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Thursday, February 19, 2015

I don't know how they do it

Copenhagen
I have been using a lot of new recipes lately.  Last nite I made a multi-vegetable paella with onions, bell peppers, fennel and artichoke hearts. 

I only went slightly wrong in that I added a ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper instead of ¼ teaspoon. This made it a bit hotter than it should have been but we ate it with yoghurt – which was a nice combination. In fact – being a bit hot and using yoghurt probably improved it.

Shrimps would go really well with this and I will do that next time.

I could not find calasparra rice – or any kind of paella rice – so had to use risotto rice – which turned out adequate but was not what I was trying to achieve. I have ordered some calasparra rice from (where else) Amazon.

In recent times I have made Mexican chicken soup, Moroccan spaghetti, roasted chicken with clementines and arak (I could not find arak so used absinthe) and roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes with caper vinaigrette.

I once had a chef working for me (don’t ask) who called vinaigrette ‘vinegarette’.
He also called cappuccino ‘cuppachino’.

And have realized recently that it was not just President Bush who could not pronounce nuclear. A whole bunch of people - including some who should know better - call it ‘nukular’.

I have also spent a lot of time shoveling snow. It has finally arrived and we have had a few inches over the last week. I shovel the path to the garage and the sidewalks so that the snow does lie on the ground -  freeze and become too treacherous.

It is well  below zero here at the moment and for today they forecast a wind chill temperature of -25°. It was 53° in the house this morning when we woke up and I have had every furnace and fire blasting away to try warm myself, the cats and the house up.

My task today is to use metal polish on the stainless steel kitchen table. This is the type of stuff you have to do when it is just too cold to go outside.


Although this morning the squirrels and cardinals were out eating the bird seed. I just don’t know how they do it. Maybe that’s why they shoot squirrels for the fur.

6 comments:

  1. Have never heard of that rice but I'm not known for my cooking... except my chicken and multi vege soup. Just doing up a big pot now to get me through this wet weather. So far 20 veges but my record is 27. Some people didn't know there was that many veges they tell me. I've only seen snow twice. I was amazed by the fact that I didn't freeze to death on the spot (given I wasn't dressed very well for it) the first time and by how hard snowballs are when you cop one! Stay warm.

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  2. I make paella with basmati rice; never heard of the one you mention, but I'll look for it.

    We got a little snow over the weekend, but it's gone now. Now we just have the pointless, bone-chilling cold.

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  3. I learned (and recorded) lasagne making from my wife yesterday. I did two kinds of meat and sauce, beef for her, and pork sausage & buffalo with garlic for me.

    I suddenly realized that my South Dakotan cousin visiting his cousin in Tennessee is directly below you in Dixon Springs, also enjoying the cold and snow.

    I think Cooper finaLLy got weLL from something causing congestion, most likely. Glad you are able to stay warm and safe.

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  4. Sandy: I simply cannot imagine 27 veggies. My record is 7. In our part of the world it is the coldest day this century.

    SK Waller: I know about the cold. The furnace stopped working this morning and it was 51 in the house.

    esb: I don't think you can escape the cold at the moment - it seems to be everywhere. I am glad Cooper is well.

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    Replies
    1. Okay, then I won't teLL you it is going to be 72 and sunny here in a little bit.

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