My afternoon job (pleasure) is to prepare food for our evening meal. It was interrupted today as I take, as a blood thinner, Warfarin (used also to kill rats - or did). A doctor at my health centre tried to wean me off it and on to a substitute called something like Rivaroxaban. This sent me to two stays in hospital because of constant and unpleasant bleeding. As soon as this new thinner was stopped - so did the bleeding. I have now returned to old-fashioned Warfarin, which unfortunately needs a blood assessment every few weeks. So the doorbell rang and my doctor, standing outside on the pavement, changed into a sort of medical space suit. She then came in doors just to jab my finger and take a little blood sample. She then put the finger-pricking device into our kitchen rubbish bin and returned to the pavement to disrobe and put her protective outer clothing into a plastic bag for disposal. I am no expert, but feel that the operation could have been conducted on the windowsill outside with less cost, trouble and risk of virus infection. But rules are rules, I supposed. And they must be adhered to.
I like to cook beans, and in these times of difficulties they seem to me to be a most important source of nourishment. From my supply of dried red kidney beans a quantity is soaked overnight in water and pressure cooked for 35 minutes. They are then used in such as soups, stews and chilli-con-carne. I make the chilli-con-carne powder by mixing in a bowl the following: 3 measures of powdered cumin, 1 measure of chilli powder, 3 measures of dried oregano, 4 measures of paprika, 1 measure of garlic powder, and 1 measure of salt.
First courses are often made of lettuce, garnished with sardines, tuna, or brined anchovies - for visitors (in those days) the latter on little slices of bread fried in olive oil. Barely cooked mushrooms "a la Grecque" is a popular dish, as is cucumber or cooked beetroot in chopped shallot, oil and vinegar. One of our constant favourite hors d'oeuvres is tomato salad. This is simply sliced tomato, garnished with chopped shallot, pepper and salt, vinegar and olive oil and topped with (it should be chopped parsley) fresh coriander.
For a large chicken (in non-virus times I buy them from a Halal butcher in the market) my procedure is thus: I cut off the legs with thighs and bag them for the freezer for roasting, curries, and stew type dishes. I do the same with its wings, cut from the carcass with some breast meat. From the remainder I carve off one breast for roasting and the other for frying. The carcass is then broken up and pressure-cooked in water and spices for at least one hour - usually more with a stock cube or two. The stock it makes is strained and used for the start of or topping up of soup.
I had to make space in the rather too small deep freezer part of our drinks refrigerator for a chicken treated as above. For this I removed a box of fish fingers. These we enjoy with home-made mayonnaise. I have made mayonnaise for years and only once has it failed. I find that any temperature of the ingredients work together happily. In a small bowl goes an egg yolk and half its quantity of Dijon mustard. With a wooden spoon and stirring in the same direction I add a steady stream of olive and vegetable oil (I use groundnut - for everything). When the mayonnaise has reached the thickness desired, a little lemon juice is added and a dash of cold water. Job done - with ease and pleasure.
In the kitchen we have a lidded compost bin. When a bit heavy, this is emptied into the larger bin at the bottom of the garden. Compost-making is such a pleasure, with all compostable kitchen waste put to good use. Early each spring I empty the bottom part of this large bin of friable and plant-nourishing compost and distribute it around plants and soil in the garden - and all from unwanted waste.
Then there was the fruit bowl to top up. This bowl is covered with a plate, kept in the refrigerator, and contains any fruit in season, covered in spirit, sherry, vermouth or such. A spoonful of its contents makes a wonderful dessert. And it is a fine way to use up any old spirit that may have been given as a present and seldom used.
Which pretty well brings us to evening drinks time - always welcome and taken by us in the shed if the weather is warm. We like just a little to eat with our first glass of white wine, or Pernod. Most popular are crisp rice crackers with Roquefort beurre on top. This topping was always on café menus in my student days in Paris but now seems to have disappeared. It is simply Roquefort cheese with butter, blended with a fork. It needs to be taken out of the refrigerator well before use, just to soften it.
