Long Weekend

Tags

chicken, cuisine, Food, life, social, Wine

This weekend is a long one in many countries around the world. Pentecost Weekend is celebrated in Europe, in Canada it is the Official Birthday Weekend of the Queen, it use to be known as Victoria Day but this has now changed. In the USA it is also a holiday.

Here in Canada it is seen as the first long weekend of Summer, time to go to the Cottage and fire up the Bar-B-Q. Plant the garden, make plans for the Summer months.

Friday we had a wonderful lobster dinner, I had a 2 lbs lobster, one of the best I have ever had and it had been all opened up, so I did not have to fight with it. Friday was a gorgeous day weather wise and though Saturday and Sunday have been a washout sort off with uncertain weather, Monday promises to be another sunny day.

I am going to make a Lobster Salad for dinner Monday, we will start with fresh asparagus in Hollandaise Sauce and we will have orange slices with syrup for dessert.

The Lobster salad I have wanted to try for some time, it is very easy to make and lobster I can get very easily, the price in fact has come down by $2 dllrs a pound.

We have done a lot of transitioning from Winter to Summer, going through wardrobes and giving away big bags of clothing, bought new summer cotton sheets the first in 11 years, washed and put away the flannel sheets, all this takes time. I have not gotten around the garden yet nor I have looked at flowers to get for window boxes. Still have to wash windows but too many rainy days put a stop to it. It will get done eventually.

There seems to be in the Press and amongst the Conservatives this fascination with vaccination rates. In January it was ”not enough” vaccines, despite the fact that millions of doses had been bought by the Federal Government. Then in March it was ” delays in delivery” we are doomed, then in April it was ” The USA is doing better than us vaccination wise” of course forgetting that the USA is 10 times our population and economic size, so you really cannot compare. In May now its ”another Summer of restrictions” Yes only 50% of the population has received on dose of the vaccine and the two dose level will be reached in September for 75% of the population. The big problem in our Canadian Federation is that the National Government buys supplies but it is up to the Provinces to vaccinate since Health Care falls under their jurisdiction and we have several stauch Pro-Trump Premiers in Canada who do not believe in the pandemic and will do nothing about it, not even organizing a vaccination campaign. So the Red Cross and the Army have to do it. Not to mention that Premier Pallister gave a 5 cent increase to minimum wage workers in his province. A nickel increase, should change his name to scrooge.

Manitoba, pop 1.3 million is the latest now to see its health care system collapse sending patients 600km away to Ontario for ICU beds and treatment. Again the Premier Brian Pallister prefers to blame everyone else but himself for his gross incompetence. Again happy to be in PEI where 40% of the population is vaccinated and probably by July most if not all of us will have our 2 shots.

Every night we will have dinner mostly at home and Will or I will cook dinner. So it is different every night from fish to seafood, to steak to pasta or some kind of dish like meatloaf, the recipe of Helen Corbett or macaroni and cheese from a recipe we may have seen no YouTube. We also decide in the morning what we will have for dinner that night, unless we decide to go out for dinner.

This evening I had 7 chicken thighs with bone and skin and I was wondering how I would cook them. I looked up a recipe which cooks them in a cast iron pan, it take all of 24 minutes to cook on both sides, starting with the skin on side. In the second part of cooking you add a chopped onion and when the thighs are cooked, you remove it all from the pan and then pour about a glass of white wine like a Chardonnay and stir to get all those juices from the cooking, add one table spoon of Crème Fraiche, one table spoon of Dijon mustard and one tea spoon of a grain mustard or in this case I had orange and tarragon mustard, mix it all up in the pan and then add back the chicken thighs let rest for about a minute and serve. The sauce with the chicken was very good and the onion added to the flavour. I was surprised how easy it all was to do.

Here is the recipe on YouTube, the heat on the stove should me medium high but I reduced the cooking time of the chicken because my chicken portions was not as big as hers here. Keep on eye on the onion also to avoid burning.

Jab-Day

Tags

cuisine, Food, life, May, PEI, Seafood

Tomorrow at 11:45 am I am getting my first jab of the vaccine. Can’t believe the day has come finally. I will be asking also for proof of vaccination, there appears to be some confusion on how you get it, I will certainly enquire.

The weather here is definitely Spring now, which is encouraging. As of Friday many restaurants will be re-opening including the one across our street the Water Prince Corner Shop Restaurant whose specialty is lobster and mussels, with other seafood of course. We think of it as our very own restaurant. The year 2021 is there 30 Anniversary of Water Prince.

