The South and Spring

Matt is watching The Masters which, of course, takes place in Georgia. Seeing bits of it now and again, I am noticing the azaleas in bloom and then I caught sight of a Dogwood. This makes me homesick for our place in the Carolinas where we had two Dogwoods in our front yard and azaleas edging the path up to the front door and along both sides of the house.








Just had to share my nostalgia with you. All of these were borrowed. I am sure we have some pix but can’t find them.

I regret I am not feeling too good lately, touch of bronchitis or something, so if I don’t make all the visits I should, I apologise. At least all my A to Z blogs are already written.

Hope the weekend is treating you well.

K is for Kingfisher and Kedgeree

The Kingfisher is such a pretty bird and I believe wonderful to watch. Sinlaw Mike has done several paintings of these gorgeous little birds. (See link at the side). Most species are found outside the Americas, there are roughly 90 species of these brightly coloured birds. In Britain the word Kingfisher generally refers to the Common Kingfisher. Some of the species are threatened with extinction which seems very sad as they are so attractive. The first picture shows the Amazon Kingfisher which is one of the few species found in the Americas. The second picture is of the Common Kingfisher seen in the British Isles and other parts of Europe. I know Mike has painted at least one Kingfisher he found in Singapore which he has shown in past issues of his blog The Scolopax Chronicles.

Kedgeree is originally an Indian dish which the British brought back to England after they had spent time in India. There appear to be many versions of it, I know Nigella Lawson makes a version with canned salmon, but I always loved the recipe my father made, however non-authentic. The only trouble is, he used to make it with smoked haddock which is something you can very rarely find where I live. I have made it with smoked cod which is occasionally available. I like lots of butter on mine! I think I used this for K last year, but it is a favourite.

Kedgeree

1 lb smoked haddock (smoked cod can be substituted)
Milk to cover
1 cup long grain rice (Basmati is best)
Butter
seasoning
2 hard cooked eggs.

1. First poach the haddock in the milk until the fish flakes easily. Remove the fish,  break it up and make sure there is no skin or bones left. Meanwhile cook the rice as directed on the package. Melt a large knob of butter (2 oz.) in a saucepan and add the rice and fish and cook, stirring, til warmed through. You may need more butter, I use lots when making this. Taste for seasoning and add if required. Slice the eggs and remove the yolks. Turn the fish and rice onto a serving dish, decorate with the slices of egg white and then sieve the yolks over the top. As a variation you can add a dash of cayenne and/or a teaspoon of curry powder blended into the butter. You can also add thick cream at the end, if you wish and don’t care about cholesterol.
2. You can decorate the final dish with more hard cooked eggs and even parsley if you wish.

Have a great weekend

J is for Junco and Japanese Pizza.

When we lived in the Carolinas we used to see lots of Juncos at our birdfeeder. At first sight they were not a particularly special bird, but when you watch them long enough they are fascinating and I particularly loved their white feathered tails. Dark-eyed Juncos are neat, even flashy little sparrows that flit about forest floors of the western mountains and Canada, then flood the rest of North America for winter. They’re easy to recognize by their crisp (though extremely variable) markings and the bright white tail feathers they habitually flash in flight. One of the most abundant forest birds of North America, you’ll see juncos on woodland walks as well as in flocks at your feeders or on the ground beneath them. I always figured the tail design would be great for a skirt, panels of slate grey and white.

Not a good visiting day for me yesterday, life got in the way, well bowling of course. Hope to catch up today.

This sounded like a good fusion of east and west cuisines from Food and Wine. Togarashi is like a chili pepper.

Japanese Pizza

Contributed by Grant Achatz

• SERVINGS: 4 
• 

"Think fried rice meets pizza," says Chicago chef Grant Achatz, who makes this crazy-fun dish for dinner with his kids. You can pick your toppings, he says, but the most important one is the Manchego cheese, which has a flavour profile that's similar to miso.

1. 2 1/2 ounces shiitake mushrooms—stemmed, caps thinly sliced
2. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
3. 2 tablespoons canola oil
4. 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
5. 3 cups cooked sushi rice
6. 5 ounces firm tofu, sliced
7. 2 teaspoons unagi sauce (optional)
8. 1/3 cup shelled edamame
9. 5 ounces Manchego cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
10. 1/2 cup soy bean sprouts
11. Kosher salt
12. Togarashi and toasted white and black sesame seeds, for sprinkling
13. 1 cup large bonito flakes
14. 6 shiso leaves, thinly sliced
15. 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 375º. In a bowl, toss the mushrooms and soy sauce. Let stand for 5 minutes; drain.
2. In a 9-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat the oils. Press the rice into the skillet, about 1/4 inch thick. Cook over moderately high heat until the bottom is golden, 10 minutes. Top with the tofu in a single layer and drizzle with unagi sauce. Top with the shiitake, edamame, cheese and bean sprouts and season with salt. Sprinkle with togarashi and sesame seeds.
3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake on the top shelf for 15 minutes, until the top is golden. Slide the pizza onto a platter; top with the bonito, shiso and cilantro and serve.

