Sharon´s sister, Deborah, is a wonderful cook and she and husband Andrew have recently received a glowing review from a top foodie website – Food Review Scotland.
Sharon says: “This is why I like to stay with my sister. Never mind the beautiful scenery round about, the sea and the forest on the doorstep. I love to stay there and sit in her relaxing dining room and eat one of her wonderful home cooked inners. Not to mention her full Scots breakfast. I can´t wait to get back there in the summer.”
For the review see http://www.foodreviewscotland.com/restaurant/s/Hillcrest-House-Wigtown.aspx:
***
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sharon solves a problem
An article on the brain in The Economist detailed interesting research about how people come to insights, such as suddenly remembering a name or a fact or arriving at a solution to a problem.
A task posed by researchers studying how the brain works went like this. Imagine you are in a three-storey house. There are three light switches on the wall on the ground floor. One of the switches controls a light on the second floor. At the start this bulb is off. You can switch the three switches on and off but you can only go up to the second floor, to see if the light is on, once.
So, what should you do? In the experiment volunteers were given 30 seconds to read the puzzle and 60 to 90 seconds to solve it. If they hadn´t, a hint appeared, which was that you should turn one switch on for a bit, wait, and then turn it off. Then go upstairs and feel the bulb to see whether it was warm.
This baffled us both, how was this “hint” helpful?
Sharon quickly came up with an elegant solution: “You switch the switches on one at a time and you just go outside and look up at the window of the room on the second floor to see if the light is on.”
There is no beating this logic. Presumably the guff about the one visit upstairs and feeling the heat of the bulb were pure diversions.
Sharon says: “There´s no fooling the stroke brain.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
A task posed by researchers studying how the brain works went like this. Imagine you are in a three-storey house. There are three light switches on the wall on the ground floor. One of the switches controls a light on the second floor. At the start this bulb is off. You can switch the three switches on and off but you can only go up to the second floor, to see if the light is on, once.
So, what should you do? In the experiment volunteers were given 30 seconds to read the puzzle and 60 to 90 seconds to solve it. If they hadn´t, a hint appeared, which was that you should turn one switch on for a bit, wait, and then turn it off. Then go upstairs and feel the bulb to see whether it was warm.
This baffled us both, how was this “hint” helpful?
Sharon quickly came up with an elegant solution: “You switch the switches on one at a time and you just go outside and look up at the window of the room on the second floor to see if the light is on.”
There is no beating this logic. Presumably the guff about the one visit upstairs and feeling the heat of the bulb were pure diversions.
Sharon says: “There´s no fooling the stroke brain.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Great cafe for tasty treats
When she needs to collect another bit of paper from officialdom, Sharon loves to stop at the Confiteria Emilo Marin, on the Calle Ángel Bruno in Cartagena.
This is in the new bit of town, behind the old city, north of the Paseo de Alfonso XIII. The area used to be a huge lagoon which swept around the city making it an easily defended peninsula. The Carthaginians closed off the narrow neck of land to the east and ran walls between the hills and had a fine fortified place they thought was safe from attack.
They reckoned without the wily Roman, Scipio, who found out the lagoon could be forded at certain phases of the moon and tide and sent in an attack from the back while a diversionary fuss was made at the front. All this happened about 200 years before Christ was born.
However, the lagoon was a fertile source of malaria which swept through the inhabitants for the following 2,000 years until finally, in the 1920s, it was decided the lagoon should be filled in. The work took decades but now the area known as Ensanche provides homes for many of Cartagena´s residents. A special land development company was set up to promote the scheme and you can see its very attractive building, the Urban Expansion Company House, which is described as “a building of eclectic design, both in its construction and decoration.” It is located at the junction of Paseo de Alfonso XIII and the southern bit of Calle Ángel Bruna.
But enough history, it´s the food that counts and the Confiteria Emilo Marin, is the place to head for. There are pavement tables and it is best to go indoors to choose from the cabinets loaded with all sorts of pastries, cakes, tarts, mousses, meringues and confectionary. There are also savoury treats, such as empanadas, filled with meat or tuna, little pizzas and breads. A Spanish friend advises that the take-away meals are excellent and very good value. The café is near the Palacio Justicia, on a corner on the other side of the street. Parking is a nightmare, oh well, nothing´s perfect.
***
©Phillip Bruce
This is in the new bit of town, behind the old city, north of the Paseo de Alfonso XIII. The area used to be a huge lagoon which swept around the city making it an easily defended peninsula. The Carthaginians closed off the narrow neck of land to the east and ran walls between the hills and had a fine fortified place they thought was safe from attack.
They reckoned without the wily Roman, Scipio, who found out the lagoon could be forded at certain phases of the moon and tide and sent in an attack from the back while a diversionary fuss was made at the front. All this happened about 200 years before Christ was born.
However, the lagoon was a fertile source of malaria which swept through the inhabitants for the following 2,000 years until finally, in the 1920s, it was decided the lagoon should be filled in. The work took decades but now the area known as Ensanche provides homes for many of Cartagena´s residents. A special land development company was set up to promote the scheme and you can see its very attractive building, the Urban Expansion Company House, which is described as “a building of eclectic design, both in its construction and decoration.” It is located at the junction of Paseo de Alfonso XIII and the southern bit of Calle Ángel Bruna.
But enough history, it´s the food that counts and the Confiteria Emilo Marin, is the place to head for. There are pavement tables and it is best to go indoors to choose from the cabinets loaded with all sorts of pastries, cakes, tarts, mousses, meringues and confectionary. There are also savoury treats, such as empanadas, filled with meat or tuna, little pizzas and breads. A Spanish friend advises that the take-away meals are excellent and very good value. The café is near the Palacio Justicia, on a corner on the other side of the street. Parking is a nightmare, oh well, nothing´s perfect.
***
©Phillip Bruce
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Someone has to go to the beach
Sharon had been for yet another medical check up and, as the Mediterranean sun was shining brightly, once that was over there was only one thing to do – head for the beach.
At Santiago de la Ribera, on the shores of the Mar Menor, Europe´s largest inland sea, the beach was pristine, the sea and sky deep blue and only a few people strolling about enjoying the day. We joined them and rolled Sharon´s wheelchair right down to the water´s edge, as there are wooden paths laid on the sand and a special shaded area for the disabled. We hadn´t brought our swimming costumes but enjoyed sitting and watching the anchored boats and doing nothing at all.
A lady arrived with a push chair with her new baby and two young boys. The lads were soon fooling around in the sand and paddling in the water, just like lads should. She was on holiday visiting her family but normally lives in Germany with her husband, who was hard at work there.
Little fish darted around in the crystal clear shallows. These are fartet, only three or four centimeters long. They are able to thrive in salty water, such as that of the enclosed Mar Menor, which is dotted with lagoons where the water is evaporated to produce natural sea salt – an industry that dates back at least to Roman times. Patches of posidonia grass could be seen here and there on the sandy bottom. This is not a seaweed but a grass that has adapted to marine life. Both the fish and the grass need the cleanest of clean water to survive.
But we weren´t there to study nature but to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine on our faces and the quiet and peace.
After half an hour or so we rolled a little way back from the beach and found a little bar for café con leche and croissants.
People have all sorts of different jobs. But someone has to go to the beach.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
At Santiago de la Ribera, on the shores of the Mar Menor, Europe´s largest inland sea, the beach was pristine, the sea and sky deep blue and only a few people strolling about enjoying the day. We joined them and rolled Sharon´s wheelchair right down to the water´s edge, as there are wooden paths laid on the sand and a special shaded area for the disabled. We hadn´t brought our swimming costumes but enjoyed sitting and watching the anchored boats and doing nothing at all.
A lady arrived with a push chair with her new baby and two young boys. The lads were soon fooling around in the sand and paddling in the water, just like lads should. She was on holiday visiting her family but normally lives in Germany with her husband, who was hard at work there.
Little fish darted around in the crystal clear shallows. These are fartet, only three or four centimeters long. They are able to thrive in salty water, such as that of the enclosed Mar Menor, which is dotted with lagoons where the water is evaporated to produce natural sea salt – an industry that dates back at least to Roman times. Patches of posidonia grass could be seen here and there on the sandy bottom. This is not a seaweed but a grass that has adapted to marine life. Both the fish and the grass need the cleanest of clean water to survive.
But we weren´t there to study nature but to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine on our faces and the quiet and peace.
After half an hour or so we rolled a little way back from the beach and found a little bar for café con leche and croissants.
People have all sorts of different jobs. But someone has to go to the beach.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Smart machine solves palm problems
Palm trees are an essential part of any Mediterranean garden or landscape but high tech has arrived for their maintenance.
In the old days a man in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with a big blade on the end of a stick used to climb the trunks of the palm trees and trim off the old leaves. This worked well but, progress is progress, and now a special little crawler machine was spotted in use in Cartagena at the fine stand of palms near the old town hall.
This machine creeps onto the grass on rubber tracks and then spreads out its legs like an octopus to anchor itself firmly, raising the tracks off the ground. Then the palm tree experts climb into the cage and pull a few leavers to be raised up into the depths of the leaves where they do their essential work, wearing full safety equipment.
No shorts, no t-shirts.
Sharon remembers: “When I was growing up in Africa, the palm men used to come round every now and then ask if you needed your palms cutting. They only wore shorts and no shoes and they had a thing like a hula hoop made of rope. They would sling it around the trunk and climb up the tree with the hoop around their waist. When they got to the top, they leaned back into the hoop and sawed off the dead palm branches.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
In the old days a man in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt with a big blade on the end of a stick used to climb the trunks of the palm trees and trim off the old leaves. This worked well but, progress is progress, and now a special little crawler machine was spotted in use in Cartagena at the fine stand of palms near the old town hall.
This machine creeps onto the grass on rubber tracks and then spreads out its legs like an octopus to anchor itself firmly, raising the tracks off the ground. Then the palm tree experts climb into the cage and pull a few leavers to be raised up into the depths of the leaves where they do their essential work, wearing full safety equipment.
No shorts, no t-shirts.
Sharon remembers: “When I was growing up in Africa, the palm men used to come round every now and then ask if you needed your palms cutting. They only wore shorts and no shoes and they had a thing like a hula hoop made of rope. They would sling it around the trunk and climb up the tree with the hoop around their waist. When they got to the top, they leaned back into the hoop and sawed off the dead palm branches.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Remembering victims of terrorism
A huge new bronze statue has appeared on the waterfront at Cartagena. It shows a man with his head downcast and his knees raised up. The statue was only installed this month and it is a striking addition to the city´s modern street art.
The statue is in memory of the victims of terrorism and it was sculpted by Victor Ochoa. Spain has suffered badly from terrorism, with the ETA group murdering in the cause of Basque independence and the terrible train station bombings in Madrid by other terrorists.
Now this giant statue shows that the victims of violence are not forgotten.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
The statue is in memory of the victims of terrorism and it was sculpted by Victor Ochoa. Spain has suffered badly from terrorism, with the ETA group murdering in the cause of Basque independence and the terrible train station bombings in Madrid by other terrorists.
Now this giant statue shows that the victims of violence are not forgotten.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Brain puzzlers
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Sharon asked for a piece of paper and a felt tip pen. She said that she had a “quandary” about the letter S.