Love the old fashion decor with the photos of the famous and near famous on the wall. The staff are great and so is the owners, Shane and his son. It is also very good value for the price. It is also old fashion in the fact that everything is made on the premises, including their bread and desserts, it does happen that they run out or sell out of their pies and they simply tell you, we’re out. You are also warned not to be impatient because good food takes time, lobster must be cooked properly, like any other seafood, so just enjoy a bit of conversation and a glass of wine.

With the Merry Month of May, more promise of good weather and trips out to the beach and the countryside.

Circuit Breaker

Tags

artichoke, Birthday, brother, Childhood, cuisine, Family, Rome, Spring

This past week our little Island province went from 1 case to 15 cases of Covid19, all due to a handful of under 30 who travelled outside the Province and failed upon return to observed the mandatory rules of 14 day quarantine. They in turn infected their friends and all of a sudden we have a crisis. Unfortunately too many people still think they are above it all and it does not concern them. They put everyone at risk with their irresponsible actions. What was most shocking was the 2 girls twenty something who being sick decided to go shopping instead of going straight home, result they infected staff and other clients in the store which had to close. Or the 17 to 24 group who went to the Gym in Summerside a small community about 50 minutes from Charlottetown. They gave false names and phone numbers so they could not be traced, only then when they were found by the Health Authorities lied further by giving false information. I have a real problem with this type of reasoning. Do they not care that they are putting family and community at risk? Summerside has a population of 14,000. small town in other words.

At the news conference Dr Morrison, chief medical officer was visibly upset and appeared very tired, she and her staff of the Health Dept have been working flat out 24/7 doing a tremendous service. Well some people are making death threats against her. Unbelievable that anyone in their right mind would say such awful things. They are upset and cannot understand the gravity of the situation. News UPDATE as of Sunday night we are now in a RED zone and everyone is confined to home for 72 hours, the only stores open are grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies. The streets are deserted.

I was at the grocery store just before the Premier and the Chief Medical Officer went on the air to announce the restrictions Saturday afternoon, which closed the Island and all businesses, restaurants etc. Stay Home and wear a mask even outside. There was a noticeable air of panic and anxiousness in the air at the store, many already knew the bad news and we are back to where we were one year ago. The difference this time we have some 7,000 Islanders or 4.5% of our population who have received the vaccine and more have been called up, vaccination is in effect and moving ahead, that is a big plus.

IN OTHER NEWS

As we enter March Winter is clearly coming to an end, the days are 1 hour longer now. As my Birthday is coming up, Will asked me to see some old photos of myself, one photo was taken some 59 years ago, the other 62 years ago. I have to say looking at those photos made me wonder, it is another time and place gone forever. Now when I think of the past, it is mostly 5 to 10 years ago, this to me is manageable and in the realm of reality. Anything beyond that looks to remote, so many people, family and friends I knew simply gone, they are memories of another era. I also realize how the world as a whole has changed and with it our lives.

Maybe the Pandemic also affects my view of the past. Our movement are curtailed and everything is local, the rest appears to far away to reach.

Me standing with the beach ball and my little brother who is 2 yrs old and I am 4. In our little pool my Mom put together and I was asked to fill it with water, in our backyard. C.1959

Finally today I miss Italy and Rome, saw some pictures of friends gardens all in Spring flowers and the trees are also in flower, greenery everywhere under the beautiful sky. It looks so relaxing and pleasant. It is also artichoke time and you can buy the whole thistle plant and stock and make a beautiful meal of it.

Love the colour, such a nice green vegetable to eat. We use to buy them this way in the Vegetable markets in Rome.

In restaurants in Rome you could order the artichoke dish in two styles, Carciofi alla Romana, Rome Style Stuffed or Carciofi alla Giudia, Jewish style fried, both very good.

End of January

Tags

chicken liver, cuisine, Food, PEI

What a strange Winter we are having, it is clearly Climate Change in action, no ice in the gulf of St-Lawrence, none around PEI, little snow on the ground and mild weather, sidewalks are free of ice and snow. It is cold enough for ice rinks but just, the weather lady said that we might get more snow in March but that is the end of Winter at that point.

Vaccination wise it is going well in PEI, so far more than 6000 have been vaccinated out of 150K population. Still no Covid 19 hospitalizations or death after one year of this pandemic, we are truly lucky and so happy to be here and not somewhere else in Canada.