Notes Sweet-salty unagi sauce is available at Japanese markets.

Have a great day

I is for Ibis and Iscas

Ibis are a group of long legged wading birds. They have long down curved bills and usually feed in a group digging into the mud. We used to see the American White Ibis all over the place in the inland waterways of North Carolina. Other species can be found in many places of the world. You also see them on lawns digging for food. They are primarily monogamous and both the males and females care for the young. However the males do occasionally have a harem in order to ensure breeding success.

I actually used this recipe last year on the same date, of course, but I like it so much I thought you might like to see it again. I might point out that I really don’t much like liver, but I love this way of preparing it, a Portuguese dish.

Iscas: Marinated Liver with Red Wine Sauce
Foods of the World: Time Life

Note: all measurements are English so a pint is 20 fluid ounces

Serves 4

1/4 pt. dry red wine
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp of finely chopped garlic (or more if preferred)
1/2 bay leaf, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb calf's liver, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
2 1/2 tbs olive oil
3 rashers of bacon, coarsely chopped
2 tbs finely chopped parsley

Put the wine, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, salt and a few grindings of pepper into a glass, enamelled or stainless-steel bowl or baking dish. Add the liver, turning the slices about with a spoon until they are evenly coated. Marinate at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Heat the olive oil over a moderate heat in a large, heavy fry pan until a light haze forms above it. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp. Drain on a double thickness of paper towel.
Remove the liver slices from the marinade and pat them dry with paper towel. Reserve the marinade. Heat the bacon fat remaining in the fry pan until it splutters. Add the liver and cook the slices about 2 minutes on each side, regulating the heat so they brown quickly and evenly without burning. Remove the liver to a heated dish.
Quickly pour the reserved marinade into the pan and boil it uncovered over a high heat until it has reduced to about half, meanwhile scraping in any browned bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Taste for seasoning. Scatter the bacon pieces over the liver, pour the sauce over it and sprinkle with parsley. Serve at once.
 
If you don't like liver, I recommend it. If you do like liver, I recommend it even more.

Have a great day

H is for Hyrax and Hainan Chicken Rice.

Before you read my H post, I need to tell you all that I will be slow visiting any of you today as I have doctors' appointments. Nothing serious, just check ups and things, but I will not be computing that's a dead cert.

Hyrax kept coming up in Matt’s crossword puzzles and although I was familiar with the word,  I was not sure what exactly it was. Eventually I googled. Turns out it is the cutest little critter. According to Wikipedia, it is often thought of as being a rodent but is, in fact, more closely related to the elephant. Now there’s a surprise. Typically, they measure between 30 and 70 cm long and weigh between 2 and 5 kg. If you check Wikipedia it gives the history of it’s development. There are, apparently several types of Hyrax scattered around including tree hyraxes. They generally inhabit rocky areas in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. There is an interesting comparison with them and elephants, dugongs and manatees. It is thought that the Hyrax may have evolved from an aquatic creature.

By the way, I just wanted to say, if I don't get to your blog today, we have doctor's appointments all day. I will try and get there ASAP.

This sounds a very easy meal and also tasty.

Hainan Chicken Rice

By Heydarl on April 09, 2007

Photo by Leggy Peggy
Servings: 4

"A simple meal that can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Retain the stock in a separate, covered container. Complete the dish just before serving. From Family Circle Chinese and Asian Cookbook"
 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 kg whole chickens
• 1 sprig celery leaves
• 3 peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger, finely grated
• 2 teaspoons garlic, finely grated
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 2 cups short-grain rice

Dipping Sauces

• 1 tablespoon ginger, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 red chilli, chopped or 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
•  

Soup

• 1/2 cup Chinese cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Directions

