Have been revising the 'Sky full of stars' MSS today because I'm sure as shooting not going anywhere. The snow started to fall first thing and it's still falling. Old family friends have rung up to say "It doesn't normally do this".
I've made good use of the time making hearty stews that will keep even when the power goes off. Four good helpings of home made Chicken Madras, Two fish stew, four Pork and carrot stews. All they need is heating up on our gas cooker. Wife and I will not starve.
The crop of icicles we've started to grow over the front porch are mostly a good twelve inches long, with one about nine feet in length. The Lilac bush outside our front window has a crop of stylish decorations in frozen water crystal that would make a seriously artistic Interior designer green with envy.
Not bothering with any Canaerobics today because it's due to snow until the small hours. First thing Monday morning will mean I'll be grafting with the shovel. We've had the best part of a foot of snow so far today which will take around forty minutes to clear. Tomorrow will be sunny with a bit of a thaw, but until then we're snowed in. Not that I mind, but all this weather enforced leisure is getting a tad monotonous.
Wife is getting a bit cabin feverish, but now she's fed and properly watered and we've had a good heart to heart, I am pleased to say she's (Mostly) her old self again. Getting cards from old friends over in the UK, to which I have been responding with phone calls and e-mails, the post being a bit too unreliable at present what with the weather.
Video choice today: 'The Razors Edge' (1946). Am now going to get Dog outside for a romp. Today we will give the woods a miss because there's a stiff and rather gusty breeze which might bring down some of the more heavily laden lumber.
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Alternative food strategies
Wife wants to lose more weight. To do this she has enacted a new edict; that there shall be no more potatoes, pasta, rice or flour served at mealtimes. Nor shall there be any 'healthy' options ready meals. Yet the demand is that the high protein element of the meal (Chicken / Beef / Pork / Fish etc.) shall not be served just with green vegetables.
Being the chief cook and bottlewasher in the household, it falls to yours truly to come up with the goods. Being the obliging husband I am, I've been scratching my head to find a lower carbohydrate alternative that isn't too sweet, perfumed or pulpy for our mutual likings. As Wife likes to put it; "Here's a new challenge for you Jones." As always, I sigh heartily and brace myself unto the task. It's either that or divorce proceedings.
Finally, an answer to my culinary conundrum has been found; Hummus (Or Homous, whatever). A higher protein, lower carbohydrate alternative which can be adapted to go with just about anything. One problem I have with the store bought stuff is firstly it's a pricey alternative to rice, pasta or potatoes at CDN$1.99 for 100g, and secondly it's full of stuff like Sesame paste (Tahini) which I've always found leaves a slight bitter aftertaste. Notwithstanding, there have been two issues to address; firstly price, and secondly flavour.
The cost I take care of by buying dried chick peas and olive oil, the two main ingredients, in bulk. Last purchase of Chick peas was 500g (Just over a pound weight) at CDN$3.90 a kilo. Which works out at about CDN$1.95 (roughly 1GBP). For Olive Oil, I buy the cheap stuff a litre at a time, which is about CDN$7-8 (around 4GBP /litre) if you buy carefully. A litre will make a lot of Hummus. Garlic I generally get at CDN$2 for 3 cloves, and a 3lb bag of Onions for CDN1.60.
Flavour, well, I've taken to adding any savoury spice / vegetable I fancy after the base mix has been prepared. Sea salt and black pepper with Parsnip. Broccoli with a pinch of Parmesan is nice. Beetroot with salt and pepper. Coriander and / or Cumin. Any of these are easy to do and damned impressive is you have someone to impress with your limited culinary skills.
Garlic Hummus Base mix method:
Stick half a pound (about 250g) of dried chick peas in a basin and pour in a litre or so of water. Leave to soak overnight then boil chick peas until soft. Failing that, put the whole shooting match in a saucepan and bring to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer (slow boil over minimum heat) until the peas can be mashed with a fork. Take off heat and drain for a couple of minutes.
Using a potato masher or food processor, mash the peas. Fine chop a largish onion and soften thoroughly in a little water brought to the boil for five or so minutes. Take off heat and drain. Add to softened Onion to mashed peas and mash some more. Crush and fine chop three cloves of Garlic, add to mix and mash. Add a cupful (150-200ml) or less of Olive oil to the mix and mash further until the chick peas, onion and garlic mixture resembles golden grainy mud like in the picture below.