Funny thing about living in PEI, there are some foods you cannot find, one being chicken livers, no butcher carry them. Usually butchers will sell beef, pork, chicken and turkeys, some duck and goose imported from Quebec, they also sell seafood, scallops, lobsters, oysters, clams and mussels and Atlantic Salmon, haddock and halibut. But the lack of chicken livers on the market when we have major producers on the Island is a mystery. Butchers claim they cannot sell it, others say that they buy chickens and eggs from farmers but livers and heart are not available. I suspect that it may go to animal feed instead and sold off that way. On the other hand beef liver is readily available. When you find as I did just this week, both chicken livers and rarity of rarity ground veal, I bought a good quantity not sure if it would be continuously available or just a lark. I phoned friends to tell them because everyone is looking for it and let them know that if we create a demand maybe butchers will carry chicken livers. A friend of ours gave us a very good chicken liver paté recipe. Will made some today and it smells so good. I love liver of all kind but the best is Goose liver pan seared, to me this is a divine dish. I also like chicken livers with rice or in vegetable soup or sautéed with wine. In other provinces like Quebec and New Brunswick it is available in supermarkets and at butchers.

Again PEI is very different in this respect from other Canadian provinces. Not so long ago lobsters were fed to hogs not to humans, it is only with a growing tourism trade and demand in the last 40 years that now lobster is seen as a delicacy, but this change in food eating habits and taste is due to the American tourists who asked for it and could not understand why it would not be available, if you can buy it in Maine just next door. It could also have to do with poverty, PEI was a poor province for most of the twentieth century. The habit was to go to Boston to work as servants in households, others travelled to the West Coast, Vancouver was popular, more recently the Oil fields of Alberta attracted a lot of people. So people ate what was cheaply available in PEI and most lived on farms in isolated areas of the Island. Given the large Irish population, poor Scots and Acadians, potatoes, ham, chickens and casseroles were popular. Fishermen sold their catch for profit not to eat at home, though fish like cod, haddock are popular because it is cheap. I suppose it is just one of those vagaries of life.

No left overs

Tags

79AD, cuisine, fast food, Pompeii, Rome, Vesuvius

With careful planning and measurements of people’s appetite it is possible to avoid leftovers. This year we have no leftovers, it all went quickly knowing that people today do not have the appetites of Edwardians.

Also today I read about Fast Food in Ancient Rome, yes it was a big thing back then. Most people living in Rome or in this case Pompeii went to neighbourhood taverns for beer and a bite and also to the corned fast food emporium for a meal. It was a serve yourself thing offering various soups, stews, bread and cheese. It was a meal on the go and it worked pretty well given that most inhabitants did not have a kitchen at home. Same for bathing houses and public latrines, life was communal in antiquity, unless you were very wealthy and had a large mansion with tons of slaves/servants. The every day Romans lived in apartment blocks, 5 storeys tall and went out for food, bathing and the latrines. There really was no privacy they way we understand it in our world today.

In Pompeii archeologist uncovered a fast food joint called a “thermopolium” hot food served. It is brightly painted with animals telling customers what is in every pot, duck, chicken, pork, beef. Same for wine and beer, great amphoras were used to store the liquid and you were served or served yourself. In this dig they found amphoras full of ash but the smell of wine was still strong once they started to analyze the contents. This thermopolium was frozen in time by the disaster that struck the city.

There were 80 such establishments in Pompeii. This is a great and well preserved find and illustrates the lives of people before 79 AD when Vesuvius blew up and buried the city in ash.

A good time

Tags

Canada, Christmas, cuisine, Elizabeth II, Food, ice cream, life

We had a good Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Luncheon with friends.

The 24 Dec was a simple affair of a few friends came to say hello and exchange good wishes. We served home made sausage roll made from the meat of English Banger sausage and using a recipe of Nigel Slater we made puff pastry stuffed with British Stilton Cheese served pipping hot, with a glass of bubbles its a great little bite. He also made small pastry stars mixed with parmesan and served hot. They are very good and of course while we were not looking our Nicky managed to grab a couple. He loves cheese, so does Nora but she is not as bold as he is.

Today’s Luncheon, Will borrowed a great recipe for Tourtiere which came very close to my Mom’s, it was delicious. We also had a turkey breast, Brussel’s sprouts roasted, carrots and roasted small potatoes. We started the meal with Red Sockeyed Wild Pacific Salmon with capers and dill. Our dessert was Plum Pudding Flambé which had a good flame this year and instead of the usual hard sauce, Will made Nesselrode Chesnut Ice Cream, it was a big hit with our guests. It was the great French Chef Carême who invented this dessert in honour of the Russian/German Diplomat and Chancellor of the Russian Empire Count Karl Robert Nesselrode in 1814 after Napoleon’s final defeat.

