Nova, Elk Herds Cows, Gangnam Style,

Well, that was interesting, I have just been watching Nova about Forensic Science and how crime scenes become compromised and reporting that they are developing technologies which can counteract this. In Sweden they take a body and CT Scan it then they give it an MRI all without removing the body bag. From the results they can produce a reality picture of both the inside and outside of the body and do a virtual autopsy. At the same time, in North Carolina State University, they are using technology to photograph the crime scene with laser cameras after which they can create the scene digitally and view the whole area, from any angle they wish and continue to do so as long and as often as required enabling them to see what was there right at the beginning. The comment was that they are finally putting the science back in Forensic Science. The programme was called Forensics on Trial. They discussed the O.J. Simpson trial and how extremely compromised the scene became and how the defense was able to throw all the forensic evidence into a bad light. I forgot, they can also do 3D fingerprints now too.

A story from BC about a lovestruck elk. Apparently he developed an interest in a herd of cattle which he decided was his own and would toss any bulls he considered rivals. He would mount the cows aggressively and it became so well known that people would drive out to the farm to see the animal and his ‘herd’. It was causing traffic jams and hunters were using scopes to see what was going on so the farmer was concerned they might try and shoot the elk. He got conservation officers involved. In the end they had to tranquilise the animal, remove part of his rack (grow back every year) and move him some 65 Kms away. I wonder if that is far enough. Apparently hunting is not allowed in the area and seeing elk is very unusual anyway.

One of our Canadian news anchors took part in a video made by the members of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival group. They did a parody of Gagnam Style.

Its really quite amusing to watch. I love the tune and have even, kind of, danced to it a few times.

As you know, I have frequently stated I do not like pumpkin pie, but the picture of this one appealed to me and I know Thanksgiving is on the horizon for my friends in the US so I thought I would share this recipe from Cooking.com for a slightly different pie. It looks so good, it almost tempts me, almost. I will stick to my pumpkin soup though, thanks.

Apple Butter-Pumpkin Pie

Source: Cooking at a Glance - Pies & Pastries

Makes 8 servings

Apple butter lends its fruity flavor to this harvest pie. If you have pumpkin pie spice on hand, use 2 teaspoons of it in place of the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg called for in the recipe. To make the leaf decoration shown here, prepare pastry for a double-crust pie.
INGREDIENTS

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup apple butter

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 eggs

One 5-ounce can evaporated milk (2/3 cup)

1/2 cup milk

Pastry for Single-Crust or Double-Crust Pie

whipped cream (optional)

Other necessary recipes:Basic Pie Pastry

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, apple butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add eggs; beat lightly with a rotary beater or wire whisk till combined. Gradually stir in evaporated milk and milk; mix well.

Prepare and roll out pastry as directed. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Trim and crimp a high pastry edge or attach leaf-shaped cutouts. Pour pumpkin mixture into pastry shell. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 25 minutes more, or till a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 1 hour. Chill 3-6 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

Have a great day

Voice Change, New Supers, Desk Mat,

Very odd, on Monday afternoon, at the bowling alley, Matt started losing his voice, then it came back again but very deep. At one point he said something to me when I wasn’t looking in his direction, and I had no idea who was talking to me. Monday evening it was better, Tuesday morning entirely cleared up. No idea what caused it, he didn’t have any signs of a cold or anything. Matt quipped at one point that maybe he had grown up at last!!!  Actually it wasn’t a bad sound at all.

We finally have a new superintendent in our building. I do hope he and his wife stay with us for a while and are good at their jobs. I feel so sorry for the assistant who has been lumbered with the whole job for a lot of the past year. Our last super was only here for a few months – we liked him/them but have heard a couple of complaints. I understand they don’t get paid enough by the realtor who runs our building. I don’t know, but a free apartment is worth quite a bit of money these days. Over $800 a month anyway, apart from anything else they may be paid. The hours are very long though and being an old building there is always a lot to do with problems all over the place. Bluebird apartments was built in 1974 (marked on the sidewalk) the year before we came to Canada. Hey I have just realised, my anniversary of emigration is coming up at the end of the month. 37 years. Should celebrate. Matt came out a month before me, so his anniversary has passed.