Decant into bowl of choice. Can be served still warm as is, or left to cool in fridge for later use. Experience shows that the resultant mix will keep for a couple of weeks in an old sealed margarine tub without going manky. Pat yourself on the back, you have made Hummus. Now go off and split the atom or something else equally as ingenious. You are officially a clever person.
Additional flavourings;
Once the base mix is done, all you have to do is take out as much as you need and add flavouring of choice, be it salt and black pepper, red pepper, chili, curry powder, you name it. I've taken to adding whizzed up (Liquefied in food processor) Broccoli with a large pinch of Parmesan or other strong cheese. Beetroot with sea salt and a dash of vinegar. The mix can be briefly heated in a saucepan or microwave and served hot if desired. Makes for variety and prevents boredom. This also means you can invite any Vegetarians (Should they be fortunate enough to have you for a friend, or any friends at all, apart from other like minded moralisers) over to dine and without bestirring them to their usual state of high moral rectitude.
For those who might complain "But where's the Tahini?" I usually try to explain that we like it better this way. Well, at least until Wife gets bored with Hummus as an accompaniment to every meal. I give it a month, maybe even two weeks before she's asking me for buttered baked potatoes, french fries, Lasagna, or garlic fried rice again. Heavy sigh.
Being the chief cook and bottlewasher in the household, it falls to yours truly to come up with the goods. Being the obliging husband I am, I've been scratching my head to find a lower carbohydrate alternative that isn't too sweet, perfumed or pulpy for our mutual likings. As Wife likes to put it; "Here's a new challenge for you Jones." As always, I sigh heartily and brace myself unto the task. It's either that or divorce proceedings.
Finally, an answer to my culinary conundrum has been found; Hummus (Or Homous, whatever). A higher protein, lower carbohydrate alternative which can be adapted to go with just about anything. One problem I have with the store bought stuff is firstly it's a pricey alternative to rice, pasta or potatoes at CDN$1.99 for 100g, and secondly it's full of stuff like Sesame paste (Tahini) which I've always found leaves a slight bitter aftertaste. Notwithstanding, there have been two issues to address; firstly price, and secondly flavour.
The cost I take care of by buying dried chick peas and olive oil, the two main ingredients, in bulk. Last purchase of Chick peas was 500g (Just over a pound weight) at CDN$3.90 a kilo. Which works out at about CDN$1.95 (roughly 1GBP). For Olive Oil, I buy the cheap stuff a litre at a time, which is about CDN$7-8 (around 4GBP /litre) if you buy carefully. A litre will make a lot of Hummus. Garlic I generally get at CDN$2 for 3 cloves, and a 3lb bag of Onions for CDN1.60.
Flavour, well, I've taken to adding any savoury spice / vegetable I fancy after the base mix has been prepared. Sea salt and black pepper with Parsnip. Broccoli with a pinch of Parmesan is nice. Beetroot with salt and pepper. Coriander and / or Cumin. Any of these are easy to do and damned impressive is you have someone to impress with your limited culinary skills.
Garlic Hummus Base mix method:
Stick half a pound (about 250g) of dried chick peas in a basin and pour in a litre or so of water. Leave to soak overnight then boil chick peas until soft. Failing that, put the whole shooting match in a saucepan and bring to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer (slow boil over minimum heat) until the peas can be mashed with a fork. Take off heat and drain for a couple of minutes.
Using a potato masher or food processor, mash the peas. Fine chop a largish onion and soften thoroughly in a little water brought to the boil for five or so minutes. Take off heat and drain. Add to softened Onion to mashed peas and mash some more. Crush and fine chop three cloves of Garlic, add to mix and mash. Add a cupful (150-200ml) or less of Olive oil to the mix and mash further until the chick peas, onion and garlic mixture resembles golden grainy mud like in the picture below.
Decant into bowl of choice. Can be served still warm as is, or left to cool in fridge for later use. Experience shows that the resultant mix will keep for a couple of weeks in an old sealed margarine tub without going manky. Pat yourself on the back, you have made Hummus. Now go off and split the atom or something else equally as ingenious. You are officially a clever person.
