Road Works, Rapid Transit System, Christmas Food,

Talking about the roadworks around town yesterday, I thought I would take some pics of how bad it is just getting somewhere on King St.

That's just one spot on King St. But the whole street is like that. Luckily we wanted to go to places on both sides of the road opposite one another. We then had to drive a distance on a dirt road to get to a turning which would lead us back to civilisation. As you can see from the first picture, they have started paving spots of the road so, the end is nigh! Except that winter is coming on and not much can be done in the snow. Everywhere you go in the town there are major roadworks, some have now been completed after several years of work, others have just been started. All to do with a rapid transport system which I really don't know much about, but which I gather most people think is a waste of time. I have just been reading the page I have linked to and in my opinion it is a load of utter nonsense. I think they are wasting millions of dollars on something which will not get used very much.

Matt got the all clear from his doc once again. We then went into the store and I got my ground veal

and found some nice looking lamb chops too. I talked to them about getting a small piece of pork leg for Christmas. I obviously don't want a whole leg, they are rather large. He assured me they carried what I want all the time. Checked out the shelves and yes, they had some suitable pieces. Thought about buying one but decided against it. They were not that expensive either I was pleased to see. In passing I looked at the frozen geese, $67 or so. Maybe I should send Matt out with a gun. I do so love geese and ducks but just cannot afford them at that price. For my English readers, would you comment on the price of geese and ducks for me to compare. I used to buy them but I am talking 40 years ago now. We have been in Canada that long. The only time I had goose here was with a friend who had a license to shoot Canada Geese once a year or something like that. Good, but I am spoilt because I have always eaten geese bred for the table. Maybe I should buy one as a Christmas present to the pair of us. But considering how long it is since I last cooked one, I would be almost scared  to try. I could always try raising money on GoFundMe!!!!

This is a recipe from NY Times based on a very old recipe. But I want goose......... Sigh.

Chicken Fricassee With Vermouth

Craig Claiborne And Pierre Franey

• Yield 4 to 6 servings

 

This is an elegant, velvety take on a traditional skillet-supper, perfect with a mound of fluffy white rice. Cooking this fricassee with the aperitif known as dry vermouth instead of the more traditional white wine results in a slightly sweeter and more aromatic sauce than you would ordinarily get. (White vermouth is composed of, among other things, white wine plus a bit of sugar, herbs and plants and, at times, the bark of trees.) But white wine will work as well.

Ingredients

• 1 three-and-one-half-pound, ready-to-cook chicken, cut into serving pieces
• Salt, if desired
• Freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• ¾ cup dry white vermouth
• ¼ cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 cup carrots cut into fine, julienne strips, about two inches long
• 1 ½ cups loosely packed leeks cut into fine, julienne strips, about three inches long
• ½ cup heavy cream

Preparation

1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the chicken pieces skin side down. Cook over moderate heat about one minute without browning.
3. Scatter the onion over all and cook 30 seconds. Add the garlic and stir it around. Cook the chicken about four minutes, turning the pieces often in the butter.
4. Sprinkle the flour over all, turning the pieces so that they are evenly coated. Add the vermouth, chicken broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and cook over moderate heat about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring two batches of water to the boil for the carrots and leeks. Drop the carrots into one batch, the leeks in the other. Let the carrots simmer about one minute and drain. Let the leeks simmer about four minutes.
6. When the chicken has cooked for a total of 30 minutes (start to finish), add the carrots, leeks and cream. Let simmer about two minutes. Serve with rice.

Have a great day
 

Champagne, Realms Faire. Road Works.

There is a new report out which says if you drink 3 glasses of champagne daily, it may help to prevent Alzheimer's. I'm all for it. I drink champagne on Sunday morning and it is my favourite beverage. I have two glasses just before lunch and I do get a teeny bit tipsy. So 3 a day I would be flying high. Mind you after a while one would get used to it.  We buy splits of champagne, each small bottle being just the right size for a glass. They cost approximately $10 for 3 small bottles. That means $70 a week or $3,640 a year. Sorry, can't afford that, guess I will just have to risk the disease after all. Not only that, as it turns out, the study has only been carried out with rats. On GMA today (Tuesday) they had lots of volunteers for human testing. I too would volunteer if they need someone round here. Of course the Henkell Trocken we buy for me is not champagne, but a sparkling wine made in the methode champenoise. They are no longer allowed to use the word champagne unless the wine comes from the Champagne region of France. As a final note, Matt is NOT a champagne drinker unless it has been made into a cocktail. The one he likes and makes, you drop a cube of sugar into the glass, a half shot of cognac, a dash of angostura bitters and a sliver of orange peel and then top up the glass with champagne. We used to serve those on Christmas morning together with a really good ham and Colman's English mustard. These days we don't really have friends who don't have families with whom they celebrate.

