamie's Fowl Dinners gives you all the information you need. I must say I have a lot of admiration for Jamie Oliver and his hard hitting programmes whether it be teaching the British how to cook, school kids how to eat, or making us really aware of the food on our plates. Poor Matt, he is totally fed up with coverage of Michael Jackson and his memorial service. Ever since MJ died, there has been intensive coverage in every form of media. Enough is enough surely. I am more interested in what is being said, but even I am getting tired of all the speculation. Did you watch the service? I certainly didn't, if you did miss it, it is on the GMA page here. This morning on TV they had a doctor whom I head say "as far as I know I am not the father of his (MJ's) children" - now what? I didn't see the whole report but the speculation is, apparently, that MJ is not the father of his kids. I have started a re-reading session on Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series. It is a long time since I read them and reading a bunch of short stories the other day, stimulated me to read the rest. I have just read Arrows of the Queen which I have as an ebook, from the library I got Exile's Honor which I am currently reading as well as Exile's Valor and I have purchased The Herald Mage Trilogy through Amazon.ca to keep me going. I was pretty staggered, I ordered the Trilogy books over the weekend and I already have one of them. I have always liked the name Mercedes since I read The Count of Monte Cristo. That was the name of his love before he was sent to prison. I enjoy cooking things in packets whether they be parchment or foil. It is a nice clean method and also keeps in the juices and flavours of whatever you are preparing. I often cook salmon this way, and here is an Eating Well recipe for cooking chicken. Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard & Zucchini in Packets Makes 4 servings 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 ¼-1 ½ pounds), trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip) 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced 2 sweet banana peppers or cubanelle peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1 ½ cups halved grape or cherry tomatoes 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1. Preheat oven to 400°F (or see Grill Variation, below). 2. To prepare packets, start with four 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of parchment paper or foil. Fold in half crosswise. With the parchment or foil folded, draw half a heart shape on one side as you would if you were making a Valentine. Use scissors to cut out the heart shape. Open up the heart. 3. Place a chicken breast on one side of each open heart fairly close to the crease and leaving at least a 1-inch boarder around the edges for folding and spread with mustard. 4. Toss zucchini, peppers, shallots, tomatoes, oil, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place about 1 1/4 cups of the vegetable mixture on top of each piece of chicken. 5. Close the packet to cover the ingredients. Starting at the top, seal the packet by folding the edges together in a series of small, tight folds. Twist the tip of the packet and tuck it underneath to help keep the packet closed. Place the packets on a large rimmed baking sheet (packets may overlap slightly). Bake until the vegetables are tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, about 25 minutes. (Carefully open one package to check for doneness, be cautious of the steam.) Let the packets rest unopened for 5 minutes before serving. Equipment: Parchment paper or foil Tip: Chicken tenders are the virtually fat-free strips of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of chicken breasts. They can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded "chicken fingers." Grill Variation: Cooking in packets is great for the grill, but it's not safe to put parchment paper over an open flame, so use foil. To prepare packets for grilling, start with eight 20- to 24-inch-long pieces of foil. Layer two sheets for each of four packets (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning). Arrange the ingredients on one half of each double layer. Fold the foil over the ingredients and tightly seal the packets by crimping and folding the edges together. Grill over medium heat for 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the packets to another spot on the grill about halfway through to ensure even cooking. Have a great day.

Yesterday, More Michael Jackson, My Tart.