1. Wash chicken under cold water. Place in a large pan with the celery leaves, peppercorns, salt and spring onion, cover with water. Cover the pan, bring to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave, covered, for 45 minutes.
2. Heat the oils in a pan with a well fitting lid. Add ginger, garlic and onion and cook until soft and golden. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the oil to use for a Dipping Sauce.
3. Add rice to pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, Add 3 cups of stock from the pan in which the chicken was cooked. Bring to the boil. Simmer until holes appear in the rice.
4. Cover pan tightly and reduce heat to very low. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid; fluff up the rice with a fork.
5. While rice is cooking, remove the chicken from the pan, retaining the stock for the Soup. Joint Western-style or chop Chinese-style. Arrange pieces on a serving platter; keep warm.
6. To make Dipping Sauces: Use reserved tablespoon of cooking oils and combine with grated ginger. For the second sauce, combine soy sauce and chili.
7. To make Soup: The remaining stock may be served alongside the rice dish as a soup. Strain it, bring to the boil and add the Chinese cabbage. Pour into a bowl; sprinkle with coriander.
8. Serve chicken, rice and Dipping Sauces with the bowl of hot chicken broth on the side.

Have a great day

G is for Goats and Gazpacho

There are all kinds of goats,  in fact there are over 300 distinct breeds according to Wikipedia which has masses of interesting information. Domestic goats and sheep are closely related. Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species, and have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. In 2011, there were more than 924 million live goats around the globe. Females are known as “does” or “nannies” and male goats as “bucks” or “billies”, juveniles are “kids”. Castrated goats are “wethers”. Don’t remember ever hearing that before. This picture shows a domestic goat feeding in a field of capeweed, a plant which is toxic to most stock animals but not goats. I remember when I was 15 staying with a French family who had a goat and we learned to catch the horns in our hands so we didn’t get hurt. Goats in my experience, have a tendency to be aggressive, they are also curious and very intelligent.

I first ate Gazpacho in Malta at the Sheraton Hotel. I loved it from the get go. The original version of this soup was made with a pestle and mortar but these days we are both short of time and lazy so we tend to use blenders. Pity because it changes the texture. I personally love the garnishes, but as you will see, the author of this recipe is against them. Also, in the early days in Spain, this was not refrigerated, they didn’t have fridges, so the soup was often left in the shade of a tree to cool. Some recipes use a splash of Worcestershire sauce for seasoning too and that wouldn’t have been available in old Spain.

Gazpacho

Source: Mediterranean Cooking for Pleasure
Robin McDouall

Serves 6

1 onion
4 cloves garlic
2 tomatoes
1 roasted red pepper
1/2 cucumber (English style)
salt and pepper
parsley
fresh basil
1 thick slice white bread, without crust
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups water

Chop all the ingredients, except the bread which you soak in water. Pound all (including the bread) together in a mortar or, though not so good, put them through a blender. Mix in the olive oil. Then add the water, gradually, whisking well. Serve very cold – if you like with an ice cube in each plate.
In restaurants you often get little dishes of finely chopped tomato, pepper, cucumber and toasted bread – a mistake in my opinion – which you sprinkle into your soup

Have a great day

F is for Foxes Fettuccine and Feta.

This is an incredible piece of video. I hadn’t seen it before but a friend sent it to me at the beginning of February.


I have always loved foxes and although as a child the sight of a Foxhunt was always thrilling, today I am always horrified that anyone could hunt such a beautiful animal. There are 37 species of fox although only 12 of those species belong to the “true fox”.  I posted a picture a year or so ago of the Fenec which is a small fox from the desert. But in fact the species is spread globally. The Arctic Fox with its white coat is a lovely sight to see.

Had to just tell you. We had snow on Friday. Snow!!!!!! Aargh

This recipe contains both Fettuccine and Feta so really fits this letter.

Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce

Food Network TV

Recipe courtesy of Ellie Krieger 

Yield: 6 (1 cup) servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese or a 6-ounce block
• 1 pound whole-wheat fettuccine
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 10 minutes. Add roasted peppers and sauté until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor with stock and all but 2 tablespoons of the feta. Process until combined and smooth, about 30 seconds. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss pasta with sauce, adding pasta water by the tablespoon, if needed. Sauce should cling nicely to pasta. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Divide among pasta bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and remaining feta cheese.

Have a great day

E is for Egret and Easter Hot Cross Muffins

OK I started thinking that an Egret was an Egret. I had heard about the Cattle Egret but didn’t know they were a different bird. There is a Great Egret, a Snowy Egret, a Cattle Egret and a Little Egret. The one’s we used to see regularly in the Carolinas were Snowy Egrets. They were all over the place and we loved to see them. They are a breed of heron, another thing I didn’t know. A to Z sure teaches me things. I thought this was a pretty picture of it displaying its plumes. Once upon a time Egrets were hunted for said plumes to decorate ladies hats and I don’t think it did the population much good as their populations were reduced to dangerously low numbers. They nest in colonies and travelling the coastal waters of the Carolinas one could see trees absolutely covered in Egrets, a lovely sight to see.