Having got our flu shots done, we decided to stop in a Wal-Mart’s for some underwear for the old man. He forgot when we were in NC and of course paid more for it here. We then went into Staples and much to my surprise they had computer chair mats ranging from $24 up. I bought what I wanted for about $40 and am now sitting on it quite comfortably. The previous one had lasted 10 or 11 years so didn’t owe me anything. The only thing is, I looked on the internet before and found mats costing $120 or so, no idea what I was looking at and knew I couldn’t/wouldn’t have paid that kind of money before. Not mine, but gives you an idea what I’m talking about. On the way home we called at our pharmacy and also at the grocery store where I bought a pumpkin and plan to make some soup in the very near future. I haven’t made any in years so I’m really looking forward to it. Have to get my stock pots out to cope with such a large pumpkin.

This is an odd little recipe, it purports to take 25 minutes to prepare so would be a good quick meal. I don’t know about the diet coke though, strange ingredient. It is certainly simple enough.

Salsa Chicken

By CindiJ When I was doing Weight Watchers and the boys were home, I got really tired of fixing 3 sets of meals each night. When I came upon this recipe - ... Ingredients:Servings: 4

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (your choice of heat)
• 1 (12 ounce) can Diet Coke (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE ON THIS ITEM)
• 1 lime, juice of, fresh squeezed

Directions:

1. In 12 inch skillet, cook chicken over medium high heat in UNSEASONED pan (do NOT spray with PAM or add any oil or butter).
   
2. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
   
3. Chicken will stick a bit to skillet when turning but that is ok.
   
4. Cook till just brown- you want a bit of color.
   
5. Add the entire jar of Salsa and the can of Diet Coke.
   
6. Reduce heat to medium low- and simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes, covered.
   
7. Remove lid, turn chicken and continue to simmer until sauce has thickened to desired consistency.
   
8. When ready to serve, squeeze juice from 1 fresh lime over the chicken.
   
9. I serve this over yellow rice (I just add turmeric to my rice when cooking- adds nice bright yellow color!).
   
10. Do not use regular Coke as this will turn out too sweet.
    
11. I promise--you cannot taste the Diet Coke.

Have a great day

Premier Quits, Bowling, Drugs,

As you know, I am not politically minded in any way, but nevertheless I was quite surprised to hear the premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, had stepped down yesterday. Not a matter of much interest outside Canada in general and Ontario in particular, but it did surprise me, as I said. He has been the Liberal party leader for 16 years and 9 as premier, he said it was time for someone else to step into the job.

Yesterday we bowled once again and Matt had three pretty good games, mine were pretty mediocre. Oh well, it’s a bit of exercise and these days I don’t get much. I tried to find out if and when I am scheduled for vascular surgery but didn’t have much luck, will try again tomorrow.

Today we are going for flu shots. Free by the way. Matt got two letters telling him the doctor was now doing them and I didn’t get one. Need to get themselves sorted at the doctors. I have been having trouble getting pills once mine have run out, the pharmacy faxes the doctor and the doctor faxes back but this all takes forever and often ends with one party swearing they haven’t heard from the other. It is, quite frankly, a pain in the rear end. Especially as I take so many of the damned things. They tend to prescribe a month’s supply instead of 3 months but if I put up with that, with the number of pills I have to take, it would cost me a small fortune even if the government does pay most of the cost for seniors – we have insurance coverage too from Matt’s employment but generally don’t have to use it these days. Whoever pays, the pharmacist has all the information and deductions are made automatically, but even so, what we do have to pay can mount up.

Not a lot happening in my world at the moment and I haven’t had time to read many of the blogs of my friends. Maybe later on today.

I like chicken noodle soup, but this is a new one on me.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Source: WebMD
8 Servings


The casserole favorite takes two easy comfort ingredients -- chicken and noodles -- and makes a standby dinner recipe of them.

INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups 2 percent milk
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked and drained

DIRECTIONS
In a large nonstick skillet, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.
Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Have a great day

Trash Island, Mamajuana, Endeavour, Kindle Tale.

We have been having a discussion on Facebook about the area in the Pacific which is twice the size of Texas, composed of human garbage, predominantly plastics which don’t biodegrade, it just breaks down into tinier pieces. Here is a video of a reporter who visited and dived in the area. That’s something you wouldn’t get me doing, diving in those waters, no thank you.

The discussion started when I shared a picture of a sperm whale which had been found dead and when they did an autopsy they found 100 plastic shopping bags inside its stomach along with all kinds of other garbage. As they say in the video, some of this plastic is ingested by small sea creatures who are then eaten by larger fish etc. etc. until the fish are then eaten by humans introducing all kinds of chemicals into our bodies. The Japanese have been researching some of this and say these chemicals are affective reproduction and women are having problems carrying babies to term. They also talk about diabetes and other diseases which can be caused by these chemicals. If you are reading this, especially as a blogger, I do hope you will help spread the awareness and see if we can’t do something about it.