She drew, first, two S letters but reversed. Then she drew two more S letters this time the correct way around. It should be pointed out that Sharon can write as normal with her right hand. However, the S question had been puzzling her.
“It´s been in my mind for weeks,” she said. “I write the S in a picture in my mind to the same formula. But they come out opposite. So, I was wondering if they would look like S if I wrote them on paper or if I was just imagining them in my mind as S. The formula is the same for both – back to front and back round, and round to the back and round to the front again. But they were opposite. So, I wanted to write them so I could see. It´s been bothering me for weeks. They just look the same to me, except for the bottom part.”
Sharon´s S letters are seen above.
At college in Tunbridge Wells many years ago she learned Pitman´s shorthand. She had also been thinking about how to write her name using the system´s phonetic rules, which ignore spellings and record sounds.
“So I wrote “sh”, then a down “r” instead of an up “r” and then the “n” flicks round the end of the “r” instead of the normal “n.” It´s a half circle. With an “o” on it for “ron.”
See the other picture.
Strokes, of course affect the brain. Sharon had a hemorrhagic stroke, where a major blood vessel burst. The other type of stroke is where a vessel becomes blocked.
Areas of the brain are damaged or destroyed by strokes but, it appears, that the brain has the capability of finding new ways of doing things. Other undamaged areas are used and new “wiring” laid down. That is why recovery is possible. To impress your posh pals you must always refer to this as “neuroplasticity.”
But, there are many odd features, and Sharon´s mysterious S is one of them. “I would love to hear from anyone with any views on my quandary,” says Sharon.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
She drew, first, two S letters but reversed. Then she drew two more S letters this time the correct way around. It should be pointed out that Sharon can write as normal with her right hand. However, the S question had been puzzling her.
“It´s been in my mind for weeks,” she said. “I write the S in a picture in my mind to the same formula. But they come out opposite. So, I was wondering if they would look like S if I wrote them on paper or if I was just imagining them in my mind as S. The formula is the same for both – back to front and back round, and round to the back and round to the front again. But they were opposite. So, I wanted to write them so I could see. It´s been bothering me for weeks. They just look the same to me, except for the bottom part.”
Sharon´s S letters are seen above.
At college in Tunbridge Wells many years ago she learned Pitman´s shorthand. She had also been thinking about how to write her name using the system´s phonetic rules, which ignore spellings and record sounds.
“So I wrote “sh”, then a down “r” instead of an up “r” and then the “n” flicks round the end of the “r” instead of the normal “n.” It´s a half circle. With an “o” on it for “ron.”
See the other picture.
Strokes, of course affect the brain. Sharon had a hemorrhagic stroke, where a major blood vessel burst. The other type of stroke is where a vessel becomes blocked.
Areas of the brain are damaged or destroyed by strokes but, it appears, that the brain has the capability of finding new ways of doing things. Other undamaged areas are used and new “wiring” laid down. That is why recovery is possible. To impress your posh pals you must always refer to this as “neuroplasticity.”
But, there are many odd features, and Sharon´s mysterious S is one of them. “I would love to hear from anyone with any views on my quandary,” says Sharon.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Cultural exchanges
The presence of the million British people who now live in Spain is being reflected in the shelves of Spanish supermarkets.
Spanish gourmets love tripe, or callos, and in one supermarket this can be found next to a British favourite, macaroni cheese. Whether tripe, which is the lining of a cow´s stomach, and macaroni cheese can be served together on the same plate as the ultimate cultural fusion dish remains to be discovered.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Spanish gourmets love tripe, or callos, and in one supermarket this can be found next to a British favourite, macaroni cheese. Whether tripe, which is the lining of a cow´s stomach, and macaroni cheese can be served together on the same plate as the ultimate cultural fusion dish remains to be discovered.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Gorgeous creamy courgettes
Having bought courgettes from the travelling veg salesman we thought about how to cook them and this mixture of courgettes and pumpkin is very tasty.
Ingredients
Two courgettes, about 10 ounces after grating.
Pumpkin, about 10 ounces after grating .
Half a tablespoon of cider vinegar
Half a tablespoon of caster sugar
150ml of cream
150ml of Greek yoghurt
Two eggs
We used the food processor to grate the two courgettes and produced about.10 ounces after grating. This went into a bowl, together with the cider vinegar and caster sugar. After about two hours, squeeze the courgettes to remove all the liquid. Peel and chop the pumpkin and grate that as well. Mix the two vegetables together and put in a shallow oven dish with herbs – we used finely chopped sage and parsley. Mix together the cream, yoghurt and eggs, pour over the vegetables and mix in well. Bake in the oven at 200C for about 30 minutes or so.
We ate this on its own for lunch but it could also be served as a side dish for a main meal.
A chilled white wine would go very well with this vegetarian treat.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Ingredients
Two courgettes, about 10 ounces after grating.
Pumpkin, about 10 ounces after grating .
Half a tablespoon of cider vinegar
Half a tablespoon of caster sugar
150ml of cream
150ml of Greek yoghurt
Two eggs
We used the food processor to grate the two courgettes and produced about.10 ounces after grating. This went into a bowl, together with the cider vinegar and caster sugar. After about two hours, squeeze the courgettes to remove all the liquid. Peel and chop the pumpkin and grate that as well. Mix the two vegetables together and put in a shallow oven dish with herbs – we used finely chopped sage and parsley. Mix together the cream, yoghurt and eggs, pour over the vegetables and mix in well. Bake in the oven at 200C for about 30 minutes or so.
We ate this on its own for lunch but it could also be served as a side dish for a main meal.
A chilled white wine would go very well with this vegetarian treat.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Jasmine the fragrant medicine
Fragrant jasmine has healing properties, according to 17th century herbalist Nicholas Culpepper.
Sharon loves the smell of jasmine and there are large areas of it along the fences of her huerta, or garden. As she does her walking practice each day she knows she is reaching the turnaround point when she smells the jasmine in a neighbour´s garden. With her sight problems, which are long standing and nothing to do with her stroke, she loves fragrances. Her favourite oil for the burner in near to her chair in the lounge is jasmine.
Culpepper is not alone in recognizing the healing talents of jasmine or, Jessamine as he calls it.
“Jessamine is a warm, cordial plant, government by Jupiter in the sign Cancer. The flowers only are used. It warms the womb, and heals schirrithi therin, and facilitates the birth; it is useful for cough, difficulty of breathing, &c. The oil made by infusion of flowers, is used for perfumes. It disperses crude humours, and is good for cold and catarrhous constitutions, but not for the hot. The oil is good also for hard and contracted limbs, it opens, warms, and softens the nerves and tendons, if used as a liniment to the parts, or taken in drink, or clysters. It removes diseases of the uterus, and is of service in pituitous colics. A poultice of the leaves, boiled in wine, dissolves cold swelling and hard tumours.”
The reference to beneficial effects on “hard and contracted limbs” is of obvious interest in view of the problems experienced by people recovering from strokes. The search is now on for some cream with jasmine for Sharon to rub on her left hand, which can curl up painfully. If anyone hears where we can find any please let us know.
Common jasmine, such as that in Sharon´s huerta, is native to Iran but there are more than 300 tropical and subtropical species. The genus is part of the olive family.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Sharon loves the smell of jasmine and there are large areas of it along the fences of her huerta, or garden. As she does her walking practice each day she knows she is reaching the turnaround point when she smells the jasmine in a neighbour´s garden. With her sight problems, which are long standing and nothing to do with her stroke, she loves fragrances. Her favourite oil for the burner in near to her chair in the lounge is jasmine.
Culpepper is not alone in recognizing the healing talents of jasmine or, Jessamine as he calls it.
“Jessamine is a warm, cordial plant, government by Jupiter in the sign Cancer. The flowers only are used. It warms the womb, and heals schirrithi therin, and facilitates the birth; it is useful for cough, difficulty of breathing, &c. The oil made by infusion of flowers, is used for perfumes. It disperses crude humours, and is good for cold and catarrhous constitutions, but not for the hot. The oil is good also for hard and contracted limbs, it opens, warms, and softens the nerves and tendons, if used as a liniment to the parts, or taken in drink, or clysters. It removes diseases of the uterus, and is of service in pituitous colics. A poultice of the leaves, boiled in wine, dissolves cold swelling and hard tumours.”
The reference to beneficial effects on “hard and contracted limbs” is of obvious interest in view of the problems experienced by people recovering from strokes. The search is now on for some cream with jasmine for Sharon to rub on her left hand, which can curl up painfully. If anyone hears where we can find any please let us know.
Common jasmine, such as that in Sharon´s huerta, is native to Iran but there are more than 300 tropical and subtropical species. The genus is part of the olive family.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Poppies scatter the fields
The fields and roadside verges in the countryside around Cartagena, Spain, are splashed with red as poppies wave in the breeze.
The beautiful poppies are the brightest and deepest red and stand out strongly against the other wild flowers which are nearly all yellow, with a few purples thrown in. The poppies appear now, just before the heat of summer and are a gorgeous splash of new colour.
For many people, poppies are associated with remembrance, even though we are in April and Remembrance Day falls on the second Sunday of November. Originally it was celebrated at the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month, and was known as Armistice Day, as that was the day the armistice ending the First World War was signed.
John McCrae, then a Major, of the Canadian Army, was a surgeon attached to the First Field Artillery Brigade at the Battle of Ypres in the spring of 1915. In a break from treating wounded soldiers, he sat exhausted on the back of an ambulance. The day before, May 2, he had buried his friend and former student, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer who was killed by a shell burst.
Major McCrae spent five minutes writing on his pad the following poem, In Flanders Field.
In Flanders Fields the poppies bow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up or quarrel with the foe:
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders field.
Not satisfied with his words Major McCrae threw his poem away but it was picked up by another officer and published in Punch on December 8, 1915.
Who can look at a poppy without remembering?
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
The beautiful poppies are the brightest and deepest red and stand out strongly against the other wild flowers which are nearly all yellow, with a few purples thrown in. The poppies appear now, just before the heat of summer and are a gorgeous splash of new colour.
For many people, poppies are associated with remembrance, even though we are in April and Remembrance Day falls on the second Sunday of November. Originally it was celebrated at the 11th hour, of the 11th day of the 11th month, and was known as Armistice Day, as that was the day the armistice ending the First World War was signed.
John McCrae, then a Major, of the Canadian Army, was a surgeon attached to the First Field Artillery Brigade at the Battle of Ypres in the spring of 1915. In a break from treating wounded soldiers, he sat exhausted on the back of an ambulance. The day before, May 2, he had buried his friend and former student, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer who was killed by a shell burst.
Major McCrae spent five minutes writing on his pad the following poem, In Flanders Field.
In Flanders Fields the poppies bow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up or quarrel with the foe:
To you from falling hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders field.
Not satisfied with his words Major McCrae threw his poem away but it was picked up by another officer and published in Punch on December 8, 1915.
Who can look at a poppy without remembering?
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
A night on the volcano
In 1975 and living in New Zealand we had to move from Auckland to Wellington to take a new job.