So ends the first week of the A to Z Challenge.

This is different, never heard of hot cross muffins before.
 

Easter Hot Cross Muffins

By Redsie on March 06, 2006

• Serves: 12, Yield: 12 muffins

 

"When I saw this recipe in Chatelaine magazine, I just had to try it! One of my favourite things about Easter is hot cross buns - so I was really happy to see an easy recipe for hot cross muffins! Now I can enjoy hot cross muffins all year round! You can bake as muffins or as a loaf."
 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon clove (optional)
• 1/2 cup candied peel
• 1/2 cup chopped dried apricot
• 1 egg
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze

• 1 1/4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 4 teaspoons orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Place raisins in a small bowl. Pour juice overtop. Microwave, covered, until hot, 1 minute Set aside. Lightly coat or spray a 12-cup muffin tin or 9x5 inch loaf pan with oil. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt and cloves. Stir in raisin mixture, candied peel and apricots.
2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk egg. Whisk in milk, oil, butter and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture. Stir just until mixed. Batter will be lumpy. Divide between muffin cups or scrape into loaf pan and smooth top.
3. Bake in centre of preheated oven until a cake tester inserted into centre of muffins or loaf comes out clean, 20 to 25 minute for muffins, 1 hour for loaf. Remove pan to a cooling rack. After 5 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on rack. Store muffins or loaf in an airtight container and store at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
4. Glaze:.
5. Stir sifted icing sugar with orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled muffins in a criss-cross pattern to mimic hot cross buns or spoon over loaf, if you wish.

Have a great weekend

D is for Dugong and Daging Bumbu Bali

The Dugong is a large marine mammal which is being hunted to extinction for its meat and oil. It is the only completely marine herbivore and has a tail like a dolphin but otherwise no fins. It has paddles which it uses to help swim. Its relative, Steller’s Sea Cow, was hunted to extinction in the 1800s. It is such a peaceful animal that it seems such a shame that man is causing it to disappear. Destruction of habitat is another problem for the dugong. Its range spans 37 countries throughout the Indo-Pacific, but the main distribution today is in Australia between Shark and Moreton Bay. Another animal we are causing the possible loss of in the future.

Just in passing, and as a tribute to Al Diaz, D is also for Dragon. Father Dragon of course.

This time we go to Indonesia for a spicy meat stew.

Daging Bumbu Bali - Indonesian meat-dish

By Pets'R'us on October 07, 2002

Photo by kiwidutch

• Servings: 4

 

"I have cooked this dish for more then 25 years and the only thing I have changed about it is that I don't eat it on the day I cook it. I put it in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze it, (leaving the leaves in), until I need it. This has two reasons, the flavors improve and as the cook I find you can enjoy it more because the smell of the spices, when cooking lessens your appetite."
 

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean stewing beef, cut in chunks
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons sambal oelek  (any store stocking Asian foods)
• 3 -4 birds eye chilis
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 4 kaffir lime leaves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup ketjap manis ( sweet soya sauce)
• 1/3 cup oil ( for frying)
• vinegar
• salt
• sugar

Directions

1. Add enough water to the beef to cover, bring very slowly to a simmer and cook until done, (as with making any stock, this can take a few hours).
2. Put in the food processor: onions, sambal, chilies, garlic and shrimp paste.
3. Process until you have a paste.
4. Fry this paste in the oil on a medium heat for a few minutes together with the kaffir and bay leaves.
5. Add the soja sauce, a little vinegar, the cooked meat and 1 to 2 cups of the meat stock.
6. Simmer for approx 15 minutes, and then taste for salt, sugar and maybe more vinegar.
7. Serve this with rice and other Indonesian dishes, what is really great as a little side dish is to quarter a few bananas and quickly fry them in butter until brown and starting to soften, keep warm in the oven until you are ready to serve.
8. The little chilies make this dish pretty hot and I sometimes leave them out.

