Restaurant, Take-Out, Doc, Spanish, Book,

Well, so much for restaurant dining or not, Matt decided he couldn't walk into a restaurant with his walker, although he has done it before. He said I was to go along which of course is nonsense. I said I wouldn't go without him which sparked an argument and tears because he wanted me to go etc. etc. In the end I phoned ladydog and we decided to order in. Matt enjoyed what I ordered him. I wish I could say the same thing about what I ordered. We had one funny about it, she asked me to order her some lobster bisque which she wanted for supper. When she saw the bill she thought they had charged her 18.49 for the bisque. So did I, I phoned the restaurant and the cashier checked it and said no, it had been $8.49 then I really looked at the bill which said something like "bisque bowl849" which we had both read wrongly. Duuh. Whilst I was doing this ladydog did the dishes for me so it was almost like eating out, almost. She and I had a lot of laughs, I'm not sure what about, but it was good. Because we were laughing Matt was laughing too although he cannot have known what we were talking about.

Anyway, I was somewhat disappointed to put it mildly.

I then got a call from the family doc who made some suggestions about what I could do to help Matt's bed sore pain. Once I had finished talking to him, I got a large bath towel and rolled it up so it had two high parts on either side. I can't get a definite answer as to whether it hurts, but he hasn't been moving and fidgeting and all the other things one does to get out of pain. So I guess it is working.

I'm learning Spanish, right? on Words for Wednesday there is a short story in Spanish, a message left for me in Spanish and a lot more Spanish which everyone seems to understand but me!!! My own message I managed to get translated with the help of Duolingo, but I didn't want to try to get the whole story translated. It occurred to me I am not doing as well as I think I am. Apart from anything else I need George to practice the little bit I know, and I guess it is going to be a while before I can "speak" Spanish.

Ladydog lent me a book, the one by Alex Trebek. The Answer is.... Reflections on his life. Matt said he had seen that face before. I told him yes, at 7:30 every week night for 20 odd years. But he still didn't know who it was. I will enjoy reading it. Looking for the picture I realise he has written before, I didn't know that. Such a pity about his cancer.

I always used to enjoy Giada de Laurentis cooking. Used to watch her regularly once upon a time.

Linguine with Shrimp and Lemon Oil

For the lemon oil
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested

For the pasta
1 lb(s) linguine pasta
2 Tbs olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz frozen shrimp
¼ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oz arugula (about 3 packed cups)
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the lemon oil

Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve.

For the pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked linguine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine. Turn off the heat and add the arugula. Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta. The zest can be discarded. Add some of the cooking water to desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 - 6

Author: Giada De Laurentis

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Wednesday, Medical Call, Nap, Supper, Bed Sores,

Quiet day and my gut was playing me up again. Just what you want to hear I know. I got cracking early so I had all my ablutions done before the PSW arrived otherwise it means I don't get to wash and dress for ever. In some ways they are actually a nuisance although I guess one gets used to them eventually. Our lives seem to revolve around their arrival and departure. I meant to run some errands once today's PSW had gone but didn't get round to it. Cooked myself some artichokes for lunch though LOL.

In the end I basically did damn all today. I was expecting a call from our urologist this afternoon so couldn't go far anyway.  Made lunch for the pair of us, not feeling like doing much for myself I made Nong Shim Noodles and ate the artichokes later.

After lunch I busied myself with a few things and then decided to have a nap. Forgot to mention that Matt was up and ready to start his day at 4 a.m. I managed to send him back to bed. Doesn't do my sleep much good though. I had just about got to sleep  in the afternoon and the urologist called - about an hour and a half early!!! Just as well I hadn't gone out I guess.

I made a Marinated Flank Steak Dump and Go dinner in the Instant Pot. I sliced the meat the wrong way and it was rather tough. Easy to carve though. I really don't know a  heck of a lot about carving. I know you are supposed to cut across the grain with flank steak but it was so easy to carve I thought I had got it wrong before. Guess I hadn't. I also cooked some broccoli in the Pot. It was a little more crunchy that we normally eat it. I should have made the florets smaller or given it a bit longer.

Dunno if I have mentioned, Matt has given himself bed sores, not by being in bed, but by constantly sitting on his lounger in a recumbent position. He is now very sore. Not a heck of a lot we can do about it I think. Got a call  booked from the family doc tomorrow to ask him about it. I sympathise because it happened to me when I was in hospital. However, Matt's were self inflicted because he will NOT get up and move around. It huuurts. I know, but he makes it all worse by just sitting and cannot understand that. At least he is doing his exercises still. That's a plus.