I’m not really sure what got me thinking about it other than that a friend’s daughter just spent a year in the Dominican Republic teaching and I was thinking about her. Then I suddenly thought of the drink we were given and later bought to bring home. It is called Mamajuana and is a concoction of all kinds of herbs, rum, wine and sugar which is mixed in a demi john and ends up a pretty potent mixture. Its better the longer its stored according to Wikipedia. The Dominicans themselves claim it has all kinds of aphrodisiac and curative properties. I know we certainly enjoyed it whilst there and when we came home, having drunk a lot of the bottle we brought back tried to add more rum and ended up with a foul tasting product which we had to throw away. It sure looks very odd in the bottle with almost no room for liquid because of the twigs and leaves in it. Must admit I hadn’t thought about it in years. The main thing I think of, drink wise, in the Dominican is the proliferation of rum which is cheaper than water in that part of the world. When you stay in a tourist complex, you can have as much rum as you want, mixed with anything you want. Only trouble being, by the time you have drunk all those piña coladas and such, you will have gained so much weight, they probably won’t let you back on the plane.

Well the space shuttle Endeavour has finally reached its retirement home in Los Angeles: The California Science Centre. It took a couple of days to move the shuttle along the streets of LA and they had to cut down a number of trees to get it through. The trees are being replaced I am pleased to hear. There are some interesting anecdotes and videos on the linked web page. I must admit I hadn’t realised just how huge this shuttle is. When one saw it being launched into space, it didn’t look nearly as big. I just wish the US hadn’t abandoned their space programme. I think it’s a big mistake, but I’m only one person. I think we humans really need to explore space because of of these days I truly believe earth is going to be so crowded we need to expand out there. At least there are some private enterprises planning to mine asteroids. I am a great reader of sci fi and one idea in a Peter F. Hamilton book is to turn such mined asteroids into human habitations.

Well, hot damn, as they say in the south, having bought a new one, I have managed to fix my old Kindle cover. The magnet for closing it had slipped and I couldn’t push it back in place, today I put extra effort into it and its all better. I am pleased because I am not too sure how long my new one will last as part of the area which holds the Kindle is elastic. Ve shall see.

The following recipe is from the South Beach Diet and sounds a good one for those of us who are heading into winter. Personally I wouldn’t use frozen cauliflower, I would cook from fresh.

Two-Mushroom Cauliflower Soup

---

This recipe makes 4 servings

Chef's View

Soak the porcini as long as possible to extract the maximum flavor. If you have an immersion blender, it works just fine for this recipe and will save you some time. A squeeze or two of lemon brings out the mushroomy flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/4 ounce(s) mushrooms, porcini, dried (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 1/2 cup(s) broth, chicken, less sodium divided
• 1 tablespoon oil, olive, extra virgin
• 8 ounce(s) mushrooms, cremini quartered
• 1 small onion(s) thinly sliced
• 2 clove(s) garlic minced

• 20 ounce(s) cauliflower, florets, frozen (1 package)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon peppercorns, black freshly ground
• 4 tablespoon sour cream, reduced-fat
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh freshly grated
• 1 large lemon cut into 8 wedges

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, bring the porcini mushrooms and 1/2 cup of the broth to a simmer over high heat. Remove from the heat and set aside to allow the mushrooms to soften while you prepare and cook the vegetables.
• In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cremini mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the frozen cauliflower in a strainer and run under hot water to warm a bit.
• Add the remaining 3 cups broth to the soup. Drain the porcini in a strainer held over the saucepan so the soaking liquid is added to the soup. Add the cauliflower, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 minute to heat the cauliflower through.
• Meanwhile, cut the porcini into slivers.
• Transfer the hot soup in batches to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and purée until smooth. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the sour cream and the nutmeg.
• Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top each with some slivered porcini and 1 scant teaspoon sour cream. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

  Each serving is 1-3/4 cups

Have a great day

Moustronaut, Hair Styles, Bowling Alley.

Gabby Gifford’s (politician who was shot) astronaut husband Mark Kelly, has just written a book called Moustronaut for kids. It is partly inspired by the mice which were taken on one space trip. One of the mice seemed quite at home in zero gravity and floated around eating or drinking with perfect sang froid. The book will, hopefully, be released this fall (isn’t it fall now?). OK, it is available on Amazon so it must have been published recently. It’s a story in pictures and I gather the mouse in question saves the day. Must check it out with my library, just to have a look.