There are lots of games going on at Realms Faire not just the unicorn one part of which was on this blog yesterday. The first day we had to cheer Alex on because he was fighting War. Each day there is fighting and jousting. I know the jousting is hosted by M. Pax. There are lots of prizes to be won so don't just sit back once you have checked out the unicorns. By the way, I had to get L. Diane Wolf to show me where the unicorns were.

We had to go for our annual eye test today. I have mentioned the roadworks going on in our town right now and the impossibility of getting to places on King St. In fact some businesses have closed because people just won't bother (well we basically don't) because it's so difficult. So, half way to the optometrist, what do we find, no through road and a diversion. I reckon we went a good mile out of our way to get back onto our road. It's absolutely ridiculous. They seem to be doing roadworks all over the town. Tomorrow, Matt has a doc. appointment and we have to go up a different street, then follow the signs which one store has put out all over the place. They are right opposite the office Matt is going to. The store is a very popular grocery store and, these days, is one of the few which still cut meat. I want ground veal and they are the only people that have it. I am going to be ordering a pork roast for Boxing Day too (Dec. 26). That picture is how they used to be. Nowadays the road in front is completely torn up. Has been for months. I have heard of at least two stores which have closed and a MacDonalds.

I remembered a recipe I used to make quite a lot, once upon a time, and it was called Jarret de Boeuf en Daube. I knew exactly which cookbook it was in - only it wasn't. I was astounded and now I don't know which cookbook it came from. It was well before the age of computers. So, I looked it up online. First, I discovered, Jarret de Boeuf meant shin of beef. I didn't know that. Basically that just translates to stewing beef nowadays. Here is one of the recipes I found. This is an absolutely wonderful dish. Burgundy is not readily available round here unfortunately, so I recommend a good, full bodied, red wine if you can't find it. One thing I don't remember in the recipe I used to make, is the addition of tomatoes.

Boeuf En Daube - French Beef Burgundy in the Crock Pot

A delicious and heady combination of good red wine, prime beef, smoked bacon, dried orange, shallots, garlic and cèpes - dried forest mushrooms! A traditional French recipe with a twist - cook it in the crock pot for ease and convenience. Wonderful in the depths of winter, but equally lovely with

crisp salads,crusty bread and baked potatoes during the summer - the addition of orange making it a lighter beef dish than the more usual Beef Daube or Beef Burgundy. An excellent choice for a family reunion or celebration, as it is VERY well behaved! It also freezes well and is a great pie filling idea.

Ingredients Nutrition

Servings 8-12  

• 5 lbs prime beef, cubed and trimmed of fat
• 1 lb shallot, peeled
• 4 -6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped finely
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
• 2 -4 bay leaves
• 750 ml Burgundy wine  
• 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb lardons, Smoked Bacon pieces
• ¹⁄₂ ounce dried cèpes, soaked for 1 hr
• 6 -8 pieces dried orange peel, see method
• 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
• sea salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 -2 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch), for thickening
• 2 tablespoons cognac
• 2 -4 sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped finely (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) can chopped tomatoes (optional)

50 All-Time Dinner Favorites

Directions

1. Marinade the beef with the herbs, shallots and garlic over night in the bottle of red wine.
2. Drain and put the wine to one side.
3. In a large skillet or frying pan, sear and brown the beef pieces over a high heat in the olive oil until nutty & brown. Do not overcrowd the pan!
4. Place browned beef into the crock pot or cast iron Casserole Dish.
5. Fry the lardons or chopped bacon pieces until crispy and golden brown. Drain and add to the beef.
6. Brown the shallots and garlic in the bacon fat and add to the beef and bacon.
7. Add all the other ingredients, except the cornflour, to the crock pot including the reserved wine.
8. (Add the tinned tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes at this stage too if you are using them.).
9. Cook on automatic or High for 4 hours and Low for up to 6 hours.
10. (For conventional cooking - pre-heat oven to 175° C or 325° F or gas mark 3 and cook SLOWLY for approximately 4 to 6 hours; check towards the end, the meat should be extemely tender - you MUST not be tempted to cook it quicker, it will be tough!).
11. Towards the end, blend and mix the cornflour with a couple of spoons of the stock in the crock pot and add to the beef, stirring well. It should not be TOO thick but just like a glaze or thickened jus. Add the cognac at this stage as well - stirring into the daube.
12. Serve with Green Beans, Mashed, Steamed or Pureed Potatoes during the colder months OR with a selection of salads, crusty French bread and Pasta during the warmer months. The excess sauce can be used or saved as a fantastic gravy or stock later!
13. THIS IS BETTER MADE 24 HOURS BEFORE EATING!
14. Freezes beautifully - I always make a large batch and then freeze some.
15. NOTE:If you cannot buy sun dried orange peel, make your own, it's VERY easy! Peel some oranges with a swivel head vegetable peeler or parer, be careful not to peel the pith. Spread outside on a rack in the full sun and leave to dry for about 2-4 hours. Weather permitting of course - otherwise dry in an airing cupboard or a very LOW oven overnight.Store in an airtight jar for up to 2 years.
16. If you are really stuck - just grate some fresh orange peel into the daube, it will not have the same intensity as dried peel, but it will work!

