Dieting, Summer, Book, Dunkable Hardware.

I started off Monday with a total reluctance to anything whatsoever, i had no oomph at all, didn’t even want to go shower and stuff, just wanted to do nothing. Luckily I finally put a rocket behind myself and got moving. I think I may be a bit depressed with my efforts at weight loss. I lost 19 lbs. and now I seem to be going backward. I am walking on my treadmill for 30 minutes a day, not very fast, my legs are still not up to too much exercise, and I am faithfully recording everything I eat but nothing much has happened for weeks and, as I said, my weight appears to be going backwards.

Summer seems to have come with a vengeance lately, none of these half measures, from cool and very wet, it changed to blazing hot over the last few days although the forecast says we are supposed to get more rain. The comparison to last year when we didn’t see rain for weeks and now we see lots of it is quite astounding. At least, as I said before, everywhere is gloriously green.

I have just started a new book which was recommended by someone and I can’t remember who, one of my blogging buddies I know. Was it Father Dragon or Sir Jeff, or somebody else? I really don’t remember. Their names spring to mind because it is a dragon book A Natural History of Dragons, A Memoir by Lady Trent. I haven’t progressed very far yet, but I love it. Anyway, whoever it was who talked about it in their blog, thanks so much, it is a book right up my street and from the pages I have read, I know I am going to love it. It’s a wonderful approach to a dragon story by Marie Brennan and I am delighted with her concept. I am one of those people who wholeheartedly believe in Dragons, well I know one don’t I?

Got an ad in the email yesterday – I don’t really know what it is but it’s the Sony Xperia^® Z, I gather its a touch screen oriented HD phone and everything else combined. What staggers me is the ad I got, you can dunk it, splash it, use it in the rain. Now that is something worth having. I always remember a friend in the UK, being a little inebriated at the time, decided to wash her cell phone. She definitely needed one of these.

This recipe combines three of my favourites, Thai based, shrimp and cellophane noodles,. for me you can’t go wrong. I found it at Food and Wine. Only thing, I might leave out the squid, it is one of the few foods I really don’t enjoy. I have always made it a rule to try things every couple of years ago, I am still trying squid, I have never acquired a liking for it.

Thai Seafood Noodle Salad

Contributed by Anya von Bremzen

• SERVINGS: 6

by Diane Gallagher

Writer and cookbook author Anya von Bremzen has traveled the world for F&W, finding stories for the magazine from Istanbul to Seoul. Her unforgettable Thai seafood salad is an example of how a perfect dressing can transform poached fish and springy (but bland) rice noodles into a revelatory dish that’s light, fresh and full of flavour.

1. 6 ounces rice vermicelli
2. 2 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced
3. 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4. 1/4 cup sugar
5. 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
6. 1/3 cup Asian fish sauce
7. 2 tablespoons boiling water
8. 1/2 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
9. 1/2 pound bay scallops
10. 1/2 pound small squid, bodies cut into 1/2-inch rings and tentacles halved
11. 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
12. 1 cup bean sprouts
13. 1 cup mint leaves
14. 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
15. 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
16. 6 butter lettuce leaves, for serving
17. Cilantro leaves, for garnish

1. In a medium bowl, cover the vermicelli in cold water and soak for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a mortar, pound the Thai chiles and garlic to a paste with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, boiling water and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and pound until the sugar dissolves. Let the dressing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add the shrimp to the boiling water and cook until white throughout and curled, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the ice water. Add the scallops to the boiling water and cook until white and firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the scallops to the ice water. Add the squid to the boiling water and cook just until firm, about 45 seconds. Transfer the squid to the ice water. Drain all of the seafood and pat dry.
4. Bring a fresh saucepan of water to a boil and refill the bowl with ice water. Drain the vermicelli, add to the boiling water and cook just until al dente, 1 minute. Drain and transfer to the ice water. Drain again and pat dry. Cut the vermicelli into 3-inch lengths.
5. In a large bowl, toss the seafood with the vermicelli, tomatoes, bean sprouts, mint, red onion, peanuts and chile dressing. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and fill with the seafood salad. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

Make Ahead All of the components can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated separately. Toss the salad just before serving.

Have a great day