I was very pleased with my Heirloom Tomato and Basil Tart yesterday, it was delicious. I was impressed with the flavour of the Heirloom tomatoes too, Giada di Lauretiis said they were very sweet and they were. I would buy them more often but at $4.38 a pound, that would put my food bill up rather high. Matt drizzled the olive oil and I think maybe we got a little too much, also, I think the pastry wouldn't have hurt for a few more minutes. The recipe calls for 7 minutes but it did come out a bit pale as you can see. Tasted good though. The recipe also calls for regular pie crust but when Giada made it on TV she used puff pastry so I did too. May 20th blog if you want the recipe. It looked like the superintendent's barbecue went off very well yesterday, not sure how many people attended but from our balcony it looked like quite a good crowd. At least it didn't rain. I was sorry not to be there. Mind you they were eating around 4 which is way too early for us usually. We had our own little celebration at home. I also made the basis for some more of Tim Barrie's mom's asparagus soup. I will probably finish it this afternoon. Michael Jackson is still hogging the headlines, now his will has been read there is lots about it. His money goes to his kids and mother and his dad doesn't get anything. No real surprise. Diana Ross has been named as secondary caretaker for the kids after his mom. Neither of them are young women, I would have thought he would have found someone younger. The speculations about his death are getting wilder and weirder - I guess silently waiting for the toxicology report isn't news. Funny, it feels like yesterday must have been Sunday. The weather certainly doesn't seem like July at all. I paid off our holiday rental this weekend too in order to take advantage of the stronger Canadian dollar. Although it was stronger a couple of weeks ago, guess I missed the best time. You can be sure it will strengthen again now I have paid up. I also had a bit of a scare, my lower left leg and foot decided to go a bit numb and I couldn't walk without consciously lifting my foot of the ground rather than automatically. It went off after about 15 - 20 minutes. I then did some checking online and I believe it was possibly peripheral neuropathy which is something people with diabetes can be susceptible too. However, if it does happen again, I will be in Emerg. before you can spit. On Good Morning America they have been giving recipes for the 4th July and I have stolen this one for potato salad. I very rarely eat potato salad but I thought this one sounded pretty good. In North America, no barbecue would be complete without one. The recipe was originally given with prices per item, but this doesn't apply anywhere but in the States and even then, not everywhere, so I removed that information. They call Sanda Lee a semi-homemade chef - what on earth does that mean? Sandra Lee's Heirloom Potato Salad Semi-homemade chef Sandra Lee cooks up delicious, inexpensive summer grilling recipes for Independence Day. Ingredients 4 large Yukon gold potatoes 1/2 pound bacon 1/2 large yellow onion 4 stalks celery 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese Directions Peel potatoes, and cut into 1 to 11/2-inch cubes. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until potatoes are just tender. Drain, and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, reserving 1/4 cup drippings in skillet. Thinly slice onion. Add onion to bacon drippings in skillet, and cook over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, or until caramel-colored. Remove onion from pan, and allow to cool. Chop celery. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, parsley, salt, and pepper, whisking well to combine. Add potatoes, bacon, celery, and cheese. Toss gently to combine. Have a great day.

Prescription Drugs, More on Michael, Canada Day, Paul Potts,

Matt and I have been talking about prescription drugs and I gradually was getting more irritated that when I was in considerable pain after a hip replacement all I could get was Tylenol 3 which I have to say is a totally useless painkiller, however neither my surgeon nor, subsequently my doctor, would give me (or Matt after his surgeries) anything stronger in case I became addicted. So, basically, I had to suffer pain. Meanwhile, those with money, or in the know, can find "enablers" so that they can get as much OxyContin and Demerol as they want as well as any other pain killers. Obviously they are addicted but I am not nor am I likely to be so because these pain killers are not freely available to me, but please, do give me them when I am in serious pain. Once again, it is the story of the few who get addicted ruining it for the rest of us who genuinely need the help of such pain killers. I remember in 1989 the British did a study of patients who were given opiates for extreme pain and then it was discovered when such patients were weaned off because their pain had lessened, most addiction was not permanent. I googled and found the following: read this article which will explain it more succinctly. Marilyn Tomlins (French Marilyn's Blog) directed me to an article about Michael Jackson which was in Britain's Daily Mail. I found it very interesting if somewhat long. I thought you too might like to read it. Apparently the author Ian Halpern has a lot of insider knowledge. He says there is no way Michael could have coped with 50 concerts in his extremely frail state of health. Not only that, but his lungs were shot so he couldn't sing any more. A very tragic tale. Tomorrow is Canada Day, once known as Dominion Day. It changed in 1982, since we first came here, although I gather a lot of sources still call it that. Apart from anything else, you can guarantee lots of fireworks which will be visible from our balcony. The celebrations get bigger every year and lots of households fly the flag all week and especially on the day, July 1. Plus there will be lots of barbecues and lots of parties. I forgot to mention that Paul Potts, the winner of Britain's Got Talent a year or so ago, is performing at Centre in the Square which is our local theatre. His show is today, I hadn't realised that, I guess I have missed it. Just checked, no tickets are available anyway. I am so glad for Paul that he is selling out at his concerts. Our Cuban Pork was good last night by the way and we have leftovers for supper tonight. Also, Matt's foot is 99% better - he still has a few more antibiotics to take but the wound has healed up well. Here's a good recipe from Eating Well which can be done on a barbecue either for Canada Day or for the 4th of July. Unfortunately local corn, as shown in the picture, is not yet ready although I am getting hungry for it. Local asparagus will be unavailable any day now. Pork Chops with Peach Barbecue Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

¼ cup plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 cups boiling water 3 cups ice cubes 4 bone-in, center-cut pork chops, ½-¾ inch thick (1 ¾-2 pounds), trimmed 2 ripe but firm peaches, pitted and quartered, or 3 cups frozen sliced peaches 1 medium tomato, quartered and seeded 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon canola oil ½ cup chopped onion, preferably Vidalia 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger 2 tablespoons honey ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

Pork Chops with Peach Barbecue Sauce Ingredients Cont.