Like most newly-weds we were short of money and so the express train was out of the question. But, no problem, we only possessed a couple of suitcases of stuff and so decided that the bus journey would be interesting – and it was.
Towards the late afternoon we pulled in at the historic hotel on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, a very active volcano, and the highest peak in the country standing 9 175 feet (2 797 meters) high. This is a lovely place, built in 1929, and one of the most luxurious hotels in New Zealand. We explored the beautiful hotel, which was set amidst the snow that covered the volcano. As we couldn´t, and can´t, ski, we borrowed a sledge and messed about for a bit whizzing down little slopes. Then it was time to move on and we left the Bayview Chateau Tongariro.
By now it was dark and the snow was falling heavily. The bus drove down the mountain but when we had gone a few miles along the main road it sputtered to a halt and the engine died a death. There was silence.
Sharon says: “It was as if we were the only living beings in the whole world. There was no traffic, no nearby houses with lights on. Just complete blackness and total isolation. I was just so frightened. Thank goodness that the driver had the sense to keep the interior light on in the bus which gave me a glimmer of hope. Not to mention my husband´s soothing words. Nothing fazes him. It was freezing. We were surrounded by snow and freezing cold air and there was no heating at all. Every now and then people would get off the bus for a wee and a great gush of freezing cold air would come in. We were there all night and we weren’t rescued till the following morning. I don´t remember dropping off to sleep but I suppose I must have done because morning did arrive. We were all piled into a new bus and taken the next town for a warm up and a cup of tea. Eventually, we set off again for Wellington.”
The bus had stopped close to the state highway bridge at Tangiwai which is also crossed by the railway. It was here, on Christmas Eve, 1953, that New Zealand´s worst railway accident occurred. The Wellington to Auckland Express was crossing the bridge. However, the supports had been damaged by a surge of water that rushed down the Whangaehu River after a natural dam, formed up on the volcano crater during a recent eruption, collapsed. Six carriages plunged into the raging waters and 151 of the 285 passengers on board lost their lives. Nearly all victims were traveling in Second Class, with the First Class carriages, the guard´s van and a traveling post office remaining on the land.
Today a memorial stands at the site of the disaster to remember those who died. It features the number plate of the train engine, K949.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
In 1975 and living in New Zealand we had to move from Auckland to Wellington to take a new job.
Like most newly-weds we were short of money and so the express train was out of the question. But, no problem, we only possessed a couple of suitcases of stuff and so decided that the bus journey would be interesting – and it was.
Towards the late afternoon we pulled in at the historic hotel on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu, a very active volcano, and the highest peak in the country standing 9 175 feet (2 797 meters) high. This is a lovely place, built in 1929, and one of the most luxurious hotels in New Zealand. We explored the beautiful hotel, which was set amidst the snow that covered the volcano. As we couldn´t, and can´t, ski, we borrowed a sledge and messed about for a bit whizzing down little slopes. Then it was time to move on and we left the Bayview Chateau Tongariro.
By now it was dark and the snow was falling heavily. The bus drove down the mountain but when we had gone a few miles along the main road it sputtered to a halt and the engine died a death. There was silence.
Sharon says: “It was as if we were the only living beings in the whole world. There was no traffic, no nearby houses with lights on. Just complete blackness and total isolation. I was just so frightened. Thank goodness that the driver had the sense to keep the interior light on in the bus which gave me a glimmer of hope. Not to mention my husband´s soothing words. Nothing fazes him. It was freezing. We were surrounded by snow and freezing cold air and there was no heating at all. Every now and then people would get off the bus for a wee and a great gush of freezing cold air would come in. We were there all night and we weren’t rescued till the following morning. I don´t remember dropping off to sleep but I suppose I must have done because morning did arrive. We were all piled into a new bus and taken the next town for a warm up and a cup of tea. Eventually, we set off again for Wellington.”
The bus had stopped close to the state highway bridge at Tangiwai which is also crossed by the railway. It was here, on Christmas Eve, 1953, that New Zealand´s worst railway accident occurred. The Wellington to Auckland Express was crossing the bridge. However, the supports had been damaged by a surge of water that rushed down the Whangaehu River after a natural dam, formed up on the volcano crater during a recent eruption, collapsed. Six carriages plunged into the raging waters and 151 of the 285 passengers on board lost their lives. Nearly all victims were traveling in Second Class, with the First Class carriages, the guard´s van and a traveling post office remaining on the land.
Today a memorial stands at the site of the disaster to remember those who died. It features the number plate of the train engine, K949.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
A fruity interruption
Listening to an audio book Sharon was interrupted by a knock on the door from a neighbour. His friend was outside with a trailer full of locally grown fruit and vegetables.
She got her crutch and hobbled out for a look. She bought four oranges, three red apples, two courgettes (zucchinis) and a cucumber - and was given a free gift of a big bunch of celery which measured 70cm from end to end.
The cost was 2.34 euros.
When you live in the Campo the fresh food means you don´t need vitamin C supplements – and the sunshine provides all the vitamin D you need.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
She got her crutch and hobbled out for a look. She bought four oranges, three red apples, two courgettes (zucchinis) and a cucumber - and was given a free gift of a big bunch of celery which measured 70cm from end to end.
The cost was 2.34 euros.
When you live in the Campo the fresh food means you don´t need vitamin C supplements – and the sunshine provides all the vitamin D you need.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Friday, April 24, 2009
How to heal an injury
When a girl goes skiing and things go wrong an unexpected early halt to the fun and a flight home can be the result.
The beautiful slopes of Whistler, in Canada, had to be abandoned when Jo fell and painfully damaged a ligament in her leg. However, thankfully, husband Paul is one of the world's last great romantics.
After all the specialist treatment, pills and potions, Jo is back at home in the UK. The most effective treatment, Paul decided, was a Labrador puppy. Bruno is now keeping an eye on the recovering ski expert, with lots of licks and tail wagging.
“Now that is real medicine”, says Sharon.
***
The beautiful slopes of Whistler, in Canada, had to be abandoned when Jo fell and painfully damaged a ligament in her leg. However, thankfully, husband Paul is one of the world's last great romantics.
After all the specialist treatment, pills and potions, Jo is back at home in the UK. The most effective treatment, Paul decided, was a Labrador puppy. Bruno is now keeping an eye on the recovering ski expert, with lots of licks and tail wagging.
“Now that is real medicine”, says Sharon.
***
Words for the Oxford English Dictionary
Apparently a million words are now featured in the English language with new ones being invented every day.
The Oxford English Dictionary is, of course, the bible of English and it lists about 300,000 words.
The effects on speech of strokes are well known and documented. Many unfortunate stroke victims either lose their speech or encounter great difficulties. It is a blessing that Sharon has not been affected in this department and “jabbers on,” as she says.
However, a curious development since her stroke is that her vocabulary has actually expanded. “I was dreaming,” she said recently. “However, it was nothing untoward.” Now “untoward” is a word she would never have used in the past. She also uses long words, like “prestigiously” which, again, were not before in her everyday conversation.
Sharon has even spontaneously invented completely new words.
When the fingers in her left hand started to show some movement recently, she described the sensation as a “twingle.” This is probably a mix of twitch and tingle.
Looking at the picture of Bruno the Labrador puppy, she said he would be doing lots of “sniggling.” This is probably a mix of snuffling and wiggling, which is what puppies do.
Perhaps these new should be forwarded to the august editors of the OED.
***
©Phillip Bruce
The Oxford English Dictionary is, of course, the bible of English and it lists about 300,000 words.
The effects on speech of strokes are well known and documented. Many unfortunate stroke victims either lose their speech or encounter great difficulties. It is a blessing that Sharon has not been affected in this department and “jabbers on,” as she says.
However, a curious development since her stroke is that her vocabulary has actually expanded. “I was dreaming,” she said recently. “However, it was nothing untoward.” Now “untoward” is a word she would never have used in the past. She also uses long words, like “prestigiously” which, again, were not before in her everyday conversation.
Sharon has even spontaneously invented completely new words.
When the fingers in her left hand started to show some movement recently, she described the sensation as a “twingle.” This is probably a mix of twitch and tingle.
Looking at the picture of Bruno the Labrador puppy, she said he would be doing lots of “sniggling.” This is probably a mix of snuffling and wiggling, which is what puppies do.
Perhaps these new should be forwarded to the august editors of the OED.
***
©Phillip Bruce
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Cake and sunshine are all you need
The simplest pleasures are best, such as sitting at a pavement café on a sunny spring morning.
We had traveled to Murcia City, the capital of Murcia Province, Spain, in order to deal with some bureaucratic paperwork and, once free of the crowded government offices it was time for a coffee. We headed with friends Liz and Graham for the Café Roses, which is on the south bank of the Segura River, just over the old bridge at the end of the wide Gran Via that cuts through the centre of Murcia. The bridge was started in 1718 and there is a neoclassical shrine to the Virgin on the south bank which opened in 1839. A short way past that, on the right hand side of the road, there are several cafes with pavement tables.
We sat at the Café Roses and ordered milky and black coffees and then went inside to study the treats on offer. Choosing is always a problem with so much to tempt and so many calories to worry about. Sharon chose a chocolate layer affair with shavings of dark chocolate on top and added a strawberry flavoured mousse and sponge cake for good measure. We decided to share everything and a big fluffy puff pastry thing with a round of meringue was added to the order, together with a pastry covered with sweet sugar gel onto which pine nuts dusted with icing sugar were densely packed. On the savoury side, a giant croissant filled with cheese and ham and a small, long, pizza topped with a rasher of bacon completed the spread.
We sat outside under the shade of a large umbrella and watched the world go by. Of course, we all complained about the calories to come but when the dishes were brought out the spoons and forks were soon hard at work. When the wreckage was being picked at more coffees were ordered and we sat back, gossiped and watched the world go by.
Across the street a large water sculpture featured two huge pots. The top one was filled with water which streamed from a pipe and when full it turned over and disgorged into the lower pot. Murcia City was founded by the Islamic invaders in when they swept through Spain. They brought with them sophisticated irrigation techniques, including water wheels, hydraulic mills and channel systems to bring precious water to the fields, often planted with the oranges and lemons which they also introduced from the Middle East. Next to the old bridge, on the river itself, is the city´s hydraulic museum – Museo Hidráulico Los Molinos del Rio, set in an ancient water mill.
But we had no time for museums today and, instead, just enjoyed the sunshine.
Diagonally across the road the edge of the Floridablanca garden could be seen, with its imposing stone arched entrance displaying the armorial bearings of the Count of Floridablanca who gave it to the city – the first public garden in all of Spain. There are large and stately trees and in the summer the park is filled with roses. We decided to visit another day.
There were just a few smidgeons of cake left and it would be a shame to waste them.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
We had traveled to Murcia City, the capital of Murcia Province, Spain, in order to deal with some bureaucratic paperwork and, once free of the crowded government offices it was time for a coffee. We headed with friends Liz and Graham for the Café Roses, which is on the south bank of the Segura River, just over the old bridge at the end of the wide Gran Via that cuts through the centre of Murcia. The bridge was started in 1718 and there is a neoclassical shrine to the Virgin on the south bank which opened in 1839. A short way past that, on the right hand side of the road, there are several cafes with pavement tables.
We sat at the Café Roses and ordered milky and black coffees and then went inside to study the treats on offer. Choosing is always a problem with so much to tempt and so many calories to worry about. Sharon chose a chocolate layer affair with shavings of dark chocolate on top and added a strawberry flavoured mousse and sponge cake for good measure. We decided to share everything and a big fluffy puff pastry thing with a round of meringue was added to the order, together with a pastry covered with sweet sugar gel onto which pine nuts dusted with icing sugar were densely packed. On the savoury side, a giant croissant filled with cheese and ham and a small, long, pizza topped with a rasher of bacon completed the spread.
We sat outside under the shade of a large umbrella and watched the world go by. Of course, we all complained about the calories to come but when the dishes were brought out the spoons and forks were soon hard at work. When the wreckage was being picked at more coffees were ordered and we sat back, gossiped and watched the world go by.
Across the street a large water sculpture featured two huge pots. The top one was filled with water which streamed from a pipe and when full it turned over and disgorged into the lower pot. Murcia City was founded by the Islamic invaders in when they swept through Spain. They brought with them sophisticated irrigation techniques, including water wheels, hydraulic mills and channel systems to bring precious water to the fields, often planted with the oranges and lemons which they also introduced from the Middle East. Next to the old bridge, on the river itself, is the city´s hydraulic museum – Museo Hidráulico Los Molinos del Rio, set in an ancient water mill.
But we had no time for museums today and, instead, just enjoyed the sunshine.
Diagonally across the road the edge of the Floridablanca garden could be seen, with its imposing stone arched entrance displaying the armorial bearings of the Count of Floridablanca who gave it to the city – the first public garden in all of Spain. There are large and stately trees and in the summer the park is filled with roses. We decided to visit another day.
There were just a few smidgeons of cake left and it would be a shame to waste them.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
An emperor´s teapot
Elegant readers of this blogspot will, of course, never be so vulgar as to use teabags and will have beautiful bone china teapots in which to make their cuppas.
One of China´s greatest emperor´s, Qianlong, 1736-1795, was a great lover of tea and of literature. He wrote more than 200 poems about tea. In the Museum of Tea in Hong Kong a teapot that was made for Imperial use is on display. There are exquisite enameled decorations and on one side are the characters of a poem “Watching tea plucking at Lengquan Ting.” The poem was written by the emperor himself after he had traveled in disguise to the city of Hangzhou and had seen the hard work of the farmers plucking the tea leaves and making Longjing tea. On the other side, in another panel, is a painting of a garden pavilion with flowering trees and a man being served with tea.
Recently, in Suzhou, north of Hangzhou and west of Shanghai, sitting down for a rest in a beautiful pavilion in the Garden of the Humble Administrator, steaming fragrant tea provided a treat for a weary traveler. The day was cold and the trees were bare, awaiting the return of spring. In the distance a pagoda was framed on the horizon, with the eyes led to it by the still waters of a lake. This is known to Chinese garden fans as a “stolen view” in that the focus is not within the garden itself.
As the tea warmed the traveler, a young man and woman came into the pavilion, carrying traditional musical instruments and in traditional dress. They sat down and began playing Suzhou songs just for themselves and for the traveler.
Soon the branches would be dotted with blossom.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
One of China´s greatest emperor´s, Qianlong, 1736-1795, was a great lover of tea and of literature. He wrote more than 200 poems about tea. In the Museum of Tea in Hong Kong a teapot that was made for Imperial use is on display. There are exquisite enameled decorations and on one side are the characters of a poem “Watching tea plucking at Lengquan Ting.” The poem was written by the emperor himself after he had traveled in disguise to the city of Hangzhou and had seen the hard work of the farmers plucking the tea leaves and making Longjing tea. On the other side, in another panel, is a painting of a garden pavilion with flowering trees and a man being served with tea.
Recently, in Suzhou, north of Hangzhou and west of Shanghai, sitting down for a rest in a beautiful pavilion in the Garden of the Humble Administrator, steaming fragrant tea provided a treat for a weary traveler. The day was cold and the trees were bare, awaiting the return of spring. In the distance a pagoda was framed on the horizon, with the eyes led to it by the still waters of a lake. This is known to Chinese garden fans as a “stolen view” in that the focus is not within the garden itself.
As the tea warmed the traveler, a young man and woman came into the pavilion, carrying traditional musical instruments and in traditional dress. They sat down and began playing Suzhou songs just for themselves and for the traveler.
Soon the branches would be dotted with blossom.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Everyone loves habas
Broad beans, or habas, are a staple of the traditional country diet in Spain.
The first fresh beans are piled up in the veg shops now. Many people have their own habas growing on little plots and they will provide much-loved treats throughout the summer. The big bean pods are simply picked and piled into the middle of the table so that everyone can help themselves. There is a special knack to popping the sweet beans out of the pods with one hand that takes ages to learn and identifies the true gourmets.
Confusingly, for those struggling to learn Spanish the “h” in habas is not pronounced with locals talking about “abas.” It´s like the “h” in “hola,” or hullo.
Habas are also very popular when dried and provide a staple for times when the fresh variety is not available.
A favourite in kitchens of the countryside around Cartagena is the dish, michirones. Our friend Barbara has been making michirones for decades and here´s the recipe.
Half a kilo of dried habas
A chunk of ham bacon (tocino de jamôn)
A chorizo (Spanish salami)
A ham bone
One laurel leaf
Ground black pepper
Salt
One chili
Paprika (pimentón)
Boil plenty of water and soak the beans overnight.
The next morning put the beans and water in a casserole pan.
Cut the chorizo and bacon into small chunks and add to the beans with the ham bone, the chili, the black pepper, salt and half a teaspoon of paprika.
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, simmering and stirring until the beans are tender. A few minutes before serving, add a glass of red wine.
Barbara says that michirones takes about two hours to cook on the top of the stove but only about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. She points out that the chorizo gives the michirones a lovely colour.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
The first fresh beans are piled up in the veg shops now. Many people have their own habas growing on little plots and they will provide much-loved treats throughout the summer. The big bean pods are simply picked and piled into the middle of the table so that everyone can help themselves. There is a special knack to popping the sweet beans out of the pods with one hand that takes ages to learn and identifies the true gourmets.
Confusingly, for those struggling to learn Spanish the “h” in habas is not pronounced with locals talking about “abas.” It´s like the “h” in “hola,” or hullo.
Habas are also very popular when dried and provide a staple for times when the fresh variety is not available.
A favourite in kitchens of the countryside around Cartagena is the dish, michirones. Our friend Barbara has been making michirones for decades and here´s the recipe.
Half a kilo of dried habas
A chunk of ham bacon (tocino de jamôn)
A chorizo (Spanish salami)
A ham bone
One laurel leaf
Ground black pepper
Salt
One chili
Paprika (pimentón)
Boil plenty of water and soak the beans overnight.
The next morning put the beans and water in a casserole pan.
Cut the chorizo and bacon into small chunks and add to the beans with the ham bone, the chili, the black pepper, salt and half a teaspoon of paprika.
Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, simmering and stirring until the beans are tender. A few minutes before serving, add a glass of red wine.
Barbara says that michirones takes about two hours to cook on the top of the stove but only about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. She points out that the chorizo gives the michirones a lovely colour.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Not all visitors welcome
Living amidst the interesting wildlife of the countryside around Cartagena there are often unusual visitors.
One of them was found scurrying across our living room floor, all 40 or so of its legs going like the clappers with big pinchers at the back and feelers at the front. Immediate action was called for and, when dead, the creepy crawly measured nearly five inches long.
Sharon says: “It´s all very well, all this wildlife but I am not having it in the house. So, pass me that can of spray.”
***
©Phillip Bruce.
One of them was found scurrying across our living room floor, all 40 or so of its legs going like the clappers with big pinchers at the back and feelers at the front. Immediate action was called for and, when dead, the creepy crawly measured nearly five inches long.
Sharon says: “It´s all very well, all this wildlife but I am not having it in the house. So, pass me that can of spray.”
***
©Phillip Bruce.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Lovely American lemonade
There are plenty of lemons on the trees at this time of year and the problem is really what to do with them all.
A neighbour knocked on the door and gave us a big bag of lovely lemons, so we searched for ways to use them.
In America, it seems there is a long tradition of children setting up their own little lemonade stalls on the pavement (sorry sidewalk). Leafing through a fascinating American cookbook from the 1950s we found a recipe for lemonade. This book has wonderful pictures and the cooks, all women of course, are elegantly dressed in pleated skirts and smart frocks with pinafores. No slopping around the kitchen in baggy pants, t-shirts and trainers. Come on, be honest, when is the last time you made caramel corn-flake tarts, raspberry-melon ring, devilled eggs, nutmeg feather cake or even everyday cupcakes? You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Perhaps we will include some of these recipes on www.sharonskitchenworld.blogspot.com. Do American readers have any traditional favourite recipes they would like to share?
Here´s how to make American lemonade. The quantities are for a single glass so if you want to make a big jug just scale up.
Simmer together for about three minutes one cup of sugar and one cup of water to make syrup. Put in the refrigerator to cool. Then, when you want your lemonade, mix three or four tablespoons of syrup depending on how tart or sweet you want it, add one and a half tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and one cup of water. Pour over ice in a tall glass.
Sharon says: “When it is the baking hot Spanish summer this will be delicious. Much more healthy than the stuff you buy off the shelf and much tastier. Even I reckon it´s quick and simple to make.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
A neighbour knocked on the door and gave us a big bag of lovely lemons, so we searched for ways to use them.
In America, it seems there is a long tradition of children setting up their own little lemonade stalls on the pavement (sorry sidewalk). Leafing through a fascinating American cookbook from the 1950s we found a recipe for lemonade. This book has wonderful pictures and the cooks, all women of course, are elegantly dressed in pleated skirts and smart frocks with pinafores. No slopping around the kitchen in baggy pants, t-shirts and trainers. Come on, be honest, when is the last time you made caramel corn-flake tarts, raspberry-melon ring, devilled eggs, nutmeg feather cake or even everyday cupcakes? You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Perhaps we will include some of these recipes on www.sharonskitchenworld.blogspot.com. Do American readers have any traditional favourite recipes they would like to share?
Here´s how to make American lemonade. The quantities are for a single glass so if you want to make a big jug just scale up.
Simmer together for about three minutes one cup of sugar and one cup of water to make syrup. Put in the refrigerator to cool. Then, when you want your lemonade, mix three or four tablespoons of syrup depending on how tart or sweet you want it, add one and a half tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and one cup of water. Pour over ice in a tall glass.
Sharon says: “When it is the baking hot Spanish summer this will be delicious. Much more healthy than the stuff you buy off the shelf and much tastier. Even I reckon it´s quick and simple to make.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
The miracles of aloe vera
The aloe vera plant seems to have miraculous properties, if the claims made by enthusiasts and the amount of products such as cosmetics and healing creams and potions on sale today are anything to go by.
Sharon is very pleased that one of the aloe vera plants in her huerta, or garden, has burst into flower. This plant was a gift from ace gardener, Derek, who lives nearby in the Campo.
When faced with rashes or other skin problems the simplest thing to do is to chop the end off a thick aloe vera leaf and use the gel inside directly. That is real natural healing.
The ancients knew all about the aloe family of plants, with the Egyptians using them in embalming mummies. The aloe is a bitter plant and this was commented on by the Roman satiric poet Juvenal, who lived a little after the time of Christ. He commented “Plus aloes quam mellis habet.” Classics scholars, such as Alex, will explain this was a reference to a person who had in him more bitters than sweets. There is a small island called Socotra in the Gulf of Aden and in ancient times this was thought to be the only source in the world of aloes. Aristotle tried hard to persuade Alexander the Great to conquer it. Another source says the plant originated in Africa. It is thought to have been introduced into Europe in the 10th century.
However, Aloe vera grows wild in the countryside around Cartagena and the reference to Africa is interesting. Geologically, the rocky hills of the area, such as the Sierra Minera, are actually a part of Africa which broke off when the land that is now the north and south coasts of the Mediterranean fractured and drifted apart. Many plants in the Cartagena area are found nowhere else in Europe and are native to Africa.
The French have a saying: “La côte d´Adam contient plus d´aloè que de miel.” This observes that the tongue of a woman or wife contains more bitters than honey. “Bitter aloes” is a strong purgative that fights constipation.
However, the plant has many milder uses and it has exceptional healing quantities, say its enthusiasts. It features anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents, long chain polysaccharides to boost the immune system, minerals, the antioxidant vitamins, C, E, B12, and beta-carotene. A woody substance called lignin aids the penetration of the skin and tissues.
Aloe vera can be found in a huge range of cosmetic products. The name means “true vera.” There are some 300 different species of aloes but only a few have medicinal properties, aloe vera being most powerful.
Sharon says: “Apart from all that it has the most beautiful flower on it so that it actually looks nice as well.”
***
©Phillip Bruce
Sharon is very pleased that one of the aloe vera plants in her huerta, or garden, has burst into flower. This plant was a gift from ace gardener, Derek, who lives nearby in the Campo.
When faced with rashes or other skin problems the simplest thing to do is to chop the end off a thick aloe vera leaf and use the gel inside directly. That is real natural healing.
The ancients knew all about the aloe family of plants, with the Egyptians using them in embalming mummies. The aloe is a bitter plant and this was commented on by the Roman satiric poet Juvenal, who lived a little after the time of Christ. He commented “Plus aloes quam mellis habet.” Classics scholars, such as Alex, will explain this was a reference to a person who had in him more bitters than sweets. There is a small island called Socotra in the Gulf of Aden and in ancient times this was thought to be the only source in the world of aloes. Aristotle tried hard to persuade Alexander the Great to conquer it. Another source says the plant originated in Africa. It is thought to have been introduced into Europe in the 10th century.
However, Aloe vera grows wild in the countryside around Cartagena and the reference to Africa is interesting. Geologically, the rocky hills of the area, such as the Sierra Minera, are actually a part of Africa which broke off when the land that is now the north and south coasts of the Mediterranean fractured and drifted apart. Many plants in the Cartagena area are found nowhere else in Europe and are native to Africa.
The French have a saying: “La côte d´Adam contient plus d´aloè que de miel.” This observes that the tongue of a woman or wife contains more bitters than honey. “Bitter aloes” is a strong purgative that fights constipation.
However, the plant has many milder uses and it has exceptional healing quantities, say its enthusiasts. It features anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agents, long chain polysaccharides to boost the immune system, minerals, the antioxidant vitamins, C, E, B12, and beta-carotene. A woody substance called lignin aids the penetration of the skin and tissues.
Aloe vera can be found in a huge range of cosmetic products. The name means “true vera.” There are some 300 different species of aloes but only a few have medicinal properties, aloe vera being most powerful.
Sharon says: “Apart from all that it has the most beautiful flower on it so that it actually looks nice as well.”
***
©Phillip Bruce
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sharon´s favourite is tasty and cheap
In these trying financial times, dishes that are economical and very tasty are a great idea. Lamb shank cooked with fresh plums is one of Sharon’s favourite all-time dishes with the sweet/tart flavour of the plums melding wonderfully with the meat. Lamb shank is the lower part of a leg of lamb, which means it is much cheaper than a whole leg. Cooked slowly it is delicious. Here’s what to do.
Ingredients
One lamb shank (caneta de cordero).
Two or three chopped onions.
Three or four cloves of crushed and chopped garlic.
A little oil.
Two courgettes chopped into cubes.
Two carrots grated.
Four or five chopped ripe plums
Herbs – we used chopped fresh sage and parsley leaves, but use what you have. Dried herbs are fine.
Lamb stock cube dissolved in hot water.
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the oil into a large casserole pan and add the onions, garlic, courgettes and carrots. Put the lid on and allow to sweat on the top of the oven until soft. Then add the lamb shank and allow it to brown. Pour in the stock, add the herbs and the plums. Cover the top of the pan with tinfoil and then put the lid on to keep in all the moisture. Put in the oven at about 180C and cook for about two hours or a bit more. Slow cooking is the essence. Make sure it doesn´t dry out and add more water during cooking if necessary.
A mash of potatoes and sweet potatoes goes very well with this dish and soaks up the gravy wonderfully.
If you can’t find fresh plums then you can use prunes, which are dried plums. But soak them for a few hours first and use both the prunes and the water.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Ingredients
One lamb shank (caneta de cordero).
Two or three chopped onions.
Three or four cloves of crushed and chopped garlic.
A little oil.
Two courgettes chopped into cubes.
Two carrots grated.
Four or five chopped ripe plums
Herbs – we used chopped fresh sage and parsley leaves, but use what you have. Dried herbs are fine.
Lamb stock cube dissolved in hot water.
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the oil into a large casserole pan and add the onions, garlic, courgettes and carrots. Put the lid on and allow to sweat on the top of the oven until soft. Then add the lamb shank and allow it to brown. Pour in the stock, add the herbs and the plums. Cover the top of the pan with tinfoil and then put the lid on to keep in all the moisture. Put in the oven at about 180C and cook for about two hours or a bit more. Slow cooking is the essence. Make sure it doesn´t dry out and add more water during cooking if necessary.
A mash of potatoes and sweet potatoes goes very well with this dish and soaks up the gravy wonderfully.
If you can’t find fresh plums then you can use prunes, which are dried plums. But soak them for a few hours first and use both the prunes and the water.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
An object of beauty
It is easy to feel sadness or pity when you see someone using a crutch. However, a crutch is a wonderful thing.
A year ago, after Sharon had suffered her stroke, or cerebral hemorrhage, she was lying flat out on a bed in hospital, connected up to all sorts of tubes and monitors, but she had survived.
Eventually, a little movement in her right hand returned and she was able to whisper a few words. These words were: “I want to go in there.” And her right index finger would flicker in the direction of the wc in the room which she shared with another patient. As soon as she was conscious she wanted to be up and about. Sharon doesn´t do lying in bed but she had to put up with it for a long time and she never did make it to the smallest room.
Later, after discharge from hospital, sitting up was a real problem. She would wobble and then fall sideways on the sofa. Then physiotherapy began but she did the same thing down at the rehabilitation clinic. With immense patience the physiotherapists got her to sit up straight. Then the very long struggle to stand up started. Fear of falling was the biggest problem. But patience and Sharon´s determination eventually saw her standing on her own, holding on to her physio friend Isabel.
Then she was given a crutch and told to take a step. Again: “I´m going to fall,” was her biggest worry. But, over the weeks, not just one but a two or three steps were taken. Specially made shoes helped keep her feet straight and each day there were a few more steps.
The wheelchair was, and is, always the backup but a bit less than a year after her stroke Sharon could walk a couple of dozen steps with her crutch, with someone holding her other hand to steady her. This hand has problems of its own and that is why she can´t use two crutches or hold a Zimmer frame.
A visit to family in the UK at Christmas saw her crutch left behind in the car park at Gatwick airport and it was about a week before another one could be bought. So, there was plenty of staggering about in the meantime leaning on people.
Now, Sharon has a new prosthesis to keep that pesky left foot straight and she is getting used to it. Each day she walks a little further, still with the trusty crutch in her right hand and a helping hand to hold on the other side. On her most recent visit to her friends at physio she was told: “Sharon, you will be walking on your own soon.” Fear of falling, rather than technical factors, remain the biggest obstacle to overcome. But Sharon will get there, as she has come so far.
And that crutch, seemingly such a sad thing, is a true wonder and a thing of joy.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
A year ago, after Sharon had suffered her stroke, or cerebral hemorrhage, she was lying flat out on a bed in hospital, connected up to all sorts of tubes and monitors, but she had survived.
Eventually, a little movement in her right hand returned and she was able to whisper a few words. These words were: “I want to go in there.” And her right index finger would flicker in the direction of the wc in the room which she shared with another patient. As soon as she was conscious she wanted to be up and about. Sharon doesn´t do lying in bed but she had to put up with it for a long time and she never did make it to the smallest room.
Later, after discharge from hospital, sitting up was a real problem. She would wobble and then fall sideways on the sofa. Then physiotherapy began but she did the same thing down at the rehabilitation clinic. With immense patience the physiotherapists got her to sit up straight. Then the very long struggle to stand up started. Fear of falling was the biggest problem. But patience and Sharon´s determination eventually saw her standing on her own, holding on to her physio friend Isabel.
Then she was given a crutch and told to take a step. Again: “I´m going to fall,” was her biggest worry. But, over the weeks, not just one but a two or three steps were taken. Specially made shoes helped keep her feet straight and each day there were a few more steps.
The wheelchair was, and is, always the backup but a bit less than a year after her stroke Sharon could walk a couple of dozen steps with her crutch, with someone holding her other hand to steady her. This hand has problems of its own and that is why she can´t use two crutches or hold a Zimmer frame.
A visit to family in the UK at Christmas saw her crutch left behind in the car park at Gatwick airport and it was about a week before another one could be bought. So, there was plenty of staggering about in the meantime leaning on people.
Now, Sharon has a new prosthesis to keep that pesky left foot straight and she is getting used to it. Each day she walks a little further, still with the trusty crutch in her right hand and a helping hand to hold on the other side. On her most recent visit to her friends at physio she was told: “Sharon, you will be walking on your own soon.” Fear of falling, rather than technical factors, remain the biggest obstacle to overcome. But Sharon will get there, as she has come so far.
And that crutch, seemingly such a sad thing, is a true wonder and a thing of joy.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Porridge protects health
When the morning starts a bit chilly there is nothing better than a bowl of nourishing porridge.
Dr Johnston, who led the team that created the first dictionary of English dictionary, inserted an explanation of porridge along the lines that in England it is a food for cattle but that in Scotland it sustains the population. Sassenachs have been poking fun at porridge ever since.
But, in fact, porridge oats are a modern wonder food when it comes to protecting the heart and general health. Being made from the wholegrain cereal the beca glucan in oats, a soluble fibre, is said to act like a sponge absorbing cholesterol and removing it from the body. Porridge oats contain lots of complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre which means that they release their energy slowly – rather than giving an instant hit that quickly wears off as happens with sugary breakfast cereals.
English people, such as Sharon, take their porridge with sugar or honey, which is a sacrilege to the Scots part of the household who takes it with salt as have generations of kilt wearing real men. In the old days, a large vat of porridge, big enough to last the week, was boiled up and then poured into a drawer from which it could be cut in slabs for breakfast each day. When not filled with porridge, drawers also came in handy, lined with soft blankets, as a place for the baby to sleep.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Dr Johnston, who led the team that created the first dictionary of English dictionary, inserted an explanation of porridge along the lines that in England it is a food for cattle but that in Scotland it sustains the population. Sassenachs have been poking fun at porridge ever since.
But, in fact, porridge oats are a modern wonder food when it comes to protecting the heart and general health. Being made from the wholegrain cereal the beca glucan in oats, a soluble fibre, is said to act like a sponge absorbing cholesterol and removing it from the body. Porridge oats contain lots of complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre which means that they release their energy slowly – rather than giving an instant hit that quickly wears off as happens with sugary breakfast cereals.
English people, such as Sharon, take their porridge with sugar or honey, which is a sacrilege to the Scots part of the household who takes it with salt as have generations of kilt wearing real men. In the old days, a large vat of porridge, big enough to last the week, was boiled up and then poured into a drawer from which it could be cut in slabs for breakfast each day. When not filled with porridge, drawers also came in handy, lined with soft blankets, as a place for the baby to sleep.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
The infamous Bainbridges
Sharon has been watching with family interest the rescue by the US Navy of the captain of an American ship that was seized by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean.
This may seem a long way from the peaceful countryside near Cartagena, but Sharon feels a family involvement as the warship involved was the U.S.S. Bainbridge. And that is her maiden name.
The Bainbridges are a fairly small clan but they carved their name in the criminal history of northern Britain centuries ago. Never distinguished in the conventional sense, so many family members appeared at the Assizes, being jailed and hung, primarily for sheep stealing and clipping the edges of silver coins, that they are one of the easiest families for genealogy junkies to research. A book, The Justice and the Mare´s Ale, chronicles their doubtful achievements. They lived in the wild border lands between England and Scotland where the weather is harsh and where it was easy to roam in search of plunder. Farmers built strong stone houses to live in, with the doors high up so that the cattle could be kept on the ground floor. The ladder up to the door could be pulled up when the roving bands arrived. The Bainbridges solved this problem by each of them carrying a bundle of sticks on their back. The bundles would all be piled up until a ramp was formed giving easy access to the lofty door. Some farmers put their women downstairs with the cattle.
With regard to African pirates, the American Navy has a long record in this field. About 200 years ago American ships trading to Europe were regularly pillaged by pirates operating along the Barbary Coast of northwest Africa, now largely in Morocco. Crews were taken hostage and held for ransom. So bad did the problem become that tributes were paid to the pirates to protect shipping. The U.S. paid up but the cowardly option provided little improvement. Finally, the young nation decided to get tough and the Barbary Wars began in 1801. The Barbary Coast was bombarded by U.S. ships in 1815 and the fights against the pirates are commemorated in the battle hymn of today´s U.S. Marine Corps which sings proudly of its achievements from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. Historians say that the modern U.S. navy was forged in the fights against pirates.
So, it was interesting to see the U.S.S. Bainbridge destroyer in action in the Indian Ocean with Navy Seal snipers shooting dead three of the pirates that had been holding the captain of the seized American ship hostage. Night vision scopes allowed the snipers to pick off the bad guys and the captain was rescued.
The ship is named after William Bainbridge “one of my ancestors,” says Sharon. He was a U.S. Navy officer who actually went to Algiers in 1800 to pay cash to the pirates and he was later captured by them. In a war with Britain that took place in 1812, which features large in American history but which few British have heard of, he became a hero. During that war the British took the home of the American president, held some damn fine dinners there, and set it on fire when they left. The damage had to be covered up with white paint and that is why it is known as The White House today.
The shortest river in England is the Bainbridge River and the village of Bainbridge can be found in Yorkshire. There are plenty of Bainbridges around Sedbergh in North Yorkshire. A few years ago, one of the clan was expressing amazement that we had traveled to so many places around the world. He had made but one foreign trip in his life, when he went to the Isle of Man for a week. He left on the Friday but came home on the Monday as he couldn´t handle the strange food. Taking a large sup of his pint he said that was all the foreign travel he ever intended to do. If there are any Bainbridges reading this, please get in touch.
The picture shows Sharon visiting Bainbridge on her honeymoon. We are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary soon and that is all thanks to the U.S. Navy. But that, as they say, is another story.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
This may seem a long way from the peaceful countryside near Cartagena, but Sharon feels a family involvement as the warship involved was the U.S.S. Bainbridge. And that is her maiden name.
The Bainbridges are a fairly small clan but they carved their name in the criminal history of northern Britain centuries ago. Never distinguished in the conventional sense, so many family members appeared at the Assizes, being jailed and hung, primarily for sheep stealing and clipping the edges of silver coins, that they are one of the easiest families for genealogy junkies to research. A book, The Justice and the Mare´s Ale, chronicles their doubtful achievements. They lived in the wild border lands between England and Scotland where the weather is harsh and where it was easy to roam in search of plunder. Farmers built strong stone houses to live in, with the doors high up so that the cattle could be kept on the ground floor. The ladder up to the door could be pulled up when the roving bands arrived. The Bainbridges solved this problem by each of them carrying a bundle of sticks on their back. The bundles would all be piled up until a ramp was formed giving easy access to the lofty door. Some farmers put their women downstairs with the cattle.
With regard to African pirates, the American Navy has a long record in this field. About 200 years ago American ships trading to Europe were regularly pillaged by pirates operating along the Barbary Coast of northwest Africa, now largely in Morocco. Crews were taken hostage and held for ransom. So bad did the problem become that tributes were paid to the pirates to protect shipping. The U.S. paid up but the cowardly option provided little improvement. Finally, the young nation decided to get tough and the Barbary Wars began in 1801. The Barbary Coast was bombarded by U.S. ships in 1815 and the fights against the pirates are commemorated in the battle hymn of today´s U.S. Marine Corps which sings proudly of its achievements from the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. Historians say that the modern U.S. navy was forged in the fights against pirates.
So, it was interesting to see the U.S.S. Bainbridge destroyer in action in the Indian Ocean with Navy Seal snipers shooting dead three of the pirates that had been holding the captain of the seized American ship hostage. Night vision scopes allowed the snipers to pick off the bad guys and the captain was rescued.
The ship is named after William Bainbridge “one of my ancestors,” says Sharon. He was a U.S. Navy officer who actually went to Algiers in 1800 to pay cash to the pirates and he was later captured by them. In a war with Britain that took place in 1812, which features large in American history but which few British have heard of, he became a hero. During that war the British took the home of the American president, held some damn fine dinners there, and set it on fire when they left. The damage had to be covered up with white paint and that is why it is known as The White House today.
The shortest river in England is the Bainbridge River and the village of Bainbridge can be found in Yorkshire. There are plenty of Bainbridges around Sedbergh in North Yorkshire. A few years ago, one of the clan was expressing amazement that we had traveled to so many places around the world. He had made but one foreign trip in his life, when he went to the Isle of Man for a week. He left on the Friday but came home on the Monday as he couldn´t handle the strange food. Taking a large sup of his pint he said that was all the foreign travel he ever intended to do. If there are any Bainbridges reading this, please get in touch.
The picture shows Sharon visiting Bainbridge on her honeymoon. We are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary soon and that is all thanks to the U.S. Navy. But that, as they say, is another story.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
The thistle is the birds´favourite
Although everything is in flower in the Spanish countryside at the moment the time will soon come when the bright flowers and plants will die back with the approach of the fierce heat of summer.
When the plants turn dry and brown the farmers start their annual weed clearing but there is one plant that is left alone, the thistle. These sturdy plants can grow to four or five feet high and they are covered, as you would expect, in tough thorns. The flowers develop into tight bunches of seed – ideal bird food. And the bird the farmers value the most is the partridge. The partridges can feed up on all the thistles and other seeds and then they will be plump and ready to shoot when the hunting season opens.
The partridge must be a wily bird, however, as it seems that few shooters ever hit any. Often they return dejected from hours crouched in a hide without having bagged a single bird. That doesn´t seem to depress them, however.
Humans liking eating thistles too. The expensive artichoke so beloved of gourmets is, in fact, a thistle.
***
©Phillip Bruce, 2009.
When the plants turn dry and brown the farmers start their annual weed clearing but there is one plant that is left alone, the thistle. These sturdy plants can grow to four or five feet high and they are covered, as you would expect, in tough thorns. The flowers develop into tight bunches of seed – ideal bird food. And the bird the farmers value the most is the partridge. The partridges can feed up on all the thistles and other seeds and then they will be plump and ready to shoot when the hunting season opens.
The partridge must be a wily bird, however, as it seems that few shooters ever hit any. Often they return dejected from hours crouched in a hide without having bagged a single bird. That doesn´t seem to depress them, however.
Humans liking eating thistles too. The expensive artichoke so beloved of gourmets is, in fact, a thistle.
***
©Phillip Bruce, 2009.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sharon´s narrow escape
Sharon´s father was an engineer who worked for East African Railways and Harbours in Kenya and the family often lived for weeks in a carriage on the train. Eric´s job was to plot the alignment of new tracks across the country, often in remote places.
Sharon remembers: “We had our own carriage that we lived in. We often went during school time. So my mum, typical, insisted I did schoolwork during the days. I used to sit at the dining table on a chair to work on my lessons.
“One day, we were going around a corner in the train and the doors of our carriage flew open. I began to slide towards a door on my little chair. We were going quite fast through the African savannah. My mum jumped up in a terrible panic and managed to grab me before I shot out into the veldt.
“That was a narrow escape.”
****
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Sharon remembers: “We had our own carriage that we lived in. We often went during school time. So my mum, typical, insisted I did schoolwork during the days. I used to sit at the dining table on a chair to work on my lessons.
“One day, we were going around a corner in the train and the doors of our carriage flew open. I began to slide towards a door on my little chair. We were going quite fast through the African savannah. My mum jumped up in a terrible panic and managed to grab me before I shot out into the veldt.
“That was a narrow escape.”
****
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Orange blossom blooming
Sharon´s huerta, or garden, is busy these days. The orange trees are in bloom with their blossom attracting lots of attention from the bees. The branches will be heavy with oranges later in the year and Sharon will be busy, we hope, with marmalade making.
Marmalade is easy to make and particularly delicious when you use oranges that you have grown yourself. Plenty of stirring is required as the mixture thickens in the big pot on the stove, so that should provide lots of exercise for her.
She continues to plug away at her walking. Yesterday, she did two trips up to the tree along the track, without a crutch but holding on tightly to me with her good arm. The first trip was an out and back circuit of 290 steps, with a rest at the half way point under the tree where Sam the Labrador enjoyed a good brushing. Sharon says: “He knows perfectly well when we are going. He seems to know when we are getting ready to set off and definitely gets excited. He knows he´s going to have a good brush. He obviously loves a good scratch session.” In the evening, she did another stretch, just up to the tree this time with the luxury of a wheelchair return.
Oranges were brought to Spain from the Middle East by the Arabs who ruled most of the country for centuries. Oranges are very popular in China, where the Mandarin Orange originated. At the Lunar New Year pots of miniature orange trees are as essential to celebrations as Christmas trees in the West. Sharon says: “I´ve got a mandarin tree in my huerta, although nothing seems to be happening this year which is disappointing after last year´s great crop.” On the Island of Corfu you will find a small distillery producing an excellent orange liqueur. It is thought that oranges originated in the tropical parts of Asia, particularly around Malaysia and Indonesia. They were probably brought from there to India, Africa and the Middle East by Arab traders.
Orange trees produce steadily for 50 to 80 years but some trees are hundreds of years old and still going strong.
The trees in Sharon´s huerta are decades old and this year it looks as if they are really going to produce a bumper crop.
***
c. Phillip Bruce 2009.
Marmalade is easy to make and particularly delicious when you use oranges that you have grown yourself. Plenty of stirring is required as the mixture thickens in the big pot on the stove, so that should provide lots of exercise for her.
She continues to plug away at her walking. Yesterday, she did two trips up to the tree along the track, without a crutch but holding on tightly to me with her good arm. The first trip was an out and back circuit of 290 steps, with a rest at the half way point under the tree where Sam the Labrador enjoyed a good brushing. Sharon says: “He knows perfectly well when we are going. He seems to know when we are getting ready to set off and definitely gets excited. He knows he´s going to have a good brush. He obviously loves a good scratch session.” In the evening, she did another stretch, just up to the tree this time with the luxury of a wheelchair return.
Oranges were brought to Spain from the Middle East by the Arabs who ruled most of the country for centuries. Oranges are very popular in China, where the Mandarin Orange originated. At the Lunar New Year pots of miniature orange trees are as essential to celebrations as Christmas trees in the West. Sharon says: “I´ve got a mandarin tree in my huerta, although nothing seems to be happening this year which is disappointing after last year´s great crop.” On the Island of Corfu you will find a small distillery producing an excellent orange liqueur. It is thought that oranges originated in the tropical parts of Asia, particularly around Malaysia and Indonesia. They were probably brought from there to India, Africa and the Middle East by Arab traders.
Orange trees produce steadily for 50 to 80 years but some trees are hundreds of years old and still going strong.
The trees in Sharon´s huerta are decades old and this year it looks as if they are really going to produce a bumper crop.
***
c. Phillip Bruce 2009.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Cheesy soup
The glories of blue cheese are many but it is unusual to find it in a tasty soup. Sharon´s sister, Deborah, runs, with husband Andrew, the noted Hillcrest House guest house in the quiet Scots town of Wigtown.
Wigtown is in Dumfries and Galloway, and it is Scotland´s book town. That means that the place is full of second hand and antiquarian bookshops with every conceivable subject on the groaning shelves and some quarter of a million volumes said to be on offer. At the end of September there is a very popular book festival which draws visitors from around the world.
At Hillcrest House, Deborah obtains nearly all her ingredients from local sources. That means plenty of driving around to visit farmers, butchers, smokehouses and other producers who care about quality.
One very popular dish at Hillcrest House is Broccoli and Stilton soup. Blue Stilton, which is the stuff aged with veins, is used although those who prefer tastes a little milder can use White Stilton. Here´s how to make the soup. The amounts vary depending on how many people you are making it for and how strong you like your cheesy flavour.
Cover broccoli with a good vegetable stock, says Deborah, and cook until it is soft but not mushy. Take off the heat and “blitz” in a food processor. Crumble in the cheese and leave it to melt into the soup. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve.
Deborah says that sometimes she uses Dunsyre Blue cheese or a lovely creamy blue from Thirsk, in North Yorkshire.
Blue cheese also adds a great flavour to good beef casserole. Cook this long and slow and then crumble in the cheese about half an hour before serving. Deborah usually puts in horseradish dumplings at the same time.
Sharon says: “I´ll be using White Stilton because I can´t stand the smell of that blue vein stuff. It´s far too strong for me.”
Wigtown is on the southwestern coast of Scotland and it benefits from the warming influence of the Gulf Stream which brings welcome heat up from the Gulf of Mexico. That means that flowers and other plants flourish and there are many noted gardens with specimens not to be found anywhere else in the UK, such as palm trees. From this time of the year on, visitors start arriving for their garden explorations. At Hillcrest, a fig tree, well a bush at least, has burst into life after doing nothing for about eight years and a little olive tree planted a year ago is doing well. Passion flowers also flourish and this year kiwi fruit is going to be planted in the garden.
Hillcrest House, Maidland Place, Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, DG8 9EU. Telephone (44) (0)1988 402018. www.hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk. info@hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk. Deborah and Andrew have recently won a coveted Guest House Real Food Award.
***
Wigtown is in Dumfries and Galloway, and it is Scotland´s book town. That means that the place is full of second hand and antiquarian bookshops with every conceivable subject on the groaning shelves and some quarter of a million volumes said to be on offer. At the end of September there is a very popular book festival which draws visitors from around the world.
At Hillcrest House, Deborah obtains nearly all her ingredients from local sources. That means plenty of driving around to visit farmers, butchers, smokehouses and other producers who care about quality.
One very popular dish at Hillcrest House is Broccoli and Stilton soup. Blue Stilton, which is the stuff aged with veins, is used although those who prefer tastes a little milder can use White Stilton. Here´s how to make the soup. The amounts vary depending on how many people you are making it for and how strong you like your cheesy flavour.
Cover broccoli with a good vegetable stock, says Deborah, and cook until it is soft but not mushy. Take off the heat and “blitz” in a food processor. Crumble in the cheese and leave it to melt into the soup. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve.
Deborah says that sometimes she uses Dunsyre Blue cheese or a lovely creamy blue from Thirsk, in North Yorkshire.
Blue cheese also adds a great flavour to good beef casserole. Cook this long and slow and then crumble in the cheese about half an hour before serving. Deborah usually puts in horseradish dumplings at the same time.
Sharon says: “I´ll be using White Stilton because I can´t stand the smell of that blue vein stuff. It´s far too strong for me.”
Wigtown is on the southwestern coast of Scotland and it benefits from the warming influence of the Gulf Stream which brings welcome heat up from the Gulf of Mexico. That means that flowers and other plants flourish and there are many noted gardens with specimens not to be found anywhere else in the UK, such as palm trees. From this time of the year on, visitors start arriving for their garden explorations. At Hillcrest, a fig tree, well a bush at least, has burst into life after doing nothing for about eight years and a little olive tree planted a year ago is doing well. Passion flowers also flourish and this year kiwi fruit is going to be planted in the garden.
Hillcrest House, Maidland Place, Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, DG8 9EU. Telephone (44) (0)1988 402018. www.hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk. info@hillcrest-wigtown.co.uk. Deborah and Andrew have recently won a coveted Guest House Real Food Award.
***
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Figs and flowers
The figs are now forming on the trees as the flowers of winter enjoy a last glorious burst of colour.
In countries with hot climates, such as southern Spain, the flowers flourish during what are the winter months in northern countries. When the burning sun beats down all the plants have died off leaving their seeds ready for the cooler, wetter, weather.
The Campo is filled with flowers now, nearly all of them yellow, and the bees are very busy. Rich red poppies appear amongst the seas of yellow.
The gnarled old fig trees have been bare but are now sprouting bright green new leaves and tiny figs are forming. As the months go by these will swell and ripen in the sunshine. Then they will be carefully picked and eaten fresh. Delicious. We make chutney with some of the fresh figs, as there are so many they can’t all be eaten when ripe, and will give the recipe when the time is right.
Sharon says: “The torrential rains that we have been having lately have been so good for the fig trees and will give us lovely big juicy figs. The thing that I think about when it is raining is what nice juicy plump figs we are going to get. As they are so good for you we just eat them straight from the trees.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
In countries with hot climates, such as southern Spain, the flowers flourish during what are the winter months in northern countries. When the burning sun beats down all the plants have died off leaving their seeds ready for the cooler, wetter, weather.
The Campo is filled with flowers now, nearly all of them yellow, and the bees are very busy. Rich red poppies appear amongst the seas of yellow.
The gnarled old fig trees have been bare but are now sprouting bright green new leaves and tiny figs are forming. As the months go by these will swell and ripen in the sunshine. Then they will be carefully picked and eaten fresh. Delicious. We make chutney with some of the fresh figs, as there are so many they can’t all be eaten when ripe, and will give the recipe when the time is right.
Sharon says: “The torrential rains that we have been having lately have been so good for the fig trees and will give us lovely big juicy figs. The thing that I think about when it is raining is what nice juicy plump figs we are going to get. As they are so good for you we just eat them straight from the trees.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Eggs for everyone
In Cartagena the Easter celebrations are now over but for the past week or so the midnight streets have been filled with solemn processions. These are a very important part of the culture of Cartagena and hundreds of people take part with thousands more crowding the streets to watch.
A special Easter pastry is baked which features an egg, complete with shell, on sweet pastry held in place by a pastry cross, known as a mona de pascua.
Sharon remembers that in Hong Kong more than two decades ago the prime activity at Easter was the big fair held by the Round Table in the centre of the city. There were stalls with all sorts of traditional things for the expatriate community, bric-a-brac, Punch and Judy shows, the Welsh Choir, raffles and music. The children loved it and the adults found sustenance in the beer garden.
Eggs are also an important part of Chinese culture. When our son, James, was born, red eggs were presented to us along with many congratulations. We had done very well and in traditional beliefs, sons are essential to pay respect to ancestors and to look after their parents in old age. When our daughter, Julia, was born, there were no red eggs. Poor girl.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
A special Easter pastry is baked which features an egg, complete with shell, on sweet pastry held in place by a pastry cross, known as a mona de pascua.
Sharon remembers that in Hong Kong more than two decades ago the prime activity at Easter was the big fair held by the Round Table in the centre of the city. There were stalls with all sorts of traditional things for the expatriate community, bric-a-brac, Punch and Judy shows, the Welsh Choir, raffles and music. The children loved it and the adults found sustenance in the beer garden.
Eggs are also an important part of Chinese culture. When our son, James, was born, red eggs were presented to us along with many congratulations. We had done very well and in traditional beliefs, sons are essential to pay respect to ancestors and to look after their parents in old age. When our daughter, Julia, was born, there were no red eggs. Poor girl.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Typical tapas
A few days ago we enjoyed a couple of cups of café con leche, frothy milky coffee, and tapas at the Café Columbus, in the Calle Mayor in Cartagena.
The café makes its own excellent potato chips, or crisps to the British, and these are well worth trying.
From the range of tasty tapas on the bar we chose baby new potatoes in alioli, which is a sauce made of pounded garlic and olive oil, and goats cheese overlaid with anchovies, served with fresh bread.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
The café makes its own excellent potato chips, or crisps to the British, and these are well worth trying.
From the range of tasty tapas on the bar we chose baby new potatoes in alioli, which is a sauce made of pounded garlic and olive oil, and goats cheese overlaid with anchovies, served with fresh bread.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Beer and chips are best
More than 90 per cent of the passengers who pass through Murcia´s San Javier airport are British. This is recognised in the signage of the café near to the check in desks.Visitors will look in vain for Spanish specialities, instead beer, choc bars and chips are proudly on offer. Satisfied passengers consume vast quantities of all of them.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009
Wonderful wheat
Fields of wheat are still grown around Cartagena in Spain although cash crops such as lettuce and broccoli have almost taken over since the appearance of irrigation systems more than 20 years ago.
Wheat has been grown in Spain for a very long time and it was a granary in the times of ancient Rome providing food for the Imperial city and elsewhere in the empire.
Wheat has been cultivated since at least around 8,500BC. It reached Greece about 6,500BC and probably appeared in Spain soon afterwards, brought by the Greek traders who sailed along the Mediterranean coast. Early farmers in the “fertile crescent”, the area which includes modern Iraq and Iran, selected the wild wheat type that displayed the useful genetic mutation of having non-shattering stalks – so that the grain stayed together rather than being spread all over the ground and impossible to collect. By nurturing the useful mutation, the wheat that was to be spread so widely was developed.
The waving fields of wheat grown by traditional farmers look lush and green after the recent rains and continue an ancient heritage.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Wheat has been grown in Spain for a very long time and it was a granary in the times of ancient Rome providing food for the Imperial city and elsewhere in the empire.
Wheat has been cultivated since at least around 8,500BC. It reached Greece about 6,500BC and probably appeared in Spain soon afterwards, brought by the Greek traders who sailed along the Mediterranean coast. Early farmers in the “fertile crescent”, the area which includes modern Iraq and Iran, selected the wild wheat type that displayed the useful genetic mutation of having non-shattering stalks – so that the grain stayed together rather than being spread all over the ground and impossible to collect. By nurturing the useful mutation, the wheat that was to be spread so widely was developed.
The waving fields of wheat grown by traditional farmers look lush and green after the recent rains and continue an ancient heritage.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
The ice storm
The sky ahead looked black as we drove towards home in the Campo after a busy morning in Cartagena. “Do you think it is going to rain?” asked Sharon. “No,” came the confident reply.
The ice storm began soon afterwards. The hail appeared from nowhere, suddenly hammering furiously onto the car in a dark rage from the gloomy clouds. These were not specks of ice but pebbles about half an inch across and it was as if they were being fired by a madman’s shotgun. The noise was terrific, crackling splats on the windscreen and a crazy drumming on the metal.
The windscreen wipers fought to keep the ice clear but the danger of the glass shattering seemed very real. We stopped right in the middle of a track and sat as the crazy ice tattoo beat itself ever harder. But after several minutes there was no let up and we decided to crawl along home. The car crept ahead with the ice still crashing all around. The road was covered with stones of ice.
Eventually we arrived home and parked but it was impossible to leave the car. We sat and waited for another 15 minutes until, gradually, the storm began to slacken. Drifts of hail were piled around and a torrent of water rushed down the track. Patches of blue appeared in the sky. After another 10 minutes or so it was all over.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in all the time I have lived in Spain,” said Sharon as we left the car and made it into the house.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
The ice storm began soon afterwards. The hail appeared from nowhere, suddenly hammering furiously onto the car in a dark rage from the gloomy clouds. These were not specks of ice but pebbles about half an inch across and it was as if they were being fired by a madman’s shotgun. The noise was terrific, crackling splats on the windscreen and a crazy drumming on the metal.
The windscreen wipers fought to keep the ice clear but the danger of the glass shattering seemed very real. We stopped right in the middle of a track and sat as the crazy ice tattoo beat itself ever harder. But after several minutes there was no let up and we decided to crawl along home. The car crept ahead with the ice still crashing all around. The road was covered with stones of ice.
Eventually we arrived home and parked but it was impossible to leave the car. We sat and waited for another 15 minutes until, gradually, the storm began to slacken. Drifts of hail were piled around and a torrent of water rushed down the track. Patches of blue appeared in the sky. After another 10 minutes or so it was all over.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in all the time I have lived in Spain,” said Sharon as we left the car and made it into the house.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Crocodiles in Africa
Sharon was born and spent most of her childhood in Africa. She remembers:
“The rivers look peaceful, with just leafless branches of trees hanging over them and no sign of life. Then people would fall in the river and all of a sudden the sound of snapping crocodiles would fill your ears. Proving that the river was full of life really. I saw this happen and it was horrible.
“People were walking along the side of the river. You would wonder why they did that when they knew that the peaceful river was full of life, or death, whichever way you look at it.
“A whole line of people, probably a dozen or so, was walking along the edge of the river and they fell in. And all these crocodiles came from nowhere and all you could hear was snap, snap, snap. And splash, splash, splash. And then there again there was nothing.
“They were walking along the edge. You would have thought they would have known better. I think it was at Karama Waters, in Kenya.
“In Nigeria, we had a little tiny speed boat that we used to use to go to the beach on Sunday with my parents’ friends. One day we were going down the river towards the bay and a great bit launch came upriver at high speed. It shot past us and we rocked like mad. Our steering cable snapped, so my dad couldn’t steer the boat but we managed to paddle to the riverbank and we all climbed out. We saw crocodiles that day as well.
“Two men were on a log poling down the river when the launch went past. The wash knocked them both into the water. We were so busy trying to save ourselves we couldn’t help. They both got eaten. Crocodiles appeared from nowhere. It was horrible.
“That was the end of our boat. It never did get fixed.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
“The rivers look peaceful, with just leafless branches of trees hanging over them and no sign of life. Then people would fall in the river and all of a sudden the sound of snapping crocodiles would fill your ears. Proving that the river was full of life really. I saw this happen and it was horrible.
“People were walking along the side of the river. You would wonder why they did that when they knew that the peaceful river was full of life, or death, whichever way you look at it.
“A whole line of people, probably a dozen or so, was walking along the edge of the river and they fell in. And all these crocodiles came from nowhere and all you could hear was snap, snap, snap. And splash, splash, splash. And then there again there was nothing.
“They were walking along the edge. You would have thought they would have known better. I think it was at Karama Waters, in Kenya.
“In Nigeria, we had a little tiny speed boat that we used to use to go to the beach on Sunday with my parents’ friends. One day we were going down the river towards the bay and a great bit launch came upriver at high speed. It shot past us and we rocked like mad. Our steering cable snapped, so my dad couldn’t steer the boat but we managed to paddle to the riverbank and we all climbed out. We saw crocodiles that day as well.
“Two men were on a log poling down the river when the launch went past. The wash knocked them both into the water. We were so busy trying to save ourselves we couldn’t help. They both got eaten. Crocodiles appeared from nowhere. It was horrible.
“That was the end of our boat. It never did get fixed.”
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Cheesecake catastrope
In these health conscious times every effort must be made to cut down on calories, fats and cholesterol. But when it comes to cheesecake – forget it. Sharon’s friend Liz, a fine cook, gave her a recipe for a strawberry cheesecake. Not surprisingly, this called for plenty of cream cheese. But, being virtuous, we used the reduced fat version. The result was a disaster with a runny mess that refused to thicken or set and had to be poured away.
We’ll have another go with full fat cream cheese.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
We’ll have another go with full fat cream cheese.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Cajun Squirrel Crisps
Cajun Squirrel Crisps
Julia, our daughter, had had a bad week, with lots of meetings to fill Friday and she was walking as fast as she could towards the bus stop in the City of London. There were three lanes of traffic beside the pavement as she hurried along concentrating just on getting home. In her peripheral vision she saw a movement and she turned to see car smash into a large advertising billboard and its surrounding metal bollards.
With the sound of the crash and breaking glass and Julia saw one of the bollards go spinning through the air to hit a man who crumpled to the ground with his leg at an odd angle. Time seemed to stand still as everyone watched. Julia ran to the man and took her “best favourite pashmina” scarf off to stem the blood that was pouring from underneath his head. She started talking to him to keep him awake and reassured him that help was on the way. The accident took place very near a busy fire station and so the firemen were the first on the scene and took charge. Then the ambulance and police arrived.
Julia couldn’t believe that passers-by were taking photographs with their mobile phones of the injured man. She shouted at two of them asking “who on earth are you going to show those photographs to?” One man called her a bitch.
A fireman took over from Julia until the paramedics arrived shortly afterwards. Her hands were covered in blood and the favourite scarf was a write-off.
Julia was taken into the fire station to await the arrival of the police to take a statement. She was given a steaming cup of tea and a bag of potato crisps while she chatted to the fireman who was preparing steak and ale pie for dinner, with roasted potatoes, cabbages and carrots. Apparently, the makers of Walker’s crisps recently ran a competition to choose four new flavours. The winners were fish and chips, the builder´s breakfast, and Cajun squirrel. Julia sampled the latter, which she said tasted like chicken. Other flavours in the contest were onion bhaji, chilli and chocolate and crispy duck and hoisin. The firemen said that they have saved lots of cats stranded in the branches of trees and once removed a beehive. She saw the pole that the firemen slide down although she didn’t have a go. “The fire engines were pretty impressive and huge,” she said.
The good news was that the injured man was taken quickly to hospital and although the injury was serious, “the bones were sticking out” said Julia, he would recover. Police enquiries are continuing.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Julia, our daughter, had had a bad week, with lots of meetings to fill Friday and she was walking as fast as she could towards the bus stop in the City of London. There were three lanes of traffic beside the pavement as she hurried along concentrating just on getting home. In her peripheral vision she saw a movement and she turned to see car smash into a large advertising billboard and its surrounding metal bollards.
With the sound of the crash and breaking glass and Julia saw one of the bollards go spinning through the air to hit a man who crumpled to the ground with his leg at an odd angle. Time seemed to stand still as everyone watched. Julia ran to the man and took her “best favourite pashmina” scarf off to stem the blood that was pouring from underneath his head. She started talking to him to keep him awake and reassured him that help was on the way. The accident took place very near a busy fire station and so the firemen were the first on the scene and took charge. Then the ambulance and police arrived.
Julia couldn’t believe that passers-by were taking photographs with their mobile phones of the injured man. She shouted at two of them asking “who on earth are you going to show those photographs to?” One man called her a bitch.
A fireman took over from Julia until the paramedics arrived shortly afterwards. Her hands were covered in blood and the favourite scarf was a write-off.
Julia was taken into the fire station to await the arrival of the police to take a statement. She was given a steaming cup of tea and a bag of potato crisps while she chatted to the fireman who was preparing steak and ale pie for dinner, with roasted potatoes, cabbages and carrots. Apparently, the makers of Walker’s crisps recently ran a competition to choose four new flavours. The winners were fish and chips, the builder´s breakfast, and Cajun squirrel. Julia sampled the latter, which she said tasted like chicken. Other flavours in the contest were onion bhaji, chilli and chocolate and crispy duck and hoisin. The firemen said that they have saved lots of cats stranded in the branches of trees and once removed a beehive. She saw the pole that the firemen slide down although she didn’t have a go. “The fire engines were pretty impressive and huge,” she said.
The good news was that the injured man was taken quickly to hospital and although the injury was serious, “the bones were sticking out” said Julia, he would recover. Police enquiries are continuing.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
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