Have a great day
 

Bowling, Hedy Lamarr.

What a lousy day's bowling. Not just Matt and I but all four of us on our team today. One of our bowlers hasn't been here for two weeks and this also makes a difference to our team scores because we play with handicaps but don't get those if a player isn't there. I don't like to natter her, but at the same time, she is a team member and she needs to come play. I felt sorry for the younger of the two owners today. His mom went into hospital some distance away for back surgery. Obviously his dad, the other owner, was with her so he, the son, was working from 8 a.m. til 11 p.m. OK he is young (compared to us) and fit but it's still very tiring. We heard that the operation went fine too, so that was good news.

Some of you may have seen the Google Doodle today honouring Hedy Lamarr who would have been 101 today. I remember her from when I was a kid. The movie which stands out for me was Samson and Delilah but looking at the list of her credits, she made one heck of a lot of films. I thought she was a gorgeous looking woman too. I was not, of course, alone in that. What I did not know until today is that she was instrumental together with composer George Antheil, in the invention of a Frequency-hopping spread spectrum or a jam-proof radio guidance system for torpedoes and her work, which was not used at the time, is today used in computers. Their invention is the basis behind current spread-spectrum communication technology, such as GPS, Bluetooth, wireless and cell phones, and Wi-Fi networks. Her history is quite interesting to read at Wiki too.

OK, here's a recipe I dreamed up for pork chops. Very simple but tasty. As I mentioned yesterday, I cooked half a pound of mushrooms as I wanted to use them up. It was good. I would probably do that again. This picture is Matt's plate. You can't tell but that potato is smothered in butter. We do not use foil when baking potatoes as we like the potato skin to crisp up so that we can eat it so we wash and salt the potato before baking. Best part in my opinion. I am a sucker for the potato skins some restaurants do for starters.

Jo's Braised Pork Chops

1 Tbs olive oil
2 pork chops
1/3 onion sliced
4 to 5 mushrooms, sliced
1 glass of red wine or if you prefer, a good quality beef stock
salt and pepper

Sauté pork chops until browned on both sides. Remove from pan. Sauté onions in pan and when softening add mushrooms. Finally add glass of wine (or stock) then pork chops and seasoning. Cover and simmer for about half an hour or until the meat is cooked.

Servings: 2

Have a great day

Realms Faire Unicorn Hunt.

I have been co-opted in the Unicorn Hunt as part of the Realms Faire this week. Last year it was dragons which are my favourites. So here is my segment of the Unicorn Hunt hosted by L. Diane Wolfe. Lots of luck to all of you hunting.

You are charged with tracking down the unicorns!

Every day the week of November 9-13, a new blogger will host a photo. (See Diane’s site for list of bloggers and prizes.) You will have to find the unicorns in the image, much like the famous “Where’s Waldo?” Leave a comment stating how many unicorns you find in that image. The most correct guesses out of five, wins. Grand prize include gift cards and books.

Five images - many unicorns - only one winner!

Realms Faire site:

http://mpaxauthor.com/realmsfaire/

L. Dianne's site:

http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/

So, dear readers, I wish you all lots of luck.

Have a great day
 

Books, Dinner, Exercise.

Not a lot going on in our lives at the moment, principally because I am trying to read all these library books which have turned up at roughly the same time. The other day I finished the latest Valdemar book Closer to the Heart by Mercedes Lackey. Part of the Herald Spy series. Now I am wading through a huge book by Robin Hobb called Fool's Quest. I think I may have missed the one before so I guess I will have to get hold of it. But boy is it a big book. - 754 pages. Then I have a thriller (I think) called Little Black Lies and yet another David Weber book waiting at the library to be collected. Phew. I do love to read, but this inundation of books is proving a bit much. The trouble is, I reserved the books ages ago, as I've said, but I had no idea they would all become available at once. Not only that, some of the newer books, like Robin Hobb's, are being awaited by other people. I have very much enjoyed all of Robin Hobb's books and this one is proving to be no exception. Being a dragon fanatic I particularly enjoyed the dragon books which are part of the series although written as a separate trilogy.

Saturday night we had pork chops and I was wondering what to do with them so browsing through

my recipe programme, I discovered one which I had invented and of which I had no recollection. I decided to make it again and it turned out very well. It's odd that I don't remember it one little bit. This is my plate. I have lots of green beans because I don't have a potato. These are French sliced flat beans by the way. Basically the only kind we eat these days unless I do something with the other beans, but we don't enjoy them plain at all. Anyway, as you will see the chop has mushrooms on it, I used more than I had written in the recipe but I wanted to use some up which I had had a tad too long. Maybe I will add the recipe tomorrow. It was pretty good.