I have been thinking a lot lately about long hair. Particularly ads which talk about styling it. To me it never looks any different, basically long hair which falls over the face all the time and has to be pushed back out of the way. Many years ago I had very long hair but I always wore it in a chignon or as a kid, braids, and when I first lived in London, I went to a hair stylist who really did style it in some of the ways from the Victorian or even earlier periods. He used to do a wonderful job. Then, one day I decided to have it cut and I have never had long hair since. Too much of a nuisance. Luckily my husband thinks long hair is a mess too.

Went bowling yesterday and managed all 3 games again although I was suffering a bit with my legs. I had moderately good games, but that is about all you can say for my performance. Matt, on the other hand, bowled particularly well, so he was happy. We now hear that the alley will be closing at the end of the season because the property owners are planning to build a high rise apartment block. Guess they will make more money that way. However, the guys who own Waterloo Lanes itself are looking for another venue. They would, presumably, have to add lanes and maybe new computers to wherever they choose which I would guess would cost a few sheckels. Of course there were all kinds of rumours flying round. I hope they do find a suitable building, it will be nice to have new lanes.

I haven’t had Pasta e Fagioli in years. It used to be a favourite of mine when we went to a local Italian restaurant in England. Al Fiasco. This one includes sausage, don’t know how that will work out..

Pasta e Fagioli with Sausage

Source: Quick From Scratch - Italian
Serves 4


The much-beloved pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans), adorned here with sliced sausage, is truly a meal in itself. The soup has very little liquid and will thicken as it sits. If you'd like to thin it a bit, add a little more chicken broth or water.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausages
1 carrot, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
1 rib celery, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
6 cups drained and rinsed canned kidney beans (three 19-ounce cans)
2 3/4 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tubetti or other small macaroni
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove. When cool enough to handle, halve the sausages lengthwise and then cut crosswise into slices.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the pot over moderately low heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
Puree 4 cups of the beans with 1 1/4cups of the broth in a blender or food processor. Add the puree to the pot along with the remaining1 1/2 cups broth, the whole beans, bay leaf, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
Stir in the pasta. Cook the soup over moderate heat, partially covered, stirring frequently, until the pasta is done, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the sausage and the pepper. Cook until the sausage is warmed through, about 1 minute.

Have a great weekend

Nobel Laureate, Witch Fairy, New VW

Glenda Larke (see Tropic Temper) pointed it out to me first, but a Chinese writer, Mo Yan has won the Nobel prize for literature which is quite a feat. He is praised for his “hallucinatory realism”, in other words, he writes fantasy!! Presumably this also opens the door to the rest of the speculative fiction world. I hope so because many of the authors write the most fantastic stories which, in my opinion, are very underrated. Of course some people make it to the top, J.K. Rawlings, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, to name three, but there are so many good authors out there whom very few have ever heard of.  I have just discovered a series by Bonnie Lamer which I think is probably classified Young Adult, called Witch Fairy. The first is called True Blood and the second Blood Prophecy. There seem to be a whole heap more of them as well. I am thoroughly enjoying them although reading them on Kindle, I am finding a few typos here and there. The story starts with a young woman with parents who are ghosts. She turns 17 and then discovers she is half witch half fairy none of which she has any idea of and basically doesn’t believe. Trouble is at 17 her magic becomes ‘unbound’ meaning she now has the use of it, but no-one has shown her how to use it or control it.

Have you seen, in the news, the new VW which is being introduced in China. It costs the equivalent of $600, seats one person only and gets some 258 mpg. A perfect car for travelling to work in the city. Someone commented you could buy two of these in China (one each for husband and wife) and ship them back home for less than the cost of buying a new car in the West. The car has been manufactured under great secrecy until now. There are lots of pictures on the web. The interior is pretty basic but practical with lots of attention to safety. I want, I want!! The Smart Car holds two, but I think it is rather ugly, this is quite an attractive little car. Have you noticed how many of the new car designs are ugly?

Here’s something a bit different – the picture makes it look great of course, but then pictures are not always truthful, but the combination of ingredients sounds as though it would taste pretty good. It came from the Food Network. I have no idea what san marzano tomatoes are, but I am assuming any good canned tomatoes will do.

