Bowling, Lions.

Bowling again Wednesday afternoon. Guess I will bowl well again one of these days. Matt had one good game. But our whole team isn’t really doing very well. My excuse is that its new lanes, wearing a bit thin now though. We were hearing from a couple of people that the rebuilding of Waterloo Lanes, where we used to bowl, seems to have fallen through all round, so it looks as though we will be doing our winter bowling where we are. In one way that’s good for us as it is much closer to home, but in another, its a pity to lose old friends. Not sure how many of the previous bunch will join us at the new alley.

Saw an interesting programme on Public TV called The Truth About Lions. This was the first part, not sure how many in total. They have been studying lions for years, one of the things they were trying to establish was why were lions the only cats which were social and co-operative? Here is a You Tube video.


As a change from asparagus for a while, I thought we would have a refreshing dessert.

Lemon Tart

Source: Casual Cuisines of the World - Bistro
Serves 6
Bistro dessert carts regularly feature at least one type of citrus tart. This recipe produces a refreshing creamy and tart lemon custard for filling, and a tender, flaky pastry shell. For a simple variation, lime or orange juice can be used in place of all or some of the lemon juice.
 
INGREDIENTS
Sweet Pastry Dough (see recipe)
For Lemon Filling:
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
For Lemon Garnish:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3 paper-thin slices of lemon
Other necessary recipes: Sweet Pastry Dough

DIRECTIONS
FOR THE SWEET PASTRY DOUGH: Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch-diameter tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12 inch-diameter round and 1/8-inch thick. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared tart pan. Unwrap the dough from the pin and press it gently into the pan. Trim the pastry even with the pan rim.
Line the pastry-lined pan with parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the pastry is half-cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and waxed paper.
FOR THE LEMON FILLING: Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice, eggs, lemon zest and 1 1/4 cups of the sugar in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the melted butter. Pour the lemon mixture into the warm tart crust. Return it to the oven and bake until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer the tart to a rack. Cool completely.
FOR THE LEMON GARNISH: In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar. Add the reserved lemon slices, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Remove the lemon slices from the sugar-water mixture, shaking briefly to remove any excess liquid, and place on a plate.
TO SERVE THE TART: Remove pan sides from tart. Transfer the tart to a serving plate. Arrange lemon slices in an overlapping pattern atop the center of the tart and serve at room temperature.

Have a great day.