Have a great day

C is for Cuckoo and Caakiri

The cuckoo is to English spring as the Robin is to North America. The call of the cuckoo heard over the hills and dales of the English countryside is a welcome sound each year. You can hear it here. I didn’t realise, before writing this, that the cuckoo family is spread widely turning up in many parts of the world and apparently the bird with which I am familiar is the Common Cuckoo. It is a bird parasite because it lays its eggs in the nests of other species. Here again, there are many cuckoos which do not do this, silly me I thought it was a feature of cuckoos. After all that is where the word cuckold came from. Translation: a man who’s wife produces another man’s child. These days I guess that can happen with surrogates, but cuckold is an old fashioned word. We saw a whole flock of cuckoos in our North Carolina back yard once, they devastated a plant which was full of bugs, and then we never saw them again although the bugs came back. I don't ever remember actually seeing a cuckoo in England.

Here’s an interesting sounding pudding from Food.com. It has its origins in Africa. I like couscous so will definitely try this one.
 

Caakiri (Couscous Pudding)

By Random Rachel

Photo by Annacia
 

• Servings: 4

 

"A simple couscous pudding. Makes 4 - 1 cup servings. From congocooking.com"
 

Ingredients

• 2 cups couscous
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 cups yogurt (plain or vanilla)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 dash nutmeg (optional)
• raisins or crushed pineapple or mint ( to garnish)

Directions

1. Prepare 2 cups of couscous according to package directions and allow to cool.
2. Combine evaporated milk, yogurt, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Stir yogurt mixture into couscous.
3. Add more sugar, to taste. Garnish as desired. Serve warm or chilled.

Have a great day

B is for Bluebird and Baklava.

When we lived in North Carolina, we used to get Eastern Bluebirds visiting and nesting in our back yard. When we moved back to Canada, we ended up living in the Bluebird Apartments. Coincidence? There are actually Eastern, Western and Mountain Bluebirds. It is a great bird to attract to your garden because it devours insects and soon rids you of any such pests. They can be a tad aggressive though, we had a Prothonotary Warbler that had nested in our yard for a couple of years and a Bluebird decided he wanted the nesting box so the two birds had a punch up. The Bluebird won and sadly we didn’t see the Prothonotary again, not even in later years. Bluebirds are, apparently a species of thrush and obviously live in a widely spread area of the United States. We were thrilled when they first started nesting in our yard because they are supposed to prefer more open spaces, but less happy after the punch up.

There are probably as many recipes for Baklava as there are Greek homes. The Turks also make Baklava. It is a dessert I have loved since I first visited Greece in the late ‘60s. I can even tell you how to make it in Greek, one of my early Greek lessons. I have forgotten a lot of the Greek I learnt, but not that, funnily enough.

Baklava
Allrecipes.ca

Servings: 18

"Baklava uses phyllo dough stacked with honey and nuts to make a sweet Mediterranean dessert that everyone will love."

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2.
Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3.
Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4.
Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5.
Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up

Have a great day

A is for Albatross and Amaretto Syllabub.

Albatrosses are large sea birds which are found in the Southern Ocean and the Northern Pacific. They are not found in the Atlantic although fossils show that they once lived in that ocean. There are different species, but the largest of them all has a wing span of 12 ft. That is huge. They often follow ships as I guess they know various edibles are likely to be jettisoned from the galleys. The Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, was based on the killing of an albatross which was supposed to be unlucky.  In fact it turns out that the albatross was often killed for food despite the fact that sailors are some of the most superstitious people in the world. They start breeding later than most birds and have complicated courting dances to entice a mate. They spend a lot of time in the air and banded birds have been tracked circumnavigating the globe in their extensive travels. Apparently the Maori use their wing bones to carve flutes. The albatross is a threatened species; once due to man stealing feathers and today because of introduced species in their nesting areas such as rats and feral cats which eat their eggs. A Laysan albatross, named "Wisdom" on Midway Island is recognized as the oldest wild bird in the world; she was first banded in 1956 by Chandler Robbins.  A legend is that the soul of  a sailor lost at sea ends up as an Albatross which inspired me to write a poem too.

The Albatross

With wings outstretched
You sail the skies
And, so they say
When a sailor dies
His soul departs
And enters you
To guard o’er ships.
If this be true
Then when you soar
On thermals fine
I pray you, guard
This ship of mine.

Jo Wake

To me, this sounds absolutely delicious. I love syllabubs and the addition of Amaretto has got to improve it no end.