Mediterranean Chick Pea Stew

Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen

This hearty soup is perfect on a chilly night.
Yield: 2

Ingredients

• 1 head of garlic, unpeeled 
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 sweet red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 red finger hot chili pepper, seeds removed, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 can whole, peeled, organic san marzano tomatoes, hand crushed (796mL)
• pinch of brown sugar
• 2 cups chick peas
• Zest of half a lemon
• handful of fresh parsley, minced
• 5 large mint leaves, stacked, rolled up and sliced into ribbons (chiffonade)
• toasted whole wheat pita, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
2. Slice the top off of the head of garlic; lay it on some aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and black pepper. Seal aluminum foil over garlic and roast for 40 minutes.
3. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers and scallions into the pan, stir and coat with salt, paprika and cumin. Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Peel 4 cloves of roasted garlic and crush with a fork. Add garlic, chick peas, lemon zest, mint and parsley to the stew then stir until heated through.
5. Ladle stew into big bowls and serve with toasted whole-wheat pita wedges.

Have a great day

Toyota Recall, Moon Festival, Stink Bugs.

Headline says Toyota are recalling 7.4 million cars because of a faulty power window switch. About 240,000 are being recalled in Canada. It is a voluntary recall so I guess if you don’t have the problem, no point going in. But it appears that Toyota have been having some quality control issues over the last few years which doesn’t augur well for what was once an excellent reputation. Maybe they are getting too big and spreading their manufacturing too thinly. I believe, but could be wrong, that they don’t have quality control issues with completely Japanese made vehicles. The article lists which years and models are, or could be, affected, there are quite a few of them.

We went to the Mandarin Restaurant for lunch yesterday and I had forgotten it was the Moon Festival this week. Supposed to be in the 10th month on the 8th. They had a number of items which were special to the celebration including a smoked fish in sweet and sour sauce which was delicious, an Oriental Salad, which I didn’t try and several desserts including Moon Cakes which I had always wanted to try, Pomelo, Black Sesame Ice Cream and something called Longan (I think) which I didn’t find, having googled I have discovered the other name is lychee which I have, of course, eaten many times. The daughter of a friend spent a year in China for her gap year and I always remember her describing Moon Cakes as disgusting. Assuming these were a genuine recipe and not changed for Western Tastes, I thought they were delicious. The Pomelo looked and tasted a bit like a grapefruit (probably because it is and I shouldn’t have eaten it because of meds) and the Black Sesame ice cream was delicious too. If it hadn’t been at the other end of the restaurant, I would have got some more, but my legs were tired of all the walking. Our lunch, by the way, was courtesy of a gift certificate we were given for our anniversary last month. Thanks guys.

What a terrible thought, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug has travelled up from the States and is now in Hamilton, Ontario, which is only an hour from here. It is not dangerous to humans as such, but they attack crops and destroy them both with their eggs when they hatch, plus eating the crops themselves. Apparently this is an Asian bug which they think may have travelled to the States in containers and it is an inveterate traveller. It is to be hoped the cold weather will deal with it before it spreads too much here, but from reading the article, I don’t hold out too much hope. Not only that, if one gets squished the stink attracts more of its species.

Naturally I had to look up a recipe for Moon cakes, maybe later this week I will look for a black sesame recipe. I don’t have an ice cream maker unfortunately.

Mooncakes

By Rhonda Parkinson, About.com

Mooncakes are the highlight of China's annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Mooncake recipe - A recipe for mooncakes, the Chinese snack traditionally served during the Moon or Mid-Autumn Festival.
Learn More about Mooncakes and the Mooncake Festival

Filling:

· 1 pound red azuki beans

· water

· 3/4 cup lard or oil

· 1-3/4 cups sugar

Water-Shortening Dough:

· 2 cups flour

· 5 tablespoons lard

· 10 tablespoons water

· 1/4 teaspoon salt

Flaky Dough:

· 1 cup flour

· 5 tablespoons lard

· red food coloring for design

Preparation:

Filling Instructions: Soak red beans in water to cover 2 hours. Drain and discard the water. Cover with 8 cups fresh water and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat 1-1/2 hours or until skins open. Strain the beans and discard the skins. Place the strained beans in several layers of cheesecloth and squeeze out any excess water.
Place in a saucepan with the lard or oil and the sugar. Cook, stirring continuously, until almost all the moisture has evaporated. Let cool.
Dough Instructions: You will need 2 cups of filling for the mooncakes. Divide this into 20 portions and shape into balls.Mix ingredients for the water-shortening dough and the flaky dough separately until smooth. Divide each dough into 20 equal portions.
Wrap one portion of flaky dough inside each portion of water-shortening dough. Roll out each piece of dough, then fold in thirds to form three layers. Roll out again, and once more fold in thirds to form three layers.
Flatten each piece of dough with the palm of your hand to form a 3" circle. Place one portion of filling in the center. Gather the edges to enclose the filling and pinch to seal. Place the filled packet in the mold, gently pressing to fit. Invert and remove the mold.
Dilute red food coloring with water and pour onto a damp paper towel on a plate. Take some food coloring onto the cookie-design stamp, then press on top of the mooncake.
Repeat process for remaining mooncakes. Arrange mooncakes on a baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool before serving.