Today, Monday, is bowling of course, one of our favourite days of the week. I missed not having an exercise class on Friday and there won't be one on Wednesday so I have been trying to do some of the exercises on my own. It's surprisingly difficult to remember all the things we do. I am more concerned with copying the aerobic exercises. Some of the other things I am fine at anyway. Balance in particular. Since learning T'ai Chi it has improved my balance tremendously. I just wish I could persuade Matt to join these classes. Oh well.

This is a new one on me, something I have never seen before. I don't eat pizza much, but I think I would like to try this one.

Rick Easton's Pizza With Potatoes

 Mark Bittman - New York Times

Potatoes may seem an odd topping for pizza, but the Pittsburgh-based baker and cook Rick Easton has developed a crust that is so sturdy it can actually support more than its own weight, and these potatoes – boiled until soft, hand-crushed, flavored with olive oil and rosemary and made even more delicious by the addition of mozzarella – are not only traditional, but amazing. Be sure to bake the pizza until it is good and brown on the bottom; take a peek if you’re not sure.

Ingredients

Pizza dough

• 3⁄4 teaspoon or 2 grams yeast
• 1 7⁄8 cups lukewarm water
• 3 ½ cups or 500 grams bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 3 teaspoons or 8 grams kosher or sea salt
• 4 tablespoons or 40 grams extra-virgin olive oil

Toppings

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a comfortably large, preferably rectangular plastic container, dissolve the yeast into 13⁄4 cups of lukewarm water. Mix in the flour with your hand, squishing it together, just until the flour is absorbed. The dough will be very wet and shaggy. Remove what stuck to your fingers, and mix into the dough. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
2. Dissolve the salt in remaining 1⁄8 cup of water, and mix with your hand into the dough. Don’t worry if it doesn’t all mix in. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and rest for another 20 minutes at room temperature.
3. With wet hands, release the dough from the sides of the container. Coat the top of the dough with 1 tablespoon of oil, and make a trifold or letter fold by lifting up the dough one-third of the way through and letting the end drop and fold underneath. Repeat this action on the other side so that the seam is on the bottom. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Repeat this process two more times. After the third fold, rest the dough in the refrigerator for about 24 hours. Sometime halfway through resting, repeat the trifold with oil one last time.
4. If you have a pizza stone, slide it on the lowest rack or on the floor of your oven, and heat oven to 500. Heat for at least 30 minutes and preferably longer before baking. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the peels and crush gently into medium chunks by hand; lay on a sheet pan or some wax paper in one layer to allow them to cool.
5. Lightly grease an 18-by-13-inch jellyroll pan with olive oil. (A cookie sheet of a similar size makes a good alternative.) Wipe the pan clean with a dry paper towel; it’s important not to bake the pizza on too much oil. Flip the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently press out into a rectangle 1⁄2-to-3⁄4-inch thick, being careful not to deflate the dough too much. Place one forearm over the dough, and use the other hand to flip the dough over the forearm and then into the pan, leaving the floured side up. Rearrange the dough on the pan, again pressing only lightly.
6. Spread the topping evenly across the dough, drizzle generously with oil and bake on the pizza stone (or directly on the bottom of the oven or lowest rack) for 5 minutes. Move the pizza to the middle rack in the oven, and continue to bake for 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden brown.
7. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, scoop under the pizza, and scrape to release it from the pan. This may take some blind faith and a bit of elbow grease. Slide out onto a cutting board, and slice into pieces using a chef’s knife, scissors or pizza cutter. Serve immediately or at room temperature, or reheat.

Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipe

Even though it's been very hot here in the last couple of days, soup is nearly always welcome and this one from Food and Wine is guaranteed to help cure a cold.

Chicken-Chile Soup

This Mexican-inspired chicken soup by FandW’s Justin Chapple is extremely easy to make. Justin

likes serving it with diced avocado and hot sauce to stir in at the table.

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 poblano chiles—stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• Kosher salt
• 2 quarts chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (1 1/4 pounds)
• Two 15-ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained
• Chopped cilantro, sliced radishes and lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chiles, onion, garlic, coriander and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the chiles are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken and hominy and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Season the soup with salt. Ladle into shallow bowls, garnish with cilantro, sliced radishes and lime wedges and serve.

Make Ahead

The soup can be refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Have a great weekend.
 

Old Books, Summer?, Football Deaths,

In 1947 a book was published called The Bell of the Four Evangelists by Violet Needham. My cousin got it (not how old she was) and in 1952 she passed it on to me. All of Violet Needham's books were intended for children but they always appealed to me both as a child and as an adult. A few weeks ago, at bowling, one of my fellow bowlers started talking about the book and saying how much she had enjoyed it. I told her I had the book and she was so excited. A week later I took the book with me and she was having trouble concentrating on bowling because she had the book. Last week she returned it with a delightful note. Now on Monday I will be taking The Woods of Windri for her. I have four or five of these books but there is one I really wish I had, The Horn  of Merlyns. I wished so hard, I just went and ordered it from Amazon.ca. I didn't know when I wrote this, but this friend is now reading my blog.

