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Sunday 25 September 2016

Get Wind Of This!

I am currently training for another 10k run and am reminded of a previous confession (New Year's Resolutions! Blog dated 11.1.15). At that time my friend and I would run in the evening (after tea) and whilst I parped my way around the course, she would laugh until she wet herself! Well now I run first thing in the morning before breakfast and no longer have a problem.

Let's not beat about the bush though. Vegetarians are definitely prone to wind and the main vegetable culprits (containing high amounts of unabsorbable carbohydrates) include:
Beans, brocolli, cabbage, cauliflower, artichokes, onions and Brussels sprouts. 
Also lentils and fruit such as raisins, prunes and apples.

Perusing a magazine at the hairdressers the other day, I think I may have found the solution; 


And for my friend;


So wish us good luck with our run - we will be panting all the way!

Sunday 18 September 2016

Flying the nest!

One child returned to University today and the second starts next week. By this time next week I will be an empty nester and either cheering wildly or sobbing uncontrollably!

I have always imagined, had I been to university, that I would have lived in some cosy bedsit, reading my Cranks' Recipe Book with a pan of lentil soup permanently bubbling away on the single stove and that I, due to lack of funds for nourishment, would be a petite size 8. Perhaps that's the way it used to be but how things have changed...

Residential "Halls" are pretty good and kitted out with oven, hob, kettle, microwave etc. There is still the choice of being catered for or not. A myriad of student cookbooks are available with and without vegetarian options. Although being vegetarian was cheaper than being a carnivore back in the day, nowadays there are cheap cuts of meat on offer and vegetarian food has become exciting and, a little more expensive. For example, halloumi cheese is as expensive as bacon. Also, buying and cooking for one is more expensive and the small branches of supermarket found in every student area tend to charge a premium as they have a captive audience; hardly fair for those on a tight budget!

My son spent his first year eating pot noodles, crisps and goodness knows what else; not to mention the lashings of liquid he consumed! Instead of shrinking in size he became larger and unhealthier. By his third year, armed with Jamie O's Ministry of Food book, he was sharing digs with four friends and had a cooking rota which was a great success. They even had a pre-Christmas Dinner with all the trimmings. When the proceedings got a little noisy the grumpy neighbours called the police who were amused to find the boys in their cracker hats and festive jumpers singing hearty renditions of Christmas songs!

Child number two is a good baker but has rarely cooked so, along with her essential cushions and fairy lights, I have armed her with a student cookbook and girly matchy-matchy utensils in the hope that she learns to enjoy cooking and remains a healthy size and weight!


Sunday 11 September 2016

Sherry Baby!

Returning from Ibiza and feeling chilled and relaxed got me thinking about Spanish food, drink and customs. I wrote about Spanish tapas in my blog Top Tapas dated 23/8/15 and touched on the history behind tapas food. It all started with the sherry drinkers in Andalucia protecting their drink from fruit flies by placing a piece of bread over their glasses. Over time, the bread was eaten and more and more snacks were introduced as an accompaniment to sherry until they became a meal in their own right.

Sherry is a fortified wine, meaning that a distilled spirit such as brandy is added. These wines include Marsala, Port, Madeira, Vermouth and Sherry. 

Sherry comes from the area around Jerez in S/W Spain, has protected designation of origin status and ranges from extremely dry to very sweet. The accompaniment to the strong and varied flavours of Spanish tapas is generally a (dry) fino sherry served chilled. New Sherry Bars are popping up in London and around the country as Spanish cuisine is embraced.

It's all a far cry from those sweet wedding reception sherries of old or the musty old bottle brought out on Christmas Day. In the late 1980s/early 1990s I remember pre-drinking at Yates Wine Bar where a dock or schooner of sherry was gulped down to get the night started. It was served at room temperature and was pretty disgusting but it did hit the spot. Apparently it was an Australian fortified wine and not actual sherry. Another memory of the eighties was hosting an impromptu after-party and as everyone raided our drinks cabinet one guest drank almost a full bottle of Emva Cream!

My parents still enjoy a glass of sherry every day at around 4-5pm before making dinner. They recently bought new glasses but were somewhat perturbed to find they were smaller than their old ones! They may need a top-up! "Salud!"


Sunday 4 September 2016

Noah and the F(l)ood!

Chilling on the White Isle so just a brief blog this week. 

The food has been good with lots of healthy/vegetarian cafes. Breakfast consists of wonderful creamy yogurt with muesli, fresh fruit kebabs and pancakes. Lunchtimes offered hummus, Mediterranean salad and cheeses. My evening meals were pasta arrabiata, tapas and breaded Camembert with salad. 


The restaurant last night was reached by a steady uphill climb culminating in spectacular views and an amazing sunset. Less spectacular was the delicacy menu consisting of alligator, ostrich, zebra, camel, kangaroo and bison! OMG! Even my meat eating friends were shocked! Presumably these delicacies were fresh from the freezer, unless of course there was a zoo at the back of the restaurant!

It's a shame there's no modern day Noah to save these animals from being f(l)ooded!