Additional flavourings;
Once the base mix is done, all you have to do is take out as much as you need and add flavouring of choice, be it salt and black pepper, red pepper, chili, curry powder, you name it. I've taken to adding whizzed up (Liquefied in food processor) Broccoli with a large pinch of Parmesan or other strong cheese. Beetroot with sea salt and a dash of vinegar. The mix can be briefly heated in a saucepan or microwave and served hot if desired. Makes for variety and prevents boredom. This also means you can invite any Vegetarians (Should they be fortunate enough to have you for a friend, or any friends at all, apart from other like minded moralisers) over to dine and without bestirring them to their usual state of high moral rectitude.
For those who might complain "But where's the Tahini?" I usually try to explain that we like it better this way. Well, at least until Wife gets bored with Hummus as an accompaniment to every meal. I give it a month, maybe even two weeks before she's asking me for buttered baked potatoes, french fries, Lasagna, or garlic fried rice again. Heavy sigh.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Off colour
Although there is much in the news that I could comment on like Icebreakers getting stuck in the supposedly shrinking Arctic ice cap and the continuing insanity of politicians trying to 'fix' the climate with taxes, I just don't feel like it. Although the main project 'First Flights' MSS approaches 90,000 words as of this evening, and I've just written a quite dramatic sequence, where one of the lead characters has to make a forced landing, I can't be bothered to write about much else.
This blog is rather neglected because not much happens out here apart from the visits of local wildlife. Things like getting within ten metres of two Bald Eagles on a morning walk with my dog, first sighting of a Possum (I think). What can I say? The Eagles are bloody huge, with wingspans wider than I am tall, and their talons look like serious pieces of kit. I see them dive bombing the local fish population every day. The Possum, if that's what it was, showed my dog a clean pair of heels across a neighbours garden. Dog pulled up short and looked at me with a bemused 'What do you want me to do with that, boss?' look on his face.
Dog is going for shearing on Friday morning, as when the thermometer bobs over twenty degrees, his thick coat makes him pant and fret when he gets too hot.
I have been feeling a bit 'off' as well recently, and perhaps am in need of one of my periodic protein binges. Every so often I like to eat something like a Liver and bacon casserole, heavy on the liver. This is rich in iron and vitamin A, and despite extensive experimentation, I have yet to find anything which boosts me out of the 'doldrums' better. Fish and Chicken just can't cut it. My hunter gatherer adapted digestive system needs red meat periodically, and the thought of a vegetarian diet fills me with nausea.
This blog is rather neglected because not much happens out here apart from the visits of local wildlife. Things like getting within ten metres of two Bald Eagles on a morning walk with my dog, first sighting of a Possum (I think). What can I say? The Eagles are bloody huge, with wingspans wider than I am tall, and their talons look like serious pieces of kit. I see them dive bombing the local fish population every day. The Possum, if that's what it was, showed my dog a clean pair of heels across a neighbours garden. Dog pulled up short and looked at me with a bemused 'What do you want me to do with that, boss?' look on his face.
Dog is going for shearing on Friday morning, as when the thermometer bobs over twenty degrees, his thick coat makes him pant and fret when he gets too hot.
I have been feeling a bit 'off' as well recently, and perhaps am in need of one of my periodic protein binges. Every so often I like to eat something like a Liver and bacon casserole, heavy on the liver. This is rich in iron and vitamin A, and despite extensive experimentation, I have yet to find anything which boosts me out of the 'doldrums' better. Fish and Chicken just can't cut it. My hunter gatherer adapted digestive system needs red meat periodically, and the thought of a vegetarian diet fills me with nausea.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Sweet and sticky
One of the things I recall from my youth was the toffee apple. One particular shop in the small place I grew up in sold them, but after the mid 1960's they seemed to disappear off the shopping map. In Victoria the other day I came across this shop that makes a speciality of Toffee Apples. Holy Calories Batman! It was like hitting a mental timewarp sideways at lightspeed. What can I say but "oh my".I really love this place. It's both old and new. Both stepdaughters are coming over for Christmas and they will love it too. Especially shopping in Victoria. We're going to have trouble getting them on the flight home. The RCMP may be needed to get them back on the plane.
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