Another children's book I still have is The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Gouge. Somehow I lost my original copy so I bought it again a few years ago. I think that one was my all time favourite.

They tell me it is November, but we have had the air conditioner on for the last two days. The sun has been pouring in our windows and turning our living room into an oven. Doesn't happen in the summer I am glad to say otherwise it would be unbearable. Funnily enough this morning (Wednesday) it became really foggy at about 7:30 a.m. but then it dissipated by 9:30 - it wasn't foggy at 7 a.m. though. Weird. We are supposed to get some rain for the weekend and then back to warm temps again next week.

Whilst sitting here at my desktop, Matt has the TV on and they are talking about yet another student who has died because of playing football. Seems to me they should all take up soccer. If I were a parent I would be worried sick about my kids on the football field. OK percentage wise it probably isn't that high, but as they told me when I poo pooed sharks being in the Mediterranean, "it only takes one".

I love the recipes from the New York Times and this one looked good. I have brined turkey but never thought of doing the same to pork chops. Good idea as I only buy small pork chops, the big ones have too much meat on them. They do tend to end up dry unless I braise them in the oven. I've never heard of horseradish with pork chops. No reason why not I suppose.

Pan-Roasted Pork Chops With Apple Fritters

Sam Sifton

• Serves 4

 .

The recipe takes a little planning. You want to brine the pork chops for a day or two before you set out to cook. This gives them a juiciness and depth of flavor you are otherwise unlikely to get from a commercially raised hog. (If you have access to a pig raised on acorns and herbs, feel free to cut corners.) Chef Josh Cohen toasts the spices he uses in his brining liquid before incorporating them. This is very much to the good of the chops and is worth the few extra moments it requires.

Ingredients

For the pork chops and brine

• 1 cup apple cider
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 dried chiles de árbol
• 5 juniper berries
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 4 pork chops on the bone, approximately 1 ½ inches thick
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 shallots peeled and finely diced
• 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup pork or chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon horseradish, ideally freshly grated

For the apple fritters

• 2 cups apple cider
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch rounds
• 1 whole egg
• ½ cup very cold seltzer water
• ½ cup rice flour
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup neutral oil, like canola

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, mix the apple cider with 4 cups of water, the sugar and the salt. Toast the bay leaves, chilies, juniper berries, caraway seeds, mustard seeds and coriander seeds in a small pan set over medium heat until you can smell them, then add to the brine, and stir to combine. Add the pork chops, cover and place in the refrigerator to brine overnight or for up to 48 hours.
2. To pan-roast the pork chops, preheat oven to 375. Remove chops from brine, and pat dry with paper towel. Season the meat aggressively with freshly ground black pepper and a little salt. Set a large sauté pan that will fit in the oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and when it is shimmering, place the chops in the pan. Cook until well seared on one side, approximately 4 minutes, then turn the chops over, and place pan in the oven to finish, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. (The internal temperature of the pork, measured at the center of the chop, should be between 140 and 145 for medium rare.) Remove the meat from the pan, and allow to rest for 5 minutes or so while you make the sauce.
3. Return the pan to the stovetop, over medium heat, and add the butter, stirring and scraping to incorporate meat drippings, then add the shallots and the thyme. Cook for approximately 3 minutes, then add the brandy. Allow the mixture to reduce by half, then add the cream and the stock and reduce again, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat, and whisk in the mustard and the horseradish.
4. For the apple fritters, heat the apple cider and the cinnamon stick with a couple of inches of water in a large pot set over high heat. Add the apple rounds, and blanch for 1 minute, then remove to a towel to dry. Whisk together the egg and the seltzer until frothy, then gently mix in the flours. Put the oil in a large pan set over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, dip the apple rings into the batter, and fry in the oil until golden brown.
5. Serve the pork chops with a few apple fritters and a heavy drizzle of sauce across the top. The usual accompaniment is potato-and-horseradish pierogies sautéed in brown butter, though roasted new potatoes with a topping of butter and freshly grated horseradish will answer almost as well.

Have a great day

Revival: How a Tenor Lost his Voice, but Found his Calling

Today, being November 5th, I would normally be talking about Guy Fawkes who tried to blow up the houses of parliament in London many years ago. We English have been burning him in effigy for a very long time.  However, it is my pleasure to allow Mark Koopmans to tell you about his Memoir which I was lucky enough to read already and which I found to be an excellent book and sympathetic story. I am delighted to count Mark as a very good friend and I do hope this book has the success it deserves.

Aloha,

Continuing the Book Tour for REVIVAL – The Donald Braswell Story, I am heartily grateful to Jo

for allowing me to share a recipe and explain a little about why I wanted to write about Donald in the first place.

I’m a person full of curiosity (all my friends are nodding), and as I watched Donald on America’s Got Talent, I simply wanted to know more about this “Texas Tenor.” (Living, as I was then in the San Antonio area, one was not likely to trip over many home-grown opera singers.)

