New paintings and regular art updates.
These were green when I put them in the fridge a week ago. Most of the pack still are, but these look like they have caught fire! I hope they won’t be too hot, I’ve incorporated them into a curry. The plate is Burleigh ware from Middleport pottery in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire. The photo cheered me up because of the bright colours.
As an experiment I cooked a portion of meatballs alfornio in the oven ( gas mark 7, 35 minutes) and king prawn linguini (5 minutes in the microwave). Both were cooked at the same time but I put the microwave food in when the oven food was almost cooked, so they were both piping hot.
My question to the scientific minded out there is, which used the most energy? My guess is the gas oven cooked meal. But I don’t know? What is the ratio between the two? If I want to save money, which is the best? Answers please…..
I was cooking an evening meal and decided to open a bottle of rosé brut wine to go with it. It was very warm in the kitchen, but I didn’t think much about it as I took the wine out of the fridge. I peeled off the foil round the neck and loosened the wire around the cork. Then I had to check the food, stir it, add herbs. Suddenly…
BANG!
The cork had come flying out of the bottle, wine started to bubble out of the bottle all over the kitchen counter. I had to mop it up. I think about a quarter of the bottle was gone! It just shows how hot it was. Next time the wine is staying in the fridge till the food is ready!
This is a lovely ceramic pestle and mortar I bought at a craft Market a few years ago. I was crushing some garlic for a chilli last night and decided to use this instead of my garlic press which falls apart every time I try and crush more than one clove of garlic.
But thinking about it there are a couple of coincidences linked with it. Last Monday I was wearing a mortar board. Not much of a coincidence, but then after our meal I did a quick crossword clue ‘pounding tool, used with a mortar’? Of course I got the answer
I had some strawberries in the fridge but they started to go mouldy so I cut off the bad bits and chopped them up. I made pancakes with two cups of self raising flour, three eggs and milk to make a thickish batter. I let it rest in the fridge and whipped some cream.
If you heat a frying pan with oil in it till its hot you get better pancakes. Pour off any excess oil to reuse after cooking your first pancake. Swirl the batter round the pan to get it level. If you watch, as the batter cooks the top of it will start to bubble and dry out. You can see its setting as it cooks. I use a spatula to turn it over. When cooked add cream and chopped strawberries. I used sweetner rather than sugar and would have used lemon juice if I had any in.
Today was a sore throat, tired sort of day, a rummaging in the freezer so I didn’t have to cook properly day. I found a sausage, cranberry and sage crown (wrapped in flaky pastry). Hubby had bought it at Christmas and I hadn’t fancied it then. But with a sore throat, how bad could it be? I cooked it till it was slightly burnt, but it was OK. With boiled new potatoes, carrots and parsnip. It tasted sweet, and slightly sour/bitter. I have to say I wouldn’t have another one, but at least it’s out of the freezer.
A table full of delicious food. We just got back from Sawadee Thai taste in Stoke. We had Thai fishcakes and spare ribs for starters, then Thai green curry with fillet of Sea Bass and jasmine rice. Plus noodles with seafood (King prawns, Mussles and Squid). We really enjoyed it. Can’t say much more. At least I remembered to take photos!
Why do I feel hot? I’m melting. Not my age? It’s winter, I’ve got the heating on. But I’m hot. I’m not ill, I was, but I’m getting better. I guess it’s because I have been standing in front of the cooker making tea (evening meal). I was looking for a drawing to show how I feel and this one from a couple of days ago illustrates it well. As you get older life seems to get more complicated. I swear I think bits are going to start falling off me!
Anyway, I’m feeling a bit better. But even so, I think I will have an early night. Life, its wonderful but complex.
I like baked beans but I’ve started eating sugar free ones and I wanted to spice them up a bit.
I heated a bit of oil in a saucepan then added a small amount of medium curry powder and turmeric powder and heated it gently.
I had chopped up a small onion into medium sized pieces. I microwaved it for a minute to soften it slightly, then added the heated onion to the pan and cooked it gently for a few more minutes to soften and brown the onion (sweated?).
Then I added the sugar free baked beans into the pan and increased the heat slightly. I simmered the mixture for a few minutes until it was thoroughly heated.
We had the beans with some vegetarian sausages and some reduced fat oven chips. Tasty! No photo of the meal as its already been eaten!
I don’t put salt in because it dissolves and gets absorbed into the food. I put it on if needed when I serve food. Its on the surface and you can taste it more.
We spent the evening in the local Thai restaurant. The food is always good, but I do wonder at the behaviour of some of the customers!
While we were there we overheard a phone order for a takeaway. After explaining that it would need to be collected the owner took an order for about eight dishes including rice and a mixed starter. It sounded like a big meal, but she was happy to cook for the customer. That was about 7pm with the collection due at 8pm. No one came, so I chatted with the owner and she said it happens quite frequently! By 8.30pm she decided to call them, but no one was answering so all she could do was leave a message letting them know the food was ready.
We were finishing off our meal just before 9pm when someone else rang to ask if she was still open. They arrived a few minutes later but after looking at the menu asked for chips and cola! When she explained it was a Thai restaurant they decided to walk out without paying for the drinks!
What bothers me is that a hard worker and restaurant owner, who is already struggling because of the covid situation is being messed about by so called customers. I think it’s appalling to treat someone like that. No doubt there will be complaints on social media. But cooking for customers requires respect on both sides. I’d go so far as saying this almost looks like racist behaviour. I felt very sorry for her and the treatment she experienced.
Mallaband-Brown