Another yummy recipe I haven't got round to trying. Mind you, if it can't be done in the Instant Pot, I mostly don't want to know these days. I do cook with other methods, but not often any more if I can help it.

Cabbage Lo Mein

2 Tbs plus 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
3 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into ¼ -inch slices
8 oz lo mein noodles
1 tsp chile-garlic sauce
3 Tbs vegetable oil, divided
5 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs chopped fresh ginger
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
2 cups small broccoli florets (about 1 large crown)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup snow peas, halved
4 ½ cups thinly sliced napa cabbage ( ½ head)
¾ cup unsalted chicken broth
1 tsp cornstarch

1. Combine 2 tablespoons sesame oil, soy sauce and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken, toss to coat, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles in the boiling water according to package directions. Drain, transfer to a large bowl and toss with the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil and chile-garlic sauce. Set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and cook until juices are released and the mushrooms are golden and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger and scallions and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli, bell pepper, and snow peas. Cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cabbage and cook until wilted, 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushroom mixture. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the reserved chicken, leaving the sauce in the bowl. Sauté the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile, add broth and cornstarch to the reserved sauce and whisk to combine. Add the sauce to the pan with the chicken; simmer until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vegetable mixture to the pan and toss to combine. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to the bowl with the noodles and toss to combine.

Servings: 4

Author: Lauren Grant
Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Spies, Dogs, Them Green Things, Jeopardy,

Well, not only have I got ladydog keeping an eye on me through my blog, it appears that the Physiotherapist (the one who isn't a doctor!!) is keeping an eye on us through this blog too. Actually we had a good laugh about it today. He was teasing me about the artichokes. His pronouncement is that Matt is doing a lot better. I thought so too. Since stopping those pills, he is stronger and not shaking and doesn't jump with pain when the therapist touches the side of his thighs. He has now given him some leg strengthening exercises as well which are very similar to the ones we did in exercise class (wonder when they will start again) and he said I should do them alongside Matt. He ran Matt through them and was pleased by how well he managed.

Earlier Kathy had come in with the shopping and brought some more artichokes. She also brought Oates, her puppy in training. Cute little dog, she got on with everyone. She is a lab and actually quite small for a labrador  At one year old, she may grow a bit more I guess. She is already extremely obedient. Matt loved her. If he could have Zoey and Oates with him all the time he would be a happy man. She got some water in the bowl I use for Zoey and for my salad!!! Ladydog is not the only one.

Once everyone had gone I finished putting away the groceries. Turned out I had received 8 artichokes! Guess that was it for last week's order and I got them all. I might say the PC Express people had told me there were no artichokes!!! Maybe they don't know what they are. I decided to cook some and thought to myself that when I used to cook them in a pan they were in the water, so that is what I did this time, as an experiment, no trivet, just salted water and 3 chokes. They came out fine. So, if anyone else is planning to cook them in an Instant Pot, all you do is put them in your pot, upside down,  with a cup of salted water, stalks cut off and included, cook them for 15 minutes and then do a quick release. The time does depend on the size of the artichokes of course, but this is for the larger ones. Of course, if you want to, you can put all kinds of garlic and herbs in with them, but I don't think it's necessary.

My favourite programme, Jeopardy, is replaying the very first episodes from many years ago. Alex Trebek then sounds like any other Game Host. I guess he mellows during the years. The one they showed tonight, every contestant ended with 0 dollars. Apparently that didn't happen again for 30 years.

By the way, I have noticed I have been making a few errors in my blogs lately. My apologies, please put it down to tiredness and I will try not to do it any more, some hopes.

Looking at this recipe it could certainly be adapted for the Instant Pot. I must try it out.

Pork Marbella

We took the classic, beloved Chicken Marbella recipe from The Silver Palate Cookbook and made it weeknight-friendly by using quick-cooking pork tenderloin instead. The meat is marinated and then

cooked in those same delicious juices, which get turned into a luscious sweet-and-sour pan sauce.

2 1-lb. pork tenderloins
2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup pitted prunes, torn in half
? cup (packed) light brown sugar
¼ cup capers, plus 1 Tbsp. caper brine
¼ cup pitted Spanish green olives
¼ cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs dried oregano
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs unsalted butter
¼ cup chopped parsley

1. Season pork with salt. Let sit 15 minutes while you prepare the marinade.

2. Combine wine, prunes, brown sugar, capers and brine, olives, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, and ¼ cup oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add pork, seal tightly, pressing as much air out of bag as possible, and turn to coat. Chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

3. Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°. Remove pork from marinade and pat dry; reserve marinade. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over, 6–8 minutes.