When I discovered Donald actually lived within the readership area of the newspaper where I worked as a staff writer, I felt like a little kid in a candy store. (Now I could ask for an interview, without fear of attracting my usual “weird Irish stalker” label!)

As previously mentioned in Melissa’s post (Monday), it was the backstory of Donald’s journey that appealed to my writing chops.

Over time, Donald and I met for numerous interviews, and thank goodness I always brought my recorder, because my jaw and pen would often fight for the first one to hit the floor.

On many occasions, I would think there’s no way this could have happened, but it did, and now I truly believe in miracles—especially musical ones. (You’ll see what I mean when you meet Walter on page 142 of REVIVAL.)

Tomorrow, I’m off to Eva Solar’s blog to discuss “why I write” (and she also has a sweet story to share about our writing/blogging history.)

PS: Thanks again, Jo, and happy Guy Fawkes Day to everyone in the realm of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. (In honor of the foiled plot to blow up the House of Lords in 1605, I humbly offer up the traditional English Shepherd’s Pie as my recipe.)



REVIVAL - The Donald Braswell Story Subtitle: How a Tenor Lost his Voice, but Found his Calling Authors: Donald Braswell with Mark Koopmans Release Date: November 03, 2015

From Juilliard to jumper cables; from wasting all the talent in the world to America’s Got Talent, this is the story of the Texas opera singer who lost his voice—but found his calling.  Five years removed from his 1990 Juilliard graduation, Donald Braswell is set to be “the next Pavarotti.” Braswell’s successful career ends, however, not with a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall, but alone, lying in a dirty ditch. Following the hit-and-run accident that steals his voice and future, the “Texas Tenor” struggles with depression and despair—until the night his daughter, Aria, is born. Understanding this new and immediate life change, Braswell fights to relearn how to speak, sing—and share this gift of second chances with others. Working as a plasterer, a car salesman, and many jobs in-between, it takes thirteen years—and a musical miracle—for Braswell to battle back and sing on a professional stage. His dreams and ambitions collide with a tired and angry crowd when he auditions for America’s Got Talent. For his family, his faith and his entire future, can the Rocky Balboa of the operatic world find the courage and strength to win just one more fight?

To buy, follow the links below.
 
● Amazon.com
● Barnes and Noble   

Mark Koopmans is originally from Ireland. After working in Holland, Spain, France and England, he

won his U.S. “Green Card” in 1994, and is an American by choice since 2003. Koopmans began his writing career with a feature for a regional magazine in California. Since then, he’s worked as a staff writer for newspapers in Florida and Texas. Koopmans is also a proficient blogger and is working on his next book, a novel. Koopmans lives in Virginia and is a married, stay-at-home dad to three active boys under the age of nine. He writes at night. Find his blog at markkoopmans.blogspot.com. :

Donald Braswell II is an American actor, classical crossover tenor
and composer. Braswell was on a fast track to become an internationally acclaimed opera singer when he suffered a car accident in 1995 that made him unable to speak for almost two years. After that, he lived a quiet life

outside of the spotlight until his appearance on the 2008 season of America’s Got Talent where he was a Top 5 finalist, which gave him another chance at a career in entertainment. Since then, he has entertained audiences both internationally as well as shore to shore in the United States in concerts, television appearances, inspirational speaking and radio. He boasts an international fan club with fans from over 25 countries. Braswell has reentered the world of music by singing in concerts starting with the Symphony of the Hills in Kerrville, Texas in June 2009. He performs a variety of musical genres ranging from pure classical repertoire to soul to mainstream pop. He engages people of many cultures by singing in various languages outside of English, including Spanish, Italian, Neapolitan, French and Russian. His concerts are generally multilingual, and he has performed pieces that are themselves in more than one language. Some of these include: Mario Frangoulis bilingual version of “Nights in White Satin” (Italian title “Notte di luce”), originally by The Moody Blues; “The Prayer”; and Andrea Bocelli’s “Vivere” (English title “Dare to Live”). His other non-English repertoire includes Aqustin Lara’s “Rosa” (Spanish), Mario Frangoulis’s “Vincerò, perderò” (Italian) and the Neapolitan standard “O sole mio”. Some of his many compositions can be heard on his recent album We Fall and We Rise Again. Donald is a testament to the powers of the human spirit in difficult times and he inspires all who come to know him. Find him at donaldbraswell.com Braswell finished in the top 5 of America’s Got Talent, Season 3 (2008). Watch his inspiring first NBC audition here.



Mark tells me his favourite comfort food is Shepherd's Pie. This recipe is called Irish but to me it's a traditional English dish. However, this is a very upmarket version of this staple British dish. Once upon a time, in traditional England, a roast was served on Sunday, then, because it was washday on Monday so the housewife didn't have time, it was served sliced cold. Tuesday the meat was then ground (minced to us) and made into a pie. There is some argument over whether, made with beef it should be Cottage Pie, and made with lamb makes it Shepherd's Pie. However, I checked in the Oxford Dictionary and, according to them, the name is interchangeable.