Other festive drinks are taken in our shed are Champagne cocktails. These are simply put together on a large lump of ice, adding a measure of Cognac, four or five dashes of Angostura bitters and topped with any sparkling wine.
In our shed it is food, drink, radio music, laughter and talk before the routine of retiring, television, pill-taking, reading, ablutions (don't forget the bidet) the undoing of the bra and sleep until the early morning. As usual it has been quite a day.
I like to cook beans, and in these times of difficulties they seem to me to be a most important source of nourishment. From my supply of dried red kidney beans a quantity is soaked overnight in water and pressure cooked for 35 minutes. They are then used in such as soups, stews and chilli-con-carne. I make the chilli-con-carne powder by mixing in a bowl the following: 3 measures of powdered cumin, 1 measure of chilli powder, 3 measures of dried oregano, 4 measures of paprika, 1 measure of garlic powder, and 1 measure of salt.
First courses are often made of lettuce, garnished with sardines, tuna, or brined anchovies - for visitors (in those days) the latter on little slices of bread fried in olive oil. Barely cooked mushrooms "a la Grecque" is a popular dish, as is cucumber or cooked beetroot in chopped shallot, oil and vinegar. One of our constant favourite hors d'oeuvres is tomato salad. This is simply sliced tomato, garnished with chopped shallot, pepper and salt, vinegar and olive oil and topped with (it should be chopped parsley) fresh coriander.
For a large chicken (in non-virus times I buy them from a Halal butcher in the market) my procedure is thus: I cut off the legs with thighs and bag them for the freezer for roasting, curries, and stew type dishes. I do the same with its wings, cut from the carcass with some breast meat. From the remainder I carve off one breast for roasting and the other for frying. The carcass is then broken up and pressure-cooked in water and spices for at least one hour - usually more with a stock cube or two. The stock it makes is strained and used for the start of or topping up of soup.
I had to make space in the rather too small deep freezer part of our drinks refrigerator for a chicken treated as above. For this I removed a box of fish fingers. These we enjoy with home-made mayonnaise. I have made mayonnaise for years and only once has it failed. I find that any temperature of the ingredients work together happily. In a small bowl goes an egg yolk and half its quantity of Dijon mustard. With a wooden spoon and stirring in the same direction I add a steady stream of olive and vegetable oil (I use groundnut - for everything). When the mayonnaise has reached the thickness desired, a little lemon juice is added and a dash of cold water. Job done - with ease and pleasure.
In the kitchen we have a lidded compost bin. When a bit heavy, this is emptied into the larger bin at the bottom of the garden. Compost-making is such a pleasure, with all compostable kitchen waste put to good use. Early each spring I empty the bottom part of this large bin of friable and plant-nourishing compost and distribute it around plants and soil in the garden - and all from unwanted waste.
Then there was the fruit bowl to top up. This bowl is covered with a plate, kept in the refrigerator, and contains any fruit in season, covered in spirit, sherry, vermouth or such. A spoonful of its contents makes a wonderful dessert. And it is a fine way to use up any old spirit that may have been given as a present and seldom used.
Which pretty well brings us to evening drinks time - always welcome and taken by us in the shed if the weather is warm. We like just a little to eat with our first glass of white wine, or Pernod. Most popular are crisp rice crackers with Roquefort beurre on top. This topping was always on café menus in my student days in Paris but now seems to have disappeared. It is simply Roquefort cheese with butter, blended with a fork. It needs to be taken out of the refrigerator well before use, just to soften it.
Other festive drinks are taken in our shed are Champagne cocktails. These are simply put together on a large lump of ice, adding a measure of Cognac, four or five dashes of Angostura bitters and topped with any sparkling wine.
In our shed it is food, drink, radio music, laughter and talk before the routine of retiring, television, pill-taking, reading, ablutions (don't forget the bidet) the undoing of the bra and sleep until the early morning. As usual it has been quite a day.
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