Have a great day

Knives, Death, XL Foods

I mentioned that I had bought a video by Jacques Pépin which contained all kinds of kitchen tips. One of the most important, to me, is this one shown below which shows how to sharpen knives properly. Knives are one of the most important tools in a cooks arsenal and there is nothing worse than trying to prep food with a blunt one. So, if you are a cook or an aspiring cook, here is the video which I found on the internet. I am actually wondering if I needed to buy the DVD as I have been finding a lot of the information on the net. The video I have is somewhat different in as much as he uses mineral oil on the sharpening stone and he certainly doesn’t mention knife sharpeners.

Watching the ABC World News yesterday they were talking about A Conversation which they are endeavouring to encourage families to have. They mean a discussion of the end of life and what people want to be done and what they want to happen if there is an accident and someone is unable to make their own decisions etc. I don’t understand why so many people in this part of the world are so afraid of death. There is not one single one of us that can get away with not dying so face up to that fact and treat it as a normal part of living however much we don’t want to die. Make your arrangements, discuss it with your family, make living wills and powers of attorney so that everything is covered in the event you become, or someone in your family becomes, incompetent. Matt and I have all this kind of thing which I have been amending as and when necessary with an executrix appointed and so on. If you haven’t done it, I don’t care how old/young you are, do so, and talk to your family about dying. Not passing or any other euphemism, but dying. I worked in a funeral home in recent years and they use all the euphemisms with their clients, it is supposed to soften the blow. Personally I think it just postpones the realistic acceptance of what has occurred. If you are a religious person, you never hear “Christ passed on the cross” but that “Christ died on the cross”. I might also say that we have also got our funeral arrangements made and paid for. I highly recommend doing this so your family don’t have to do all this when they are grieving at the same time. It sometimes happens that they get persuaded to spend more money than they really need to just because they are not thinking straight.

Sorry to be so morbid, but having seen the programme, I had to express my opinion.

I saw, in the news last night, that XL Foods says the problems at their plant have been fixed. The plant is presently being inspected to see if they have complied with all the necessary rules and regulations. I would imagine it will take a while for buyers to trust their beef again though. I personally would be very leery of any meat from that source.

I usually enjoy stuffed peppers and these looked most attractive in the picture. I might well give them a go any day now. Always looking for new things with lots of taste.  

Stuffed Peppers With Ground Turkey

Recipe and Picture by The Gluten Free Goddess
WebMD Recipe from Foodily.com

My flavors are closer to Southwestern than Italian here, so if you prefer more traditional flavors, add Italian herbs instead of the smoked chili and cumin (but Dear Reader, the smoky addition of chipotle gives these babies a serious kick in the backside).

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 cup corn kernels, roasted (you can pan-toast frozen kernels in a pinch)
• 2 rounded tablespoons pine nuts or toasted sunflower seeds
• 1 cup or so cooked brown rice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
• 2-3 tablespoons cilantro or parsley, fresh chopped
• 3 large bell peppers, 1 orange, 1 yellow, 1 green, halved and seeded
• 6 spoonsful of your favorite prepared salsa, spicy or mild
• 6 slices fresh goat cheese, omit for dairy free
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• chipotle powder, to taste or other favorite chili spice

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Put a kettle of water on to boil.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the ground turkey till browned; drain off any liquid, if you need to.
3. Add a dash more olive oil; heat; add the chopped garlic, onion, corn, and pine nuts; stir and heat through.
4. Add a cup of cooked brown rice, stir and lightly mix. Add a dash more olive oil, if needed, to moisten. Add chipotle, cumin and paprika. Season mixture with sea salt and pepper. Stir well to combine the flavors. Remove from heat. Add in the chopped cilantro. If you need a little more rice to fill large peppers- add some in and toss.
5. Choose a shallow baking dish that will fit the halved peppers. Stuff the halved peppers with the brown rice mixture, pressing in firmly; use as much stuffing as you can. Place the stuffed peppers in the baking dish.
6. Top each pepper with a spoonful of salsa, and a slice of goat cheese, if using.
7. Pour about an inch of hot boiled water into the bottom of the baking pan, around the peppers, and loosely cover the pan with a foil tent. This helps to cook the peppers. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for about 30-40 minutes, until the peppers are fork tender.
8. These colorful stuffed peppers can be served as a side dish or a main dish.
9. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Have a great day

Book and Bowling, XL Beef Recall.