Pork Chops with Peach Barbecue Sauce Instructions

1. Place 1/4 cup salt and brown sugar in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour in boiling water and stir to dissolve. Add ice cubes and stir to cool. Add pork chops, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. 2. Puree peaches, tomato and vinegar in a food processor until smooth. 3. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook the pork chops, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the peach puree, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, honey and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until reduced by about half, 20 to 25 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce for basting the chops; keep the remaining sauce warm in the saucepan until ready to serve. 4. Preheat grill to medium. 5. Remove the pork chops from the brine (discard brine), rinse well, and thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season the chops with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and brush both sides with some of the reserved sauce. 6. Grill the pork chops, turning once, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 145°F, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the warm peach barbecue sauce on the side.

Pork Chops with Peach Barbecue Sauce Instructions Cont.

Pork Chops with Peach Barbecue Sauce Tips

Brine the pork chops (Step 1) for up to 4 hours. Refrigerate the peach barbecue sauce (Step 3) for up to 5 days.

Have a great day.

Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Shopping and Wild Dolphins.

So, Micheal Jackson died yesterday - aged 50. That's very young. He apparently went into cardiac arrest at his home and from reports, I think he died there. He lived a very odd life, to say the least, but he still seemed to retain his popularity and made plenty of money. The crowds outside the hospital where he died were huge even though he was flown away by helicopter. They were doing an autopsy this morning. Sadly, Farrah Fawcett also died yesterday. Such a beautiful woman. She allowed cameras to film her cancer progression. She had apparently agreed to marry Ryan O'Neil again but cancer took her before it happened. Sadly her death has been somewhat neglected because of Michael Jackson. She was only 62 which, at my great age, doesn't seem very old either. Had a very frustrating day yesterday. Went shopping as usual. We were just about finished when the lights went out. Emergency lights came on but they were saying at the checkouts "cash only" - well we don't carry that kind of cash. We sat around in their cafeteria for a while and then I went to an ATM machine (outside the store, in the mall) and drew out enough cash to pay our bill. I must explain we have a card through our grocery store which enables us to collect points and eventually get free groceries. When I got back into the store, the lights were on again and I was told everything was fine, so I went to the store's bank and deposited the cash (in their ATM which was working now) I had drawn out. With me so far? The woman in front of me paid with her store card OK but then the machine decided it didn't want to take debit cards at all so back I went to the ATM in the store and drew out cash again. When I got back to the cashier I had to wait until the manager with all the unpaid bills turned up, I then settled my account. Just after that a woman used her credit card and the machines were quite happy with it but they still wouldn't take debit cards. Meanwhile, Matt was in the car with some ice cream which was melting. Actually despite everything, we had ice cream for supper and it was OK albeit somewhat runny in the middle. Watched part of a pretty horrifying documentary about capturing wild bottle nosed dolphins for sale to amusement parks, hotels and such. Like the Dubai area which looks like a palm tree. There is a business, run from the Solomon Islands, exporting these animals. It is done with the permission of the Solomon Islands' government - the islanders kill dolphins anyway so the excuse of the Canadian, Christopher Porter, who runs the business is that he is saving the animals. Here is an article which tells you all about it. The programme we actually watched was on the Doc Zone The Dolphin Dealer I couldn't stand watching the whole programme seeing the dolphins being hauled around on the backs of the Solomon Islanders and being held by their noses. Quite a few have died in captivity not too long after being captured. They said, on the documentary, that North American dolphinariums now rely on breeding programmes because of the uproar about capturing wild ones. However, the Swim with Dolphins programmes are a billion dollar industry and Porter is anxious to make money by supplying them. I have mentioned before the ezine I read called World Wide Recipes published by Joe Barkson on a daily basis. This morning he had a chocolate pie recipe which was his grandmother's and he included it as one of his 100 favourite foods. Dottie's Chocolate Pie 12 oz (340 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 Tbs (45 ml) milk 2 Tbs (30 ml) sugar 4 eggs, separated 1 baked pie shell Note: This recipe contains uncooked eggs. If salmonella contamination is a concern to you, be sure to use pasteurized eggs. Combine first three ingredients in a saucepan and heat over low flame until melted and smooth. Be careful not to scorch the chocolate. Allow to cool slightly and beat in the four egg yolks, one at a time. Allow to cool to room temperature. Beat 4 egg white until stiff and fold into chocolate mixture. Put in baked pie shell and refrigerate. Serves 8. Have a great day.