AMARETTO SYLLABUB

Nigella Lawson

• 2.8 fl oz (80 ml) amaretto liqueur
• 1 oz (25g) caster sugar
• ½ fl oz (15 ml) lemon juice
• 0.4 pt (225 ml) double cream
• 1 (8 oz (225g) ) packet amaretti morbidi (soft almond macaroons) 

Method 

Pour the amaretto liqueur into a bowl with the sugar and lemon juice and whisk using light, rapid sweeping strokes to thicken or thoroughly combine ingredients. You can also use a whisk attachment of a food processor. Whisk in the double cream and whip this mixture until it has thickened but is still soft and billowy.

Crumble 2 little amaretti biscuits into each of the 4 glasses (each with a yield of about 180ml).

Divide the syllabub between the glasses on top of the crumbled biscuits.

Crumble another cookie or 2, and sprinkle this golden rubble over the top of all the glasses to give a fine sprinkle of crumbs on each. Serve the remaining amaretti alongside the syllabub.

Have a great day

2014 A to Z Challenge

Tomorrow I and around 2,000 other bloggers start the 2014 A to Z Blogging Challenge. The hosts for this Blogfest are:

Arlee Bird @ Tossing it Out
Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Author Stephen Tremp
Tina @ Life is Good
Damyanti@ Amlokiblogs
Jeremy @ Being Retro
Nicole Ayers - The Madlab Post
M. J. Joachim's Writing Tips
Heather M. Gardner
AJ @ Naturally Sweet
Pam @ An Unconventional Librarian

The original idea for this blogfest was Arlee Bird’s. The idea is that for the whole month of April one writes a blog a day (not Sundays those are rest days) pertaining to the letter of the alphabet assigned to that day. April 1 is A, April 2 is B and so on. This is my third time of participating and I have found it great fun. We are also honour bound to visit the blogs of as many of the other participants as we can and they will all return the compliment – we hope. Because there is such a lot of work involved, the hosts have helpers, known as minions, and I am on Tina’s Terrific Team this year (see the badge in the side bar). This involves checking on 20 assigned blogs and making sure they are keeping up and helping if and when necessary then reporting back to our team leaders. I actually had my posts finished by mid March as otherwise there is so much to do it is difficult to keep up. Life still has to be lived after all. Many bloggers don’t write every day so it really is a challenge for them, for me it is easier because I already post 6/7. So, as they say at the Olympics, LET THE GAMES BEGIN.

If you are taking part in the challenge, I wish you all the best and hope to see you along the way. If you haven’t yet signed up, you still can I believe. Click on any one of the host’s names above. In fact you can still sign in til April 2, 2014 and the sign in list gives you the exact date and time. Do join us. The more the merrier. You can get to know all kinds of other bloggers as well as get new followers for your own blog.

This recipe from Food and Wine looks absolutely delicious. Sadly I cannot afford the price one has to pay for duck in these parts. But hopefully some of you will have access to inexpensive duck and can try it.

© Amy Neunsinger

Pappardelle with Duck Ragù

Contributed by Curtis Stone

• ACTIVE: 1 HR 15 MIN
• TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 45 MIN
• SERVINGS: 6

Celebrity chef Curtis Stone makes his delicious pasta sauce by braising duck legs in white wine with dried porcini, prosciutto and herbs.
 

1. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. Three 1-pound duck legs, skin and excess fat removed
3. Kosher salt
4. Freshly ground pepper
5. 6 large shallots, finely chopped
6. 1 large carrot, chopped
7. 2 celery stalks, chopped
8. 3 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
9. 2 rosemary sprigs
10. 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
11. 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
12. 1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, ground to a powder in a spice grinder
13. 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
14. 3 cups chicken stock
15. 8 ounces dried pappardelle noodles
16. 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
17. 2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the duck legs with salt and pepper and add to the casserole. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate.
2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the casserole. Add the shallots, carrot, celery, prosciutto, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the porcini powder and wine. Simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the casserole, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return the duck legs to the casserole, cover and braise in the oven until the legs are very tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes; turn the duck legs halfway through braising.
3. Transfer the duck legs to a plate and let them cool slightly. Remove the duck meat from the bones and shred into bite-size pieces. Return the duck to the ragù and season with salt and pepper; keep warm. Discard the rosemary stems.
4. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the pappardelle until al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water. In a bowl, whisk the ricotta with 2 tablespoons of the cooking water until smooth.
5. Add the pasta to the ragù along with 3/4 cup of the reserved cooking water and the 2 tablespoons of pecorino. Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until the pasta is hot and coated with sauce; add more cooking water if the sauce is too thick. Transfer the pasta to shallow bowls, top with the ricotta and serve, passing additional pecorino at the table.

Make Ahead: The ragù can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving.

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