Quiet

Tags

Charlottetown, cooking, Covid 19, cuisine, flowers, Nourooz, PEI, Persia

Charlottetown PEI, city centre Kent Street at Queen Street, the building with the tower is City Hall. This is the look of what should be a busy intersection on any day. Parking is usually a big problem, how things have changed since 11 March. There is no end in sight, though it has to be noted that Prince Edward Island only has 2 cases of Covid 19 and both persons are at home in quarantine. So far 165 people tested all negative. Our isolation as an Island in the Gulf of St-Lawrence and our very small population at 150K helps.

So what do we do all day? Well cleaning house, washing clothes, taking care of our two little monsters Nicky and Nora and cooking a lot and discovering new website with good recipes. So Lori Brown in Imoden, Arkansas, Whipperwill Hollow and Sheryl who lives South of Glasgow, Scotland, What’s for tea and the Lazy Cook, Pete Thomas.  There is also a lady from Newfoundland who does typical Newfie cuisine which is very typical of The Rock, Bonita’s Kitchen, she had a recipe today for Corned Beef patties, she also had another one for White Bread Cod Pudding with a butter sauce. I know it is good because years ago Mrs Crosbie who was the wife of John Crosbie then Minister of Finance in 1980 in the Rt Hon. Joe Clark’s government made a Cod au Gratin dish that was superb for a dinner I was attending. Cod was and still is important in the folk cuisine of Newfoundland.

I did make a Potato, Leek and sharp cheddar cheese pie with puff pastry that the Lazy Cook Peter Thomas showed us, that was very good and very British, something to have at Tea time which I have now come to understand is a full meal like supper for us. This dish can be eaten cold or hot, versatile.

Before going into the oven at 400 F or 200 C. for 35 minutes. The puff pastry with the  Star pattern makes it festive. Very good pie! I think the sharp Aged Cheddar makes a big difference in the taste.

This is a little dessert I invented with the left over puff pastry, simply butter, raisins and cassonade (golden brown sugar) in the oven at 350 F for 18 minutes. Delicious!

Will also made banana muffins and today he made a beef Goulash 

Also because we are not under total lockdown like in some other countries, it is possible to walk around town for the moment but that could change at any moment. Charlottetown’s core is still very much a residential district with one main business street, Queen. Other streets are either commercial for one or two blocks like Kent Street or Euston, or Grafton. So it is pleasant to walk around. On these walks I do notice how much gentrification is going on and how the prices of properties have shot up in the last 24 months. Now with this on-going Health crisis with no end in sight, prices will probably tumble.

This weekend is also the beginning of the Persian New Year with the Festival of Nourooz so I took a picture of my miniature Orchid by friend Minoo of BelFiore on Elgin Street had in her shop 6 years ago. It flowers 4 times a year and it is my sunshine in the kitchen. Very vibrant colours.

Despite the quiet, we phone our friends and talk to people on Facetime, keeping in touch and busy is very important and only listen to the news twice a day no more, simply so we don’t go bonkers. Take care and stay safe.