4. Remove pan from heat and let cool 1 minute. Pour reserved marinade over pork. Transfer pan to oven and bake, basting pork once with its sauce halfway through, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of tenderloin registers 145°, 22–26 minutes, depending on thickness.

5. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add butter and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until slightly reduced, 3–5 minutes. Stir in parsley.

6. Slice tenderloin crosswise against the grain. Transfer to a platter and spoon pan sauce over.

Servings: 4

Source: Bon Appétit



Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Humour, Cleaner, PSW, Dementia,

A guy spilled all the Scrabble letters on the road so I asked him "What's the word on the street?". Well, I laughed.

That was probably the best part of my day. The major part of it was a guts ache to end all guts aches. Caused, I assume, by my IBS. By now it has more or less disappeared, but Matt has been nagging me all day about things and all I could think of was the pain in my stomach.

The cleaner came slightly early and made the beds before the PSW came. I asked him not to use the hand towel by the sink, however there are two perfectly good towels right next to the bath, but he still went and got out a fresh one.?? I think he was trained in a hospital or something, gotta talk to him about it again.

My new cleaner is very good. I explained to her about the bath stools and when Matt was doing exercises she sneaked the new one in his bath and brought the old one back. Eventually the PSW left and the cleaner got on with her cleaning. She does a pretty good job. Forgot, the PSW described me as a beautiful woman. Made my day, he was talking to Matt who carried on about whatever was on his mind at the time. Feels good at 81 though.

Later we had the place to ourselves, I had planned to wash the sheets but just wasn't up to it. I made lunch for the pair of us and then spread myself out in my lounger and went to sleep. Later, I was awoken by Matt fussing about something wrong in his bathroom. Turned out, when I had staggered along to check, the extractor fan had been turned on as well as the heat lamp. By mistake I assume. A bit later he said someone had come into the apt, during the night and there was something missing. It was the plug from the sink which had been put in a different place. One more time, he said there was something wrong - this time it was the bath stool which I had kind of expected. I said it had come from my bathroom and he seemed quite happy. What happened to all the fuss from the other day??

I forgot to mention he put on a jacket because he said it was cold and later dragged me along the corridor to show me all the coats which didn't belong to us. Of course they did. Then last night he got up at about midnight and the next thing I knew he had his dressing gown on. I had to persuade him to go back to bed.

Guess what, I'm tired. Walking up and down our hallway would be nothing to most of you, for me it is a painful effort by the time I have done it more than once.

Sorry about the grousing, been a rotten day. By the way, Denise suggested an 8 inch dish to do those onions. Would not work in my air fryer. Will have to see if I have some smaller dishes which would be suitable.

Ultimate Chocolate Mousse

The key to this recipe is to use the very best semisweet dark chocolate you can find—we like

Valrhona. The better the chocolate, the better the mousse.

8 oz semisweet dark chocolate, broken into
1/2-inch pieces
6 large eggs, separated
3 Tbs water
1/4 cup sweet liqueur (such as Chartreuse, amaretto, mandarin, or Grand Marnier)
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tbs granulated sugar, divided
Whipped cream and grated chocolate, for garnish

1. Place chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, and cook over low, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, and set aside. These days you can melt chocolate in the microwave so long as you know what you're doing.

2. Place egg yolks and 3 tablespoons water in a heavy saucepan; cook over very low, whisking vigorously and constantly, until yolks begin to foam and thicken, about 6 minutes. Whisk in liqueur, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. (The sauce should achieve the consistency of a hollandaise or sabayon.) Remove from heat. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.

3. Fold melted chocolate into sauce. Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl, and set aside.

4. Beat cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, beating in 2 tablespoons sugar toward the end. Fold into chocolate mixture.

5. Using electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks start to form, about 1 minute. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate-cream mixture.