                                   

Traditional Irish Shepherd's Pie

Food.com By GrumpyIrishLady  

Serves: 4-6

About This Recipe

"Posting this per a request. I've said it once and I'll say it again there is nothing Irish about Corned
Beef and Cabbage, but Shepherd's Pie has always been and still is a staple of traditional Irish cooking. This is a really easy, but tasty recipe that the whole family will enjoy. It's nutritionally sound with all the major food groups represented. The British use lamb in their Shepherd's Pie, but we've always used beef. Do whatever you prefer or even try turkey if you're watching fat content. This sauce is lovely and rich and should go well with any meat. You can use fresh or leftover mashed potato. I usually use 3 tbsp of ketchup instead of the 2tbsp of tomato paste as I like the hint of sweetness, but traditionally the paste would be more sound! You can also make individual pies which are always a hit with the kids. This freezes beautifully too, so make two and save one! Just let it defrost and glaze with the egg and pop into the oven as directed. Enjoy! :)"

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lb ground beef or 1 lb lamb
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 -4 large carrots, finely diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 -4 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 glass red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 large quantity mashed potatoes ( estimating 1L or 6 cups, fresh or leftover)
• 1 egg, beaten
• grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C/400°F.
2. Sauté carrots in the olive oil until starting to get tender.
3. Add in the onions and sauté for a minute or two then add the meat.
4. Season with black pepper and thyme.
5. Cook until browned then drain fat.
6. Add the butter and peas.
7. Sprinkle with flour and stir through.
8. Add tomato paste, wine and Worcestershire sauce.
9. Let this reduce slightly then add the chicken stock. Allow to reduce down until you have a thick meaty gravy. Season to your taste.
10. Remove from heat. Grease an oven proof dish (9x13 works for me, as does an oval baker) with butter and add the sauce.
11. Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over top. Brush with egg and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if using.
12. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the potato is nice and browned on top.
13. Serve as is or with some crusty bread to mop up that yummy sauce!

Have a great day
 

Christmas Day, Pictures, Valdemar.

Oh dear. I have just heard that the Waterloo Motor Inn where we were planning to go, with friends, for our Christmas dinner, is closing down on December 15. I am so disappointed. I read an article here which kind of gave me idea they may already have a buyer. However, my friends have just called to say that Bingeman's, which is just up the road from us, also do a Christmas buffet. Hopefully we can get a booking. This place is a huge complex they recently built a 10 pin bowling alley, they have all kinds of water sports areas, a trailer park, etc. etc. together with large halls for dinners and parties, etc. So now I've got my fingers crossed. OK, we have a booking for 4:30 p.m. A tad early but.....Phew, I thought I was going to have to cook both Christmas and Boxing Day.

Today I have been printing up the pictures from the exercise class to distribute to the members. I was trying to get hold of one woman because I know she has a computer, but had no luck so far. Much easier to send them by email.


I have just started Closer to the Heart by Mercedes Lackey, a Valdemar book. I absolutely love the Valdemar world. I think I have read them all, I have bought a number of them.  I have also read everything Mercedes has written too. I have a secret wish to become a Herald and have a Companion although being a Herald is damned hard work so maybe I don't want to know after all.

Tonight (Tuesday) we broke into the last of the Tourtières I made a while back so now I will have to make some more. They freeze really well.

This sounds good but I am not sure about the Fandelion Greens.

Pork Milanese with Dandelion Green Salad


Star chef Anne Burell coats thin pork loin cutlets in panko for her crispy, juicy Milanese.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups panko
• Six 3-ounce pork loin cutlets
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for frying
• 4 bacon slices (4 ounces), cut crosswise 1/4 inch thick
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/2 small red onion, cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 pound dandelion greens, thick stems discarded, leaves cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. Put the flour and panko in 2 separate shallow bowls.
2. Season the pork cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour, then dip in the egg, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Dredge the coated pork in the panko, pressing lightly to help it adhere.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of olive oil until shimmering. Add 3 of the cutlets and fry over moderately high heat, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes; transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. Transfer the pork to the oven to keep warm.
4. Wipe out the skillet and heat the 1 teaspoon of olive oil in it. Add the bacon and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the apples and onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the apple just starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the apple cider and vinegar and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
5. Scrape the apple mixture into a large bowl. Add the dandelion greens and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Transfer the pork Milanese to plates, top with the salad and serve right away. 

Have a great day
 

Bowling, Staples and Construction, Christmas Cards.

Well, I didn't bowl as well as a Thursday, but I did bowl better than usual so my average went up a smidgin and I do mean a smidgin. I think, but won't know til Thursday, that we may have beaten the team we were playing against. At the moment we are 6 out of 9 which is a considerable improvement on last place. We have a few months to go to climb a bit higher. I don't anticipate getting to the top, our team is not good enough, even with handicaps, but we should be able to get somewhat higher. I get so annoyed with myself that I can bowl a turkey on a Thursday but never for league play, well these days anyway, although I did get a couple of chickens (our name for 3 spares in a row). One of our team, who is normally pretty good, did very badly in the first two games but finally picked up in the last one.