Yesterday I finished an excellent ebook called Willow Pond by Carol Tibaldi. The typing wasn’t perfect, but the story was very good. Its about the kidnap of a little boy who is missing for at least 18 months. Its very exciting in suspensful in places and one its difficult to put down. The book takes place during prohibition running into the depression years. One of the central characters is Victoria Kingsley who owns a speakeasy in New York – it is her niece Laura Kingsley who’s child is abducted. I can highly recommend it if you like crime stories. There is a paperback version if you don’t have a Kindle.

Also, yesterday, we bowled and I managed to stick it out for three games this time. Just as well as my third game was worth sticking around for which is more than I can say for the first two. Because it was a holiday not everyone was there, but four of our team were present. Also, the computers were down for some reason so we had to score manually. Haven’t done that for a year or two, however, I enjoyed it. I had able assistance from another team member who scored when I bowled. Apart from which, math is not my strong suit. Luckily the Thanksgiving parade was finished before we got to King St. so all was clear for our journey.

Wednesday lunchtime we are thinking of using our gift certificate and going to the Mandarin for lunch. We need a couple of things at Costco and they are near one another so we can kill two birds with one stone.
There has been quite a to do  here because of a meat packing/processing plant in Alberta which has not been properly safety conscious and has been sending out beef with E.coli bacteria. XL Foods have had to recall meat from all over the place including, we hear now, Hong Kong. There are 11 E.coli cases linked to the meat from this plant. There has certainly been a Canada wide recall and it has spread to the States and now, as I said, they are talking Hong Kong. I am not sure if it applies to all raw meat or only ground beef. I am assuming the rib roasts we bought the other day were NOT from XL Foods.

I really don’t much like meatloaf. I do make one recipe occasionally and Matt makes a turkey one now and again, but it is not a favourite of ours by any means. Certainly not on our list of comfort foods That being said, when I saw this recipe by Mario Batali, it appealed to me instantly. Of course check the source of your beef. I included the wine pairing as it happens to be a favourite of ours.

Meat Loaf Stuffed with Prosciutto and Spinach

Contributed by Mario Batali

Servings:8

This luxurious yet easy take on classic meat loaf gets stuffed with spinach, carrots, prosciutto and cheese. The vegetables can be leftovers, says Mario Batali: "Just make sure they're cooked long enough to be very soft—if they're al dente, the meat loaf will tear when you slice it and wreck your day." Mild and tangy caciocavallo cheese, made in Italy from cow's milk, is excellent in the filling, but provolone is a fine substitute.

1. 2 large carrots, each cut lengthwise into 6 slices
2. 4 cups spinach (3 ounces), thick stems discarded
3. 2 pounds lean ground beef
4. 2 pounds ground pork
5. 2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
6. 2 cups freshly grated pecorino cheese (6 ounces)
7. 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
8. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
9. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
10. 12 thin slices of prosciutto (4 ounces)
11. 1/2 pound caciocavallo or provolone cheese, cut into twelve 1/8-inch-thick slices
12. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
13. 4 sprigs of rosemary
14. 2 cups dry red wine
15. 1 cup water

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the carrots until tender, 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate. Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook just until wilted; drain well and add to the carrots.
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef with the pork, 2 cups of the bread crumbs, the pecorino, eggs, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper; mix well with your hands.
3. Line a work surface with a 15-inch-long sheet of plastic wrap. In a bowl, mix the flour with the remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkle half of the crumb mixture all over the plastic wrap. Transfer half of the meat loaf mixture to the plastic and press it into a 12-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Lay half of the spinach leaves over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border on the short sides. Arrange half of the carrots over the spinach, and top with half the prosciutto and sliced cheese. Starting from the long end of the plastic wrap closest to you, tightly roll up the meat loaf, tucking in the filling and using the plastic wrap to guide you; discard the plastic. Repeat with another 15-inch sheet of plastic and the remaining bread crumbs, meat mixture, spinach, carrots, prosciutto and cheese. Drizzle each meat loaf with 2 tablespoons of oil.
4. Put the rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a broiler pan and pour in the red wine. Cover with the broiler pan grate. Set the meat loaves about 2 inches apart on the grate. Bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes. Turn the broiler pan around and pour the water through the grate. Continue baking for about 35 minutes longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of each meat loaf registers 165°.
5. Transfer the meat loaves to a carving board and cover loosely with foil. Discard any cheese from the bottom of the pan and strain the pan juices into a small saucepan. Boil the pan juices over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and season with salt and pepper.
6. Using a serrated knife, slice the meat loaves 1 inch thick and serve, passing the pan juices at the table.