6. Spoon mousse into a bowl, and chill until ready to serve, 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Garnish servings with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

Source: Food and Wine

Author Notes
In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: To celebrate chocolate in its most delectable guises, we asked some of the best cooks—Julia Child, James Beard, Maida Heatter, and more—to share their favorite chocolate recipes. Craig Claiborne, who was the New York Times restaurant critic and one of the top food journalists at the time, shared his remarkable chocolate mousse, which could be reliably whipped up without tremendous effort. In his original headnote for the recipe, Claiborne says, “once in a rare while, I discover a formula for a dish that seems the ultimate, the definitive, the ne plus ultra. I am convinced that the finest chocolate mousse creation ever whipped up in my kitchen is the one printed here. As if you didn’t know, mousse means foam in French. This mousse is the foamiest.” The key to this recipe is to use the very best semisweet dark chocolate you can find—we like Valrhona. The better the chocolate, the better the mousse.

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Spam, Storm, Charging, Bowling,

Sunday morning, checking my email, I had dozens of spam emails from a friend's blog. I had a heck of a time getting rid of them. Eventually I went to Rogers home page, checked the mail there and deleted them. Then went back to my mail server and managed to get rid of the damned things. Is it fun for the spammer to do this? I don't see the point except for the sheer aggravation for everyone who receives them.

Just before lunch we had a humdinger of a storm. Almost went black as night and we got a total deluge. The patio door even got very wet and that doesn't happen often. The hydro went off and the air conditioner did. I thought it had blown a fuse (turned out it was just the breaker). I had my phone on charge and a little while after the storm had receded into the distance I heard it beeping at me. Didn't have a chance to go check it but when I did, there was a tornado warning. Bit bloody late. The first beep certainly came well after the storm had gone. At least it is considerably cooler now.

Talking of charging, I once swore I wouldn't have a watch I had to charge and now, of course, I have one. It needed charging as well this morning. Caught it before it completely ran out of charge, otherwise it is a real fiddle to deal with.

Cant remember if I told you the bowling alley is going to be open on Wednesday. Friend tells me they have cut the place in half. I understood him to mean every other lane has been closed off. I have a phone appointment with our Urologist on Wed. afternoon so unless I can change it, I can't go. Matt is talking about coming with me. He would never get up the stairs any more. Thinking about it, not sure I will be able to either. Ve shall see.

If I had a bug enough air fryer, I am sure I could do these in it, but I don't have a suitably small dish that would work. Pity.

Caramelized Balsamic Onions

As these onion halves cook, the balsamic mixture becomes syrupy and caramelizes the onions, giving

them a bronzed caramel color and a luscious, rich flavor

2 Tbs butter, melted
1 Tbs olive oil
? cup balsamic vinegar -- (or cider vinegar)
2 Tbs dry white wine, reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1 Tbs sugar
¼ tsp salt
? tsp ground black pepper
4 medium yellow onions (about 1 1/2 lbs total)
Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine butter and olive oil in 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Whisk in vinegar, wine (or broth or water), sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside. Peel off papery outer layers of onions, but do not cut off either end. Cut onions in half from stem through root end. Place onions in dish, cut-sides up. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Using tongs, carefully turn onions over to cut-sides down. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes longer or until onions are tender and balsamic mixture is thickened and caramelized. Serve cut-sides up. If desired, sprinkle with fresh thyme.

Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Bath Stool, Shopping, Masks, Cardiologist,

The package which I didn't get yesterday because I was on the phone turned out to be the new bath stool for Matt. I went out Friday afternoon to pick it up. When I got it home, Matt kept on and on about what was in the package. Eventually I dragged myself out of my chair and opened the box. When he finally realised what it was, mind you I had tried to explain it many times, he got very upset and said he didn't want a bath stool. Turns out he doesn't remember the PSWs getting my bath stool and using it when he showered. He was so upset he was in tears about it. A big symptom of Alzheimer's, Matt would never have cried about something so silly before. Anyway, I told him I was keeping it for myself. I figured the PSW could "borrow" my stool again and leave it there and I would take the newer one. Hope that works out. He just doesn't understand how much trouble he is having standing.

Whilst out collecting the package I decided to go into my grocery store for some more artichokes, yes, I have stuffed them all into my mouth already. I had been talking to a guy called Houston on the phone, he is a Produce Assistant. So, wandering around the produce dept. I introduced myself to him and thanked him for his help. About a year ago, they re-vamped the store when they added the coffee bar. Although I had been into the coffee bar, I had never walked any part of the store since the changes. I did a bit today. There are a lot of them. I walked through the produce section and the deli section which had always been neighbours. I picked up gorgeous looking leeks and more artichokes then I found what they call the anti pasto bar, used to be loose items but now they are all packaged. I got myself some unstuffed green olives which I like to eat plus use for a recipe. I then wandered over to the deli area and was staggered to see the cheeses they now sell. Huge wheels of all kinds of cheese, I could have gone nuts. This store is worse than Victoria St. Market, I could have ended up spending a fortune. I did buy a chunk of Gorgonzola, haven't had any in a long while. I then got hold of myself and went to check out. I decided to self check out but they have changed the machines yet again and - being unused to computers - had trouble. The leeks had no code nor did  the artichokes. I then saw a woman I have known for years who works there. I hailed her, she came over and said I wasn't supposed to recognise her in her mask. I said it was the blond hair which gave her away. Turns out that for uncoded items I had to press the search icon, like a magnifying glass, duuh. It is a symbol used all over the place.