Tomorrow I get a delivery from Staples as I needed some more photographic paper to print the Hallowe'en photos from the Exercise class. Turns out I got two packs for the price of one. I was concerned as I thought they might deliver today, Monday, but they assured me it will be Tuesday. At least they will be able to get into the building OK. The tiling in the main lobby is almost done. Looking pretty good too. I guess they have now done all the odd numbered floors and have to go back and do the even numbers. There seem to be two guys working now, maybe someone else has been hired. I felt a bit sorry for the one guy working on his own, there is a lot to do.

It being November, I have suddenly thought I need to get on with Christmas cards. I am not sure I am going to send as many this year. It's not the cards, its the postage which gets you. So, if someone has email, they will probably be getting an ecard this year.

A friend in England brought this recipe to my attention. She made it and said it was delicious. I have now discovered I can buy lamb shanks from my local grocery store, frozen, so guess what? By the way, my friend used chicken stock, lamb stock not being readily available. I think I might choose beef stock.

Vietnamese lamb shanks with sweet potatoes
BBC Good Food

Meltingly tender and full of classic Asian flavours, these lamb shanks are perfect for freezing

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbsp groundnut oil
4 lamb shanks, about 350g each
2 onions, halved and cut into half moons
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 red chillies, both deseeded, one chopped and one thinly sliced
1 tbsp soft brown sugar, plus 1 tsp
3 star anise
2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, then bruised
1.2l lamb stock
1½ tbsp tomato purée
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks
2 tbs fish sauce
Juice of 2 limes
Big handful of mint leaves, torn
Handful of basil leaves

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavybottomed
casserole, season the shanks, then brown them 2 at a time
on all sides, adding the remaining oil for the second batch. Remove
the lamb and add the onions. Fry them quite briskly, about 30 secs,
add the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli, then turn the heat down and
cook for 1 min. Add 1 tbsp sugar, stir, then add the star anise,
lemongrass, stock, purée and seasoning. Bring to the boil.
2. Cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hrs, then add the sweet
potatoes and cook for 1 hr more. The lamb should be completely
tender and almost falling off the bones. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice
and 1 tsp sugar to just lift the flavour, then scatter with the mint, basil

Have a great day

The Sparrow, Authors, 8th Blogiversary, Bowling.

Pinky Poinker recommended a book to me when I was rabbiting on about Stranger in a Strange Land called The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell. I duly borrowed it from the library only to realise I had already read it as well as the sequel. The name didn't ring a bell at all but it was a very good story and I am sure I blogged about it. However, if I did, I can't find it using the search bar on my blog. I have so many books on my plate, as it were, at the moment, I don't want to read it again but I do remember quite a bit about the story and recall it was about space exploration and the very odd things which happened to the explorers when they got to another planet. As I recall, the principal character was a Roman Catholic Priest, in fact the expedition was organised by a Jesuit order because the SETI programme (searching for Terrestrials) had picked up music from a specific planet, Rakhat, close to Alpha Centauri. If you like sci fi books, you will certainly enjoy this one. Now I want to read it again, but it will have to wait.

Right now I am reading a Brandon Sanderson novel - Shadows of Self - which is part of the Mistborn series which I read a while back. Another very good read. The only trouble with Sanderson, he spends a lot of time lecturing and teaching and not enough time writing, IMHOP anyway.  A bit like George R.R. Martin who's books I gave up on long before the series came on TV. I got fed up with him bumping off his characters anyway. I watched a few of the TV shows on DVD and wasn't all that keen. People are probably throwing up their hands in horror.

Don't think I have mentioned that last month I completed 8 years of blogging. I started in October 2007. At the beginning I blogged every day but eventually cut out Sundays and then made Saturday into just a recipe day. So October 26 is my blogiversary. I must remember that in future.

Now I have to remember to psyche myself up - it's Thursday so that's how I have to bowl. I wonder if it will work. Wish me luck.

I was looking for something different to do with broccoli the other day and came across this recipe. I didn't actually try it at the time, but I think this sounds a very nice change for broccoli.

Mediterranean Roasted Broccoli and Tomatoes

Eating Well

This dish of roasted broccoli and tomatoes is tossed with bright Mediterranean ingredients just before serving.

4 servings, about 1 cup each |

Ingredients

• 12 ounces broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets (about 4 cups)
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 10 pitted black olives, sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed (optional)
• 
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Toss broccoli, tomatoes, oil, garlic and salt in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the broccoli begins to brown, 10 to 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine lemon zest and juice, olives, oregano and capers (if using) in a large bowl. Add the roasted vegetables; stir to combine. Serve warm.

Have a great day