Make Ahead The unbaked meat loaves can be refrigerated overnight. Let return to room temperature before baking.

Suggested Pairing

A Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is an earthy wine that complements the rich flavors of the meat loaf and red wine pan sauce.

Have a great day

Thanksgiving, Turkey, Rib Roast, Wallpaper.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends, to all Canadians everywhere of course. I hope you have lots to be thankful for.

We cooked turkey on Saturday (we bowl today) and did not have Pumpkin pie, I have mentioned before, I don’t like it but do love Pumpkin Soup which I used to make a lot but haven’t made in some years, I don’t know why. I always started with a fresh, large, pumpkin which Matt would cut up for me and then I would microwave before I started working with it.

This is how I used to serve it, the pumpkin works as a great insulator and keeps the soup nice and warm; by the time you have finished, you can scoop out the remaining flesh, which is partly cooked, and make more soup with it. The first time I ever came across this was in Malta at the yacht club where they were having a barbecue, I was very impressed. It was a great barbecue too.

I thoroughly enjoyed my turkey dinner on Saturday, by the way. I even enjoyed the Pinot Grigio we had with it. Bearing in mind all the things I haven’t been enjoying lately, that was something of a relief. I got Matt to pick up two rib roasts which were on special – he cannot understand that I have gone off fillet (for the moment anyway) and yet can look forward to a roast. To me there is quite a difference in flavour but Matt can’t see it. Ours were not as big as in the picture, but an ideal size for the two of us, with cap off too. By the time the roast has been stuffed with garlic, dry roasted in the oven and then served with gravy and Yorkshire puds, it won’t taste one bit like a fillet steak. I eat horseradish with my roast beef too which Matt doesn’t. I used to do the same with my fillets as well. Then I started making sauces such as in Steak Diane all to cover up the flavour somewhat. Lets hope my synthroid will improve this situation.

I found the cutest wallpaper on Saturday. It was a young wolf cub looking as though he is trying to imitate his parents’ howling. I love it.

But then I am nutty about wolves, there are some great background pictures of wolves on the site where I got this, How To Geek.

Now this recipe reminds me of what I call real pizza as found in Italy, not the heavily over flavoured (in my opinion) pies sold in North America. Might need a few olives thrown in. I rarely eat pizza these days although I used to when in Italy. There is a link to the pizza dough required to make this recipe.

Pizza with Yellow Pepper and Capers

Source: Casual Cuisines of the World - Pizzeria

Yield: Makes one 9-inch pizza

This pizza recalls late night summer meals taken on the large outdoor terraces of country pizzerias in Italy's fabled south. Sweet yellow peppers are combined with mozzarella, capers and tomatoes for an exceptionally pretty pie. An amber beer, icy from the cooler, is the ideal accompaniment.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1/2 recipe Neapolitan pizza dough, completed through the second rising
all-purpose flour for dusting
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 ripe plum (Roma) tomato, cut in half lengthwise and then into slices 1/4 inch thick
1/2 large, meaty yellow bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and cut lengthwise into narrow strips
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Other necessary recipes:
Neapolitan Pizza Dough

DIRECTIONS
Place a pizza stone or unglazed terra-cotta tiles on the lowest rack of an oven. Preheat to 500°F.
Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Sprinkle a little more flour on the top of the dough and, using your fingertips, press evenly into a round, flat disk about 1 1/2 inches thick and 5 inches in diameter. Lift the dough and gently stretch it with your fingers and then over the backs of your fists, using the weight of the dough to allow it to grow in size. While you are stretching the dough, gently rotate the disk. Continue stretching and rotating the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter and has a rim about 1/2 inch thick. Try not to let the center of the disk become too thin in comparison to the edges. Dust the peel or baking sheet with more flour and gently lay the disk in the center.
Arrange the mozzarella evenly on the pizza dough. Top with the tomato slices, pepper strips and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Gently shake the peel or baking sheet back and forth to make sure the pizza has not stuck to it. If it has, gently lift off the stuck section and sprinkle a little more flour underneath. Using the peel or baking sheet like a large spatula, quickly slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone or tiles.

Bake until the edges are golden and crisp, 8-9 minutes. Remove the pizza with a large metal spatula and slide it onto a dinner plate. Sprinkle with the parsley, drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired, and serve at once.

Have a great day