The tradition of the Christmas day message goes back to 1928 when King George V, the grandfather of the Queen did the first broadcast. As Queen of Canada the message of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II is carried on the Nation’s airwaves of the CBC at 3pm. This year unlike any other year the Queen is in Windsor Castle due to the pandemic.

It was also very warm today in Charlottetown, 50F which is unheard of and shows how climate change is really changing the world around us, normally it should be near zero or below zero and snow should be covering the ground, not so this year.

Little things

Tags

Christmas, cuisine, Food, Nutcracker, PEI

More often than not, our lunch is a sandwich, ham and cheese, grill cheese, tomato and bacon, egg salad or chicken salad. I also like to have several types of bread on hand. Also different types of cheese, from old cheddar, gouda, havarti, etc…

I have never one to like a ham sandwich but a few years ago in Dublin, we stayed at the Gresham Hotel on Upper O’Connell street. James Joyce mentions the hotel in his short stories, The Dead, the reference being that the good or people who had come up in life would stay there.

One night after the theatre, it was late and the dining room was closed but the Writer’s bar was open and so we came in for a drink and asked our waiter if we could get anything to eat. Kitchen is closed he said but you can get a sandwich, would ham sandwich be good, he asked. It was one of the best ham sandwich I ever had, served simply as it was, with a glass of scotch. Since then I always remember that when I have a ham sandwich.

As we prepare for a more quiet Christmas, there is still shopping to do and some baking. Will make a tourtière and we have a small turkey. For dessert there is Plum Pudding with hard sauce and Will is making Chestnut Ice Cream. Getting the chestnuts was a major undertaking, since there is no chestnuts available in ”regular” markets in town. Someone suggested I look at the Asian Markets and sure enough they had them fresh and in a paste.

This is something that is changing in PEI rapidly, food items and supplies are far more diverse than just 15 to 18 years ago, when even parsley was seen as a luxury. The influx of large contingents of Asians and middle-Eastern population has seen the opening of new food markets catering to their cuisine. We now also have many Africans and Caribbean people living here, they have their own rich cuisine. This is a blessing because now finding ingredients and spices is no longer the chore it was once.

Just to give you an idea of items still novel in PEI.

Radicchio which is often confused for red cabbage, not the same thing and not the same price.

Clementines at Christmas are popular but don’t be surprised if the cashier at the grocery store asked you if they are navel oranges and may want to charge you accordingly.

Unsalted butter, is not common, most butters either salted or double salted. If you find unsalted butter its in the frozen food section, people believe that it spoils quickly otherwise.

Chestnuts, despite the fact that chestnut trees existed on the Island until a blight some years ago wiped them out, today it is not available unless you go to an Asian market which imports them from Toronto.

Veal, almost impossible to find, only one supermarket has it but not on a regular basis. Why is it rare, because most people think it is expensive.

Lobster served other than boiled in sea water. There are many recipe for preparing lobster, however restaurants do not offer it. It should also be remembered that lobster was poor people food or food for pigs until about 40 years ago. It only became a staple with American tourists demanding it.

Goose and goose liver, not available though we have wild geese, no one actually eats them. Same with duck, it is not popular and can be found but is considered exotic.

Fresh river fish, yes we have lots of seafood but all of it is ocean caught. Fresh river fish is not available, unless you fish it yourself. This could have to do with pesticide pollution due to intensive potato farming.

But the situation is changing gradually and rapidly, it all comes down to a question of demand and changing demographics on the Island with more and more people coming from other parts of Canada and the world. Yes PEI in this year of the Pandemic has become very popular because we appear to be spared from Covid19. People want to move here, as a more sane place to live.

Our 43 year old Nutcracker made in East Germany, when such a place existed. Hand painted in mint condition, he only comes out at Christmas time. We got him when it was not yet popular to have such an item in Canada. He has travelled all around the world with us. If he could talk, he would have quite a tale to tell.

FOOD for the Holidays

Tags

Canada, champagne, Chestnuts, cuisine, dachshunds, Food, PEI, wines, World, XMAS

Recently a good friend and blogger asked me about food for the Holidays, what type of food did you have as a child for Christmas etc… So I told him, he was a little taken aback, suffice to say that I and my siblings did not have your conventional upbringing especially when it comes to food and drinks. So no it was not turkey and mash potato with gravy and green peas or ham or whatever is usually served in most households. Wine was also served on a regular basis to adults until I was old enough to have a glass. Cocktails and bubbly made their appearance as a matter of fact at the table. My father always chose the wines, he liked Montrachet.