I then headed home. I might say it was damned hot out there, turned out to be 31°C. I also noticed there were lots of people no wearing a mask Annoyed the hell out of me. They can't all have problems. Seems like there is going to have to be some kind of enforcement although I don't know what they can do. I saw some people wearing masks with the mouths covered, but not their noses.

Earlier in the day I had a call from the cardiologist's office asking me a few questions. I am getting a phone call from him tomorrow. Reminds me, gotta take my blood pressure before he calls. His call is right on lunchtime, between 11:45 and 12:45. What do I do, eat lunch first or after? I will certainly make Matt' lunch before. Don't doctors eat lunch themselves?

Sitting here typing, I am half listening to Andre Bocelli celebrating his 60th birthday. Didn't realise he was that old. I guess we are all getting up there.

Ladydog sent me a recipe for cooking artichokes in the microwave. I was fascinated because the recipe page she copied talked about "radar ranges" never heard that before. She said it was the book which came with her very first microwave in 1978 at which time they were called radar ranges. I don't remember anything other than microwave. Although it was a very quick cooking time, it was only for one artichoke. Doing it in my Instant Pot takes longer but I can cook 2 or even 3 at a time. However, if you are interested here is the radar range recipe. Simple enough,  but as I told ladydog I don't have a 4 cup measure and I can cook more in my Pot. Being greedy you understand.

 Microwave Artichoke

2 Tbs water
1 tsp vinegar
4 drops olive oil
1 medium artichoke

1. Combine in a 4 cup measure, Trim artichoke spears. Place upside down in measure, cover with wax paper.

2. Microwave on high for 4 - 5 minutes until barely tender

Have a great weekend, stay well, stay safe.
 

Doctor, Parcel, Lunch and Zoey,

Having mistakenly published the first paragraph of my blog for Friday, I now have to find other topics to write about.

I got my call from the doctor and he agreed with me about stopping the Sertraline pill and said we would leave it a week to see how Matt did and then consider if he needs another anti depressant. He has another one in mind if required. That was the real doctor of course!!!!

Annoyingly, whilst I was talking to him there was another call and I obviously didn't want to interrupt the doctor, apart from which, I have forgotten what I do to take another call without losing the first one. Keep meaning to find out, but it doesn't happen that often. I then decided to go down and check the mail and, as I suspected, there was a notice from the mail man saying he would take my parcel to the post office at the mall. Damn, damn and damn. I don't even remember what it was. I know I have ordered a bath stool for Matt but that won't come til next week. I am not 100% sure as to where they have moved the post office as Shoppers Drug Mart has, apparently taken over a large area which included Ted's Smokes which housed the post office. Oh well, I will have to borrow Matt's walker again, easier to put in the trunk, and see what I can find. Have a vague idea where it is.

Ladydog came for lunch, well, she brought lunch, and a lovely bunch of flowers again. Matt enjoyed stuffing Zoey with dog biscuits. He tried to feed her at the table but we told him no, no, no. He would never have thought of that at one time, when we had dogs ourselves. We both used to get annoyed with my mother who did feed Chinook at the table whilst we were at work. She always denied it, but it was a funny thing how Chinook used always to sit close to her at dinner looking up expectantly. Knew better than to do that to us.

I just copied this recipe. I use it a fair amount and thought I might try making my own next time. The woman who came and helped with cleaning for a while brought me some which was better than I could get at the store. You need a good Indian shop for that. I can't grind my spices, I don't have a spice grinder any more so this recipe is fine for me.

Garam Masala

Learn how to make Garam Masala from scratch using fragrant spices and just 5 minutes. Including

instructions for pre-ground spices to make this recipe a breeze, or the more traditional method of whole toasted spices.

Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp cumin ground
• 2 tsp coriander ground
• 2 tsp cardamom ground
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground
• 1 tsp pepper ground
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg ground
• 1/2 tsp cloves ground

Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients together and transfer to an airtight container.

