Why This Is Hell

Culinary

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:03:03 GMT

I have a celeriac and I suspect a variant of chard (green leaf and stalks). I do have a celeriac and spinach soup recipe but any other suggestions welcome. Celeriac scares me, I confess.

Also, I suspect I'm dropping in iron intake - and statements such as "Good plant sources of iron include dried fruits, whole grains (including wholemeal bread), nuts, green leafy vegetables, seeds and pulses. [...] Iron absorption can also be reduced by tannins (e.g. in tea) and phytates (found in nuts, grain and seeds)" confuse matters.

I'm happy to eat meat but I'm trying to cut down (in fact I'm currently on 1550kC a day regime which works for certain value of works) so any recommendations for intaking iron welcome. Maybe I just need lots of Guinness.

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Going Solo

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 23:10:01 GMT

I thought this weekend would be busy - the Euro Food Fair, the Brogdale Cider Festival and the Broadstairs Food fair - but I figured I could one a day, although it was likely making going to see Scott Pilgrim vs the World and Tamara Drewe awkward. Then I realised the Broadstairs thing was later, and we had a natural Euro Fair Friday, Cider Festival Saturday (complete with bookshop raid) and movie Sunday, possibly both.

But then there's B. It would be good to go with someone else - sample more cider, compare and contrast, guard seats, conversation. And Sunday suits B. Not much of a problem, although it's a shame to miss the bookshop. But there's history.

In 2008 I'd planned to go on Saturday with B, but Sunday ended up more convenient, then not at all convenient as he had too much on. I forget now precisely why I didn't go on the Saturday in the end, but it seems to be that Wye market was on the Saturday, and that would be a prelude to a walk when I damaged my knee.

In 2009 I'd planned to go on Saturday with B, but Sunday suited him, and then he was busy ... but he could meet me in the pub afterwards.

So, he wouldn't me mess me around a third time, would he?

Friday, I went to the Euro Fair after finally writing a report, had a coffee, finished Gateway, weighed out dried fruit and left it to soak before heading for the pub.

Saturday I can make the cake, do some writing and see Scott Pilgrim.

Sunday, cider festival.

( Simples. )

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Expotitions in Medway

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:28:48 GMT

I rewarded myself for getting to the end of term with half a day in Medway --

("That's a reward?" FaceBooks Buffy Squirrel.
"It might have been a whole day," I respond.)

-- and I narrowly catch the train after the one I'd anticipated; curiously this train was running fifteen minutes late until thirty seconds before it arrived, on time or early. I noted how the new minimum charge for Railcards meant that I could have travelled before ten as as the card isn't valid. Grr for the money.

I've been through Gillingham, but not to it, and on the whole I didn't move off the high street. I'm not entirely sure I missed anything. It's a place that is clearly suffering - the charity shops are saver centres, presumably selling off stuff not sold in ordinary charity shops. For those who cannot afford a Poundshop, here's a 99p Shop. And, a few shops down, a 97p Shop. I call in a fried chicken shop for lunch, and overhear a conversation between a couple who are arguing over Facebook - he's denying blind that he has a page, and that's he's made his choice, he's fucking her.

I've had an hour or two there - if the weather was better I'd have wandered down to the shore - and part of the time was spent queueing in the CashConvertors to get some DVDs. Then I'm off to Rainham, for the bookshops. There's no barrier of the east platform, so I could break the journey without complications, although it's meant to be legal anyway.

The first port of call is the hospice charity shop: and there's a few seventies items I pick up, and another Shakespeare - All's Well's That Ends Well - to tick off the list. I stick my head in the new bookshop, but nothing is tempting, even a fifty pence copy of The Information, a book I've seen in dozens of Waterstone's sales. And then to the secondhand shop - much that was tempting, but I limit myself to a couple of hardbacks and a paperback.

The ulterior motive was to visit the butcher - supplied by the Brogdale butcher from Faversham. I pick up a pile of lamb chops for the freezer, some bacon and a pork shoulder joint.

I roasted the pork today - it took nearly four hours - and I don't think I've ever had sweeter or tenderer pork cooked at home. I need to work out what's left and what can be stored or frozen. Maybe make some into a pie. My roast potatoes were fine, but what made it were the mashed parsnips; I've mashed swede before, but I guess I've tended to roast or stew parsnips in the past. A useful discovery. Now to find some interesting ways of using carrots.

In the mean time, I fed the sourdough starter and made a loaf. It made a fair sized loaf, but I suspect it was a little too wet, and end up lower and flatter than I'd have preferred. Bread for spreading, on, not sandwiching, obviously. It'll be interesting to toast and add home made jam.

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Huffkins

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:46:12 GMT

... or culinary adventures.

In part inspired by pronunciation pondering, I made scones.

(I grew up in the Midlands and spent ten years in Yorkshire - my As are flat in grass, glass, so that ass is not a rhyme for arse. On the other hand, book tends to rhyme with buck rather than puke, and water and matter don't rhyme. My scones sound like cons, not cones, which I believe is the dominant pronunciation. The longer o (s-cone) sounds to me like it's posh - but on further pondering it's probably more of a putting hon hof hairs, of trying to be posh but failing. Not a good attitude for me to display. The town of Scone was pronounced Skoon, which is closer to the Dutch schoonbrood.)

This batch I made taste good but didn't hold their shape.

Yesterday I made Huffkins - a Kentish bun which looks somewhat like a bagel with a failed hole. I'm hampered by not having tasted real ones (need to go back to Whitstable) but they are quite sweet and bready-ish. I note that this recipe doesn't specify strong flour. I'm not sure how well they'll keep but they did toast well. They have a slightly sweet taste.

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