During my professional life in the many countries we lived in, the menu varied a great deal, various cultures have various fare. In many countries, lamb is a regular staple with chicken a close second, pork is not available and beef is usually served stewed not as a steak. Same with vegetables, in some places root vegetables or squash of all kinds or potatoes are abundant, rice is a side dish with all dishes. So you have to get use to different culinary traditions. Per example in Greece, they will served grilled tomatoes, rice and french fries all together with lamb or fish. In many countries butter is replaced by Ghee butter which is highly saturated in fat but gives the most wonderful taste to food. Also the concept of dieting, allergies or vegetarianism or not eating meat or certain foods is totally unknown and people will enquire about your health, because such condition is associated with the sick and the dying.

So through the years we have modified our Holiday menu to a point where the conventional is not the first thing that comes to mind. This also includes desserts and any sweet. In one country candied whole fruits was a delight to behold, in others it was honey and nut pastries in phylo dough, in others it was rich cakes and specialty chocolates of the finest ingredients made in small batches.

The country I enjoyed the most for wines was Italy, every Italian region has vineyards and all produce regional wines, the volcanic soil of Italy and Sicily produces great wines, red of course but for the last 150 years white wines. Going to the wine merchant was a delight, you could always pair wines with your meal and given the reasonable prices buying several cases for Xmas was a given. One year I found a champagne I truly loved, Jacquesson from France, an exceptional Champagne. If you come across that name, you should get a bottle.

This year will be a quiet Xmas at home, Charlottetown is very quiet and it is pleasant. Christmas Eve I think 3 people are coming over for drinks. Christmas Day we are 7 for Lunch at home. Everything for the meal has been bought including the wines so I do not have to do any more grocery shopping.

While shopping for Chestnuts, I discovered that you cannot find it here anywhere because it is simply something Islanders do not know. A strange thing, but its like veal, you cannot find it, no one carries it. Why? It does not appear that there is any reason. I finally did find chestnuts and beautiful ones at GLOBAL MARKET on St-Peter’s road at Mount Edward. It is an Asian/African grocery store and they carry the most incredible array of goods, most Islanders have never heard of most of it. I was very happy, it’s the second time Global Market has saved my bacon, Mr Will has a knack for asking for the most obscure ingredients at the last minute. In the case of the chestnuts, he is making Chestnut Ice Cream.

Best Wishes to all of you for a Happy Christmas!

A picture of Nora and Nick, the Official Xmas Dachshunds.

We are 34 days away

Tags

Chocolates., Christmas, cuisine, ethnic food, Food, life, PEI, shortbread

Last night I noticed that the City of Charlottetown lit-up the evergreen trees on Water, Queen and Great George street. The Xmas market is this weekend it is outdoor on Richmond Street. I went grocery shopping early today and also went to the Farmer’s Market which has moved back indoors, it is well organized, entrance is controlled at one door and everyone has a face mask. The number of people in the market is also controlled and exit is another separate door. Since yesterday face masks are mandatory in all indoor places in PEI. Everyone wears one and no complaints, so happy to see that here. Post Canada has told people to mail all their gifts early this year to avoid delays. Some people have started to also shop early and stock up. So I thought I would do the same.

Good quality Tom Smith Christmas Crackers for our table

This weekend is the beginning of Xmas shopping and after lunch I went out again around 2:30pm to get a few other things for our Christmas. Crackers for our table on 25 December, those special chocolates the ones shaped like bottles and filled with alcohol, so happy to find those in a shop. Usually they come from Scandinavia but now it is available from Laura Secord Chocolate. Laura Secord is famous in the war of 1812 when President James Madison and his lovely wife Dolly decided to attach Canada. Laura singlehandedly defeated the entire US Army with her cow near Niagara Falls. The cow then kicked a gas lamp over and this started a fire that burnt down the White House, pretty amazing history. Poor James and Dolly they became homeless and ended up in subsidized housing at Cabrini Green.

Mr Will has found a recipe for Scottish Shortbreads on YouTube from our Canadian Chef site, Glen and Friends, you need white rice flour for this recipe to give you the right texture. OK this is PEI where people put lobster in their pork and beans, no one has ever heard of rice flour, could not find it anywhere, not available. The other item he wants is Marmite which Glen and Friends suggest you use in stews etc. Again cannot find it, some store managers have never heard of it. Try explaining Marmite is an Australian thing, that is met with incredulity.