Notes

1. Recipe will yield 11.5 teaspoons.
2. Your spice blend will last up to 4 years if properly stored. Now, the blend will never go "bad" or "foul" since there is no moisture present. It will simply lose potency and flavor. I find it makes my life easier to mark my blends with a date to keep better track of them. To see if your blend is still good, a classic sniff test will do the trick.

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Hackers

What next, hackers are apparently targeting the USA, Canada and the UK research on Covid-19. Why, I wonder? They will benefit if anyone ever comes up with a vaccine.

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

PSWs, Errands, Artichokes, Visitors, Doctors,

Well, it seems we now have a PSW routine with Hassan most days and Biji when he is away. Fine except I miss George with whom I used to speak Spanish. Hassan got me to buy some special cream for Matt. Cost me $18 but he appears to need it. I think he is also suffering from bed sores except they are lounger sores. Told him it would happen but I guess he forgot about it. He knows now. I got bed sores when I was in hospital so I know how painful they can be.

Had a successful afternoon. Went to the store and got my artichokes, I had actually asked them to save me 4 but ended up with 6. I shall have to force myself to eat them! Then went to the liquor store and walked straight in. Got what I wanted and headed for the bank which is a few minutes drive away. No queue there either. Must be my lucky day. I had stolen Matt's wheelie (walker) as it is so much easier to put in the trunk but in fact I never needed it. Just managed with a cane as there were so few people about. Got back home a lot quicker than I expected. Just remembered I forgot to check the mail which I intended to do when I returned. Not really expecting anything.

I had looked up methods of cooking artichokes in the Instant Pot. of course, my little pot would only take 2 at a time. I found a recipe which was straight forward. It suggested adding aromatics to the water, I thought it was a waste of time but decided to try it. I was right, it was a waste of time. However, the artichokes came out fine. I decided to cook all of them and keep them in the fridge. Of course I ate a couple of them already. In case you wonder, Matt doesn't like them. Too fiddly for him same as bones in food or shells on shrimp or crabs. Lazy. I really enjoyed the two I ate. I forgot to ask where they came from, sorry. Maybe, if I remember, I will phone the produce dept. tomorrow and ask.

Ladydog and Zoey are coming tomorrow so that is something we will both enjoy. Matt will stuff the dog with biscuits as fast as he can though, doesn't save the pleasure and spread it out. The last about 5 minutes I think. We are having Subs again tomorrow and then next week going to the Red Lobster.

Tomorrow afternoon I have a phone consultation with the family doc. re getting Matt's prescription renewed. Reminds me, on Saturday I have a phone consult with the cardiologist to whom I have been referred.

Another recipe I must try. I love the chive flower as garnish.

Strawberry, Tomato and Fennel Gazpacho

One 7-inch piece of baguette, crust removed
2 lbs tomatoes, 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest chopped
2 lbs strawberries, hulled and 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest chopped
1 large green bell pepper, 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest chopped
1/4 medium fennel bulb, 2 Tbs finely diced, the rest thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups sparkling mineral water
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. (You will need about 1 cup.) Scatter the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 7 minutes, or until crisp. Let cool.

2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, strawberries and bell pepper with the sliced fennel, mineral water, garlic and bread cubes and, working in 2 batches, puree in a food processor. Strain the gazpacho through a fine sieve set over another large bowl. Season the gazpacho with salt. Refrigerate for about 25 minutes, or until chilled.

3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, strawberries, pepper and fennel. Refrigerate until chilled.

4. Spoon the diced mixture into shallow soup bowls and ladle the gazpacho on top. Drizzle each bowl of soup with olive oil and serve.

Servings: 8

Tips  The gazpacho and the diced-vegetable garnish can be refrigerated separately for up to 6 hours.

Source: Food & Wine

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe
.

Physiotherapist, Lunching Out, Artichokes,

Matt's legs seem to have degenerated this week and when the therapist came this afternoon, he found Matt's legs were painful but not as they were. After lots of examination and discussion, I mentioned the pills he had been given three/four weeks ago. He looked them up on his phone/tablet and read out the possible effects. Turns out that shakiness, weakness and pain were part of the adverse reactions which could be experienced. Between us we decided I should ask the doctor about it. However, I phoned and couldn't get to speak with the doc. although I have a call booked for Thursday afternoon. I then tried the pharmacist who grudgingly agreed maybe I should stop them. Not someone I know at our pharmacy, he kindly pointed out that the physiotherapist was NOT a doctor. Fancy that!! Matt's legs have degenerated in the last 3 days, that I have noticed, and after reading the reactions, I have definitely decided to stop the pills again. They are an anti-depressant and Yung said there were other pills that  didn't have the same side effects. I still believe they make him a bit more confused too.

