London's parks are its great glory and the spring time is the best time to visit them. The huge chestnut trees are in flower and stand majestic in most of the parks while the foiiage of other trees and vegetation is rich and green.
Sharon has been practicing her walking in Clissold Park, Hackney, which provides a green lung to the tens of thousands of local residents who use it for everything, from going for a long run, to sitting in the sunshine or enjoying tea and cakes in the historic building that was once home to a rich family. The park covers some 54 acres.
A still stretch of water runs through the park, with trees reaching across the banks and shady areas where fish must lurk. This is a remnant of The New River. At the start of the 17th century the population of London had grown to about 180, 000 people and as there was nowhere for sewage to go other than into the water supply. Virtually all wells, rivers and springs had become seriously polluted. A new water supply had to be found. The solution was to dig a “new river” to bring water from the River Lee, about 20 miles away from the crowded city. This opened in 1613, when there was no pumping technology and so a route had to be chosen that was downhill all the way. The New River ran for 20 miles along the 100 foot contour, dropping about five inches per mile until the water reached its destination. The New River still functions today as a source of water for Londoners, but it now stops at a reservoir in Stoke Newington. As well as Clissold Park another section can be seen in Islington.
But on a pleasant sunny Sunday, a person practicing walking with her crutch was much more interested in the flat easy paths, the greenery and the birds. Not to mention a nice cup of tea.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Tips from a wartime kitchen
In these hard credit crunch times money saving is important and it is interesting to read the foreword of one of Sharon’s favourite cookbooks written during the Second World War.
Economy is the keynote of Modern Cookery – the true economy which means not going short of food, but using every scrap to the very best advantage. Here are some hints to help you.
Eggs can be omitted from small cakes or steamed puddings when self-raising flour or baking powder is used. A teaspoon of vinegar in place of every egg in recipes for large cakes gives a good result.
Use vinegar also in the same proportion when making batters for puddings, fritters or coating fish and meat, mixing it well into the flour before adding the milk; remember that all batters, cakes and puddings made without eggs must be cooked as soon as they are mixed.
When lemons are unobtainable vinegar may be used for whitening fish, fowl or vegetables such as artichokes. Very finely chopped lemon thyme is your best substitute for savoury dishes.
Margarine is so good these days that it can be substituted for butter in all recipes. Use fresh roll margarine when fresh butter is specified. A little cream makes just all the difference to some dishes, so let the milk stand in the bottle for some hours, then remove the cream carefully with a spoon. The milk is still good for all purposes, and you have more nourishment from the cream used in this way.
When onions are scarce, leeks are a good substitute, so are shallots and the humble chives so easily grown in the smallest garden. They will give an onion flavour to all kinds of savoury dishes.
Meat loses a certain amount of nourishment if cooked twice – so divide a joint to make several hot meals. Eke out a little meat by serving plenty of vegetables – root vegetables are the most satisfying. A tablespoonful or two of rice added to boiled meats or stews increases nourishment, and dumplings, too, help in this way. Meat can be cut to better advantage if it is boned. Remember too that forcemeat adds flavour to cheap cuts, and increases the nourishment of a roast joint. Before cooking meat, cut off any superfluous fat, leaving only just as much as necessary. If you clarify that fat you have an excellent dripping. Of course you treasure any dripping from the joint itself.
Meatless meals need not be dull as you will realise when you see the variety of recipes in this book. So make the allotment help to feed the family.
Tea. Few of us realise how much of this is wasted until restrictions just how made us see how little is needed to make a very good pot for one or two or three persons, as the case may be. To get the most out of tea, the teapot should be h to and dry.
Sugar. Try making tea without sugar, and before very long you will wonder why you wanted it. A good pinch of bicarbonate of soda added to sour fruits reduces the sugar required to almost half. Dried fruits, dates, figs, prunes, sultanas, and raisins all contain a big percentage of sugar so use them in cakes and puddings when available, omitting or cutting down on the quantity of sugar you would ordinarily use. Dried fruits are also good with your breakfast cereal in place of sugar. Honey is a great help, also; it’s delicious with fruit or cereals.
Notes. Forcemeat is stuffing, usually based on breadcrumbs, flavoured with herbs such as sage, and/or ingredients such as onions, apples, celery, chestnut, mushrooms, tomatoes or prunes. An “allotment” is a patch of ground, usually belonging to the local town council, allotted to citizens to grow their own fruit and vegetables. In Britain these are still much sought after, with long waiting lists.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Economy is the keynote of Modern Cookery – the true economy which means not going short of food, but using every scrap to the very best advantage. Here are some hints to help you.
Eggs can be omitted from small cakes or steamed puddings when self-raising flour or baking powder is used. A teaspoon of vinegar in place of every egg in recipes for large cakes gives a good result.
Use vinegar also in the same proportion when making batters for puddings, fritters or coating fish and meat, mixing it well into the flour before adding the milk; remember that all batters, cakes and puddings made without eggs must be cooked as soon as they are mixed.
When lemons are unobtainable vinegar may be used for whitening fish, fowl or vegetables such as artichokes. Very finely chopped lemon thyme is your best substitute for savoury dishes.
Margarine is so good these days that it can be substituted for butter in all recipes. Use fresh roll margarine when fresh butter is specified. A little cream makes just all the difference to some dishes, so let the milk stand in the bottle for some hours, then remove the cream carefully with a spoon. The milk is still good for all purposes, and you have more nourishment from the cream used in this way.