Here is the link to the recipe for shortbreads: https://youtu.be/4BM5gj44v_Y

In the last 5 years many ethnic grocery stores have popped-up in Charlottetown to serve the ever growing Asian, African, Indian and Caribbean population. So I went down Longworth avenue to the Asian Market and bingo there was a big box of white rice flour. They also have all manner of other food items and dry goods commonly seen in Asian or African cuisine, so now I know where to go when Mr Will has a fancy for some exotic ingredient. BTW on our Anniversary this Monday I will reminist of all the shopping I have done for that special ingredient for Mr Will when he prepares one of his signature dishes. Hey! you marry a great Chef expect that you will be sent out to shop, there are lots of funny stories, like the one of the flying scallops.

On the weather front November has been weird, some days feel like a nice Spring day, lots of warm sunshine, other days its -4C and snowy and then the next day its +11C, this is late November and we do not know how to dress.

Cooking

Tags

car, cooking, cuisine, Food, Kcar, mechanics, Mexico CIty

There are always dishes I don’t really like to cook, simply because I am not comfortable doing them. One is turkey, I always found that a difficult thing, I think it has more to do with the mythology around turkeys and cooking them. The other is Prime Rib Roast Beef, this is a piece of meat I would not want to make a mistake by over cooking it. I like my roast beef rare or at most medium rare. I also am not comfortable making dough for pies or for any other dish. Basically though I can cook and prepare meals and time them properly so everything is ready at the same time. I am comfortable pairing meals and wines correctly. I know how to prepare pre-dinner drinks and learned that the only 3 drinks acceptable prior to a meal, if you follow the old classic approach, a glass of sherry, Bacardi and soda or Cinzano (red vermouth) on the rocks.

I remember in 1986 Christmas in Mexico City, I had arrived on posting in July of that year. I made enquiries from colleagues about where to go to buy a turkey. Thing was in those days, few people in Mexico ate the birds, though they are indigenous to the country I was told. So one of the embassy garage mechanics said that the local butcher probably could get one for me. So I placed an order and the bird, was a wild turkey, dark plumes and all that. It was brought to the Chancery by someone, I got a call to come downstairs for a delivery, on the sidewalk in a plain cardboard box was the bird, plucked and ready to cook. Since I lived just one bloc away behind the Embassy I took it home right away to put in the fridge. Will came from Ottawa for Christmas and he cooked it. Remember Mexico City is at an Altitude of 5000 feet above sea level and nothing cooks the same as if you would be at sea level, but that is a story for another time.

As for roast beef well though we have it now at home, in a previous life it was something I usually had in dining rooms of hotels, a great show of carving etc, with lots of silver trays.

But if I may digress for one moment, when I was serving in Mexico, we could not bring our cars from Canada. There was some kind of strange rule the Mexican government had instituted on importing cars, it only applied to diplomats. This was the period of the K cars by Chrysler. So we all had K cars, awful and simplistic cars. I did not want to buy one and so when I needed a car I would borrow from a colleague. One such night I went out with my colleague’s car and stopped for a few minutes at another colleague’s house for a drink and then we all went out for dinner in Los Insurgentes area of the D.F. I had to park the car and at the entrance of the parking lot the attendant pointed out to me with alarm that the whole front portion of the car was missing, the grill, the mountings around the lights and the bumper. I had been a victim of one of the many auto part rackets in the city. I was mortified given that this was not my car. The next day at the Embassy I went straight to speak with our car dispatcher and the fellows in the garage what could they do to help me. Not to worry Senor leave it with us, a few hours later the car was returned all was in order and it cost me $50 USD. I had no idea how the guys did it. I later learned that they knew who had done this and went to see them and got the parts back. I was relieved and could return the car to my colleague, I told him what had happened and we laughed about it. In any Embassy the local staff can be very helpful.

To return to my cooking story, I saw my mother cook a lot and in those days it was from scratch, no process food and no frozen whatever. Later in life we always had someone prepare meals when I lived abroad or went out to dinners etc. So I became very dependent on help at home who would do pretty much everything around the house and garden.

We have a friend who makes wonderful cakes and great pastry, he has the eye for it and every year for the last 44 years has given us one of his wonderful fruit cakes. Now Will makes bread and all manner of pastries and cakes. I am still not comfortable with pastry dough making