Kathy picked up our groceries this morning and stopped for a coffee. She is off camping tomorrow. In tents. Never done that and sure couldn't do it these days, not unless we had camp beds as well. I tried to arrange we all went out to lunch - ladydog too -  but in the end ladydog decided we would be too close to each other. Pity, I would like them to meet. She also suggested I ask Red Lobster about Matt not wearing a mask. The staff there said they thought they had to accept someone without a mask for medical reasons. However, they said the manager was away for a day or two and they wanted to check with him to be absolutely certain. Mind you, right now, I don't think he could walk into the restaurant anyway.

Oh yes, Hilary, I am getting some artichokes tomorrow. They ordered them for me and said to call and check this evening so I did. They guy checked his list and said yes, he had a box of 30 artichokes. I said I didn't think I could eat that many. He assured me I didn't have to LOL. Anyway, I am going in tomorrow to get them. Whoopee. I figure it is about 18 months or thereabouts since I last had any. Figure I can do the bank as well.

I really need to try this, sounds delicious.

Peanut Butter Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin
fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs peanut butter
1/4 tso ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pineapple preserves

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Trim fat from tenderloin.

3. Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper to taste.

4. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or aluminium foil.

5. Mix the soy sauce, peanut butter, red pepper and minced garlic together.

6. Spread mixture over pork loin.

7. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from oven.

9. Carefully spread pineapple preserves on top of pork loin.

10. Bake another 10 minutes or until meat reaches 150°F

11. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Servings: 4

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Apps, Restaurants, Physiotherapist,

What a nuisance, I have received our annual cheque from the electric company in NC which, of course, is US dollars and my phone app will not allow me to post different currencies so I have to go to the bank. Not far in fact, but it means a long walk to the car. I spoke to a young man at the banking site who using a lot of verbiage and trying to be oh so very pleasant, kept falling over himself, but assured me, after enquiry, that I could use the phone app. Oh well. These days, unless I actually know the name of the person I want to speak to at my bank, I can't get through to anyone actually there. I have a couple of names, but I have a feeling they have moved on since I met these people.

I just read that Mr. Ford, Ontario's PM, says restaurants can open with a max of 50 from Friday. Not buffet style - so that cuts out Mandarin still - but should be able to do Red Lobster. It will be such a treat to go out to eat, you have no idea. I just double checked with Red Lobster and they are opening on Friday, so maybe we can go to lunch next week with ladydog and possibly with Kathy. Not sure how that works from the social distance point of view. Just phoned them again, they can put 6 people at a table but the tables are 6 ft. apart. Wonder what we are supposed to do, have a bite and then mask up again LOL. I wonder when they will allow buffets to open again. Two of our friends can't stand fish or the fishy smell of RL. Yes, there are other restaurants we could try I guess.

Forgot to mention, the physiotherapist comes Tuesday aft. I am a little concerned about weakness in Matt's legs. His exercises are helping, but he has trouble supporting his body when he stands up.

I doubt I would ever make this, only two of us after all, but I could do damage to a slice of it right now, looks delicious.

Baked Rigatoni with Zucchini and Mozzarella

If you’re in the mood for a cheesy lasagna but want something a little less labor-intensive, try this

Baked Rigatoni. Fresh mozzarella, which is sold in water, has a short shelf life and should be used within a few days of purchase for the best flavor. If you can’t find ciliegini, you can tear a standard-size ball of fresh mozzarella into small pieces. Give this baked pasta an impressive look by using a springform pan.

1 lb rigatoni pasta
1 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut into half-moons (from 1 [8 oz.] zucchini)
5 oz baby spinach
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
1 large egg
16 oz small fresh mozzarella cheese balls, divided
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
Fresh basil leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook rigatoni pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

2. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Stir in baby spinach; cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with black pepper and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Transfer to bowl with pasta.

3. Whisk together sour cream, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, egg, and 3/4 tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl until well incorporated.

4. Stir sour cream mixture into pasta mixture until well coated. Add 12 oz. small fresh mozzarella cheese balls and 1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese to pasta mixture; toss to combine. Gently stir in drained, diced tomatoes.

5. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch springform pan, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until set, about 30 minutes. Top with remaining 4 oz. small fresh mozzarella cheese balls and remaining 1 oz. grated Parmesan cheese, and return to oven. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and let stand 15 minutes. Release side of springform pan, and cut into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with fresh basil leaves.

Servings: 8

Author: ADAM DOLGE

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

Weather, PSW, Reminiscing, Masks, Strawberries,

Having had dangerously hot weather for days we finally had a pretty violent storm on Friday with lots of rain. Only trouble when the ground is so dry, rain that comes down that fast doesn't usually do any good because it runs off rather than sink in. We got more rain Saturday and Sunday was pretty cloudy, but so far, no rain. I am delighted to get rid of that really, really hot weather it is horrid if you have to go outside in it and as, these days, you have to queue everywhere before you can go into a store, unless you are lucky, which is unsafe, for oldies like me in particular, and for anyone who has to stand around or even work in it. I hope it doesn't come back. I had our balcony windows open today and at one point it got quite chilly.

Our PSW at the weekend was the same guy twice and he tells us he will be here most of next week too. He seems particularly good although I miss George and my Spanish practice. Reminds me, he went to get Matt to shave and the damned shaver seems to have quit. I only bought it last November. It should last longer than 9 months surely? Only trouble was, I couldn't seem to find a place on Amazon to report it. I have a number to call Philips which I will do tomorrow (today for you). However, I bought another one, a not very expensive Remington, which will arrive tomorrow.  Amazon is so good that way. Not that you can really see Matt's beard it is so white. ladydog's husband has grown a beard whilst in lockdown apparently. She likes it. Not into beards myself.

For some reason today I got into musing about what I remember of the war years and later. I always tell me they gave me WWII for my first birthday present, so I really don't recall a lot. Isn't that what all old people do, start remembering the "old" days, Matt, of course, no longer remembers those years which is odd because dementia usually removes your recent memories and not your old ones, but he seems to have forgotten a lot of it. A friend with a husband who has dementia, came up with a clever comment, "dementia is a thief".

 A third woman told me her partner wouldn't wear a mask either,  but in his case, not dementia. So, some of it is male stubbornness. When I went into VSM on Friday they were all wearing masks and seemed quite happy to do so. Someone else told me her husband had to wear a mask at work so it wasn't a problem.

I bought some strawberries at VSM and didn't realise they were imported. They really were not very good, bit like bullets and lacking in sweetness. However, when I had hulled and washed them, I showered them with sugar and then served them with cream and a meringue and they were pretty good. Pity to not buy local when they are available though. My regular grocery store has local fruit at the moment - even if they don't have artichokes, grrrr.

Another recipe I meant to try and didn't.

Salmon Carpaccio with Lemon Aioli and Pork Rind Crumble

After Paul Qui won the Top Chef Season 9 title, F&W decided to throw him one more challenge: Create a dish based on four ingredients, including salmon and pork rinds. Turns out, Qui loves pork rinds. “My grandmother cooked everything in pork fat,” he says. “If I was lucky, I got to snack on the

rinds she made.” The Top Chef winner used them to make a brilliant crumble for salmon carpaccio (raw fish is a specialty at Uchiko, the Japanese-accented Austin restaurant where he is executive chef). To finish the dish, Qui made a lemon aioli and served it with broccoli rabe.

3 Tbs finely crushed pork rinds
3 Tbs finely crushed toasted rye-bread crumbs
Kosher salt
2 large egg yolks
1 small garlic clove
3/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 Tbs finely chopped dill
4 oz broccoli rabe, trimmed
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 lb sushi-grade, skinless salmon fillet, preferably wild, thinly sliced at a slight angle

1. In a small bowl, toss the crushed pork rinds with the toasted bread crumbs and season with salt.

2. In a blender, combine the egg yolks with the garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and puree until smooth. With the blender on, drizzle in the canola oil and puree until thickened. Scrape the aioli into a bowl and stir in the chopped dill; season with salt.

3. In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli rabe until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli rabe to a bowl of ice water to chill. Drain well, pat dry and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a bowl and toss with the 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice. Season with salt.

4. Spread a little lemon aioli on each of 4 plates and top with the broccoli rabe. Arrange the sliced salmon over the broccoli rabe and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle each serving with some of the pork rind crumble. Serve right away, passing the remaining lemon aioli and pork rind crumble alongside.

Servings: 4
Yield: 4 first-course servings

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.