When onions are scarce, leeks are a good substitute, so are shallots and the humble chives so easily grown in the smallest garden. They will give an onion flavour to all kinds of savoury dishes.
Meat loses a certain amount of nourishment if cooked twice – so divide a joint to make several hot meals. Eke out a little meat by serving plenty of vegetables – root vegetables are the most satisfying. A tablespoonful or two of rice added to boiled meats or stews increases nourishment, and dumplings, too, help in this way. Meat can be cut to better advantage if it is boned. Remember too that forcemeat adds flavour to cheap cuts, and increases the nourishment of a roast joint. Before cooking meat, cut off any superfluous fat, leaving only just as much as necessary. If you clarify that fat you have an excellent dripping. Of course you treasure any dripping from the joint itself.
Meatless meals need not be dull as you will realise when you see the variety of recipes in this book. So make the allotment help to feed the family.
Tea. Few of us realise how much of this is wasted until restrictions just how made us see how little is needed to make a very good pot for one or two or three persons, as the case may be. To get the most out of tea, the teapot should be h to and dry.
Sugar. Try making tea without sugar, and before very long you will wonder why you wanted it. A good pinch of bicarbonate of soda added to sour fruits reduces the sugar required to almost half. Dried fruits, dates, figs, prunes, sultanas, and raisins all contain a big percentage of sugar so use them in cakes and puddings when available, omitting or cutting down on the quantity of sugar you would ordinarily use. Dried fruits are also good with your breakfast cereal in place of sugar. Honey is a great help, also; it’s delicious with fruit or cereals.
Notes. Forcemeat is stuffing, usually based on breadcrumbs, flavoured with herbs such as sage, and/or ingredients such as onions, apples, celery, chestnut, mushrooms, tomatoes or prunes. An “allotment” is a patch of ground, usually belonging to the local town council, allotted to citizens to grow their own fruit and vegetables. In Britain these are still much sought after, with long waiting lists.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Friday, May 1, 2009
A vegetarian dish from Yecla
The mountainous northern part of the province of Murcia, Spain, is noted for its fine wines. These are increasingly being discovered by wine enthusiasts and the region has its own D.O. quality mark. Look out for Jumilla on bottle labels.
Yecla is one of the towns in this region and the part played by wine in everyday life is demonstrated by a traditional snack served to children in the old days – pan, vino y azucar.
To make this and see the children smiling, dribble good red wine over big chunks of bread and scatter sugar on top. Just the thing to keep the little ones happy.
Rice and lentils provide plenty of tasty calories for work in the vineyards. To make enough for four people you need
Three handfuls of rice
One handful of lentils
250 grams of spinach
One tomato
One head of garlic
One white turnip
One onion
Two bay leaves
Olive oil
Salt
Of course, the very best rice to use is the locally grown Calasparra rice, where the fields are irrigated by the gently flowing Segura River.
Soak the lentils overnight in water (or use a can or jar). Strain, then put them into a pan, add the bay leaves and cover with water. Simmer until the lentils are soft. Separately, fry in a little olive oil, the garlic, the chopped onion and turnip and the grated tomato. When soft add to the lentils. When everything is combined together and smooth, add the spinach and the rice. You may need to add more water for the rice. When everything is cooked, ladle into dishes and serve. Some people add a potato or two.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Yecla is one of the towns in this region and the part played by wine in everyday life is demonstrated by a traditional snack served to children in the old days – pan, vino y azucar.
To make this and see the children smiling, dribble good red wine over big chunks of bread and scatter sugar on top. Just the thing to keep the little ones happy.
Rice and lentils provide plenty of tasty calories for work in the vineyards. To make enough for four people you need
Three handfuls of rice
One handful of lentils
250 grams of spinach
One tomato
One head of garlic
One white turnip
One onion
Two bay leaves
Olive oil
Salt
Of course, the very best rice to use is the locally grown Calasparra rice, where the fields are irrigated by the gently flowing Segura River.
Soak the lentils overnight in water (or use a can or jar). Strain, then put them into a pan, add the bay leaves and cover with water. Simmer until the lentils are soft. Separately, fry in a little olive oil, the garlic, the chopped onion and turnip and the grated tomato. When soft add to the lentils. When everything is combined together and smooth, add the spinach and the rice. You may need to add more water for the rice. When everything is cooked, ladle into dishes and serve. Some people add a potato or two.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
A healthy lunch in Beijing
It is always interesting to see what ordinary people eat every day, rather than the grand meals and dishes served on special occasions.
Here is a picture of a tasty and healthy lunch served in a café popular with office workers in Beijing.
The tray includes: sweet corn soup, barbecued pork, plain rice, and two types of melon. A vegetable compartment contains: snow peas, a quarter of a boiled egg, green beans, and a mix of mushroom, celery, carrots and nuts.
To be fair, however, it must be pointed out that across the street the McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken places were also packed.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Here is a picture of a tasty and healthy lunch served in a café popular with office workers in Beijing.
The tray includes: sweet corn soup, barbecued pork, plain rice, and two types of melon. A vegetable compartment contains: snow peas, a quarter of a boiled egg, green beans, and a mix of mushroom, celery, carrots and nuts.
To be fair, however, it must be pointed out that across the street the McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken places were also packed.
***
©Phillip Bruce 2009.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Why sharon likes to stay with her sister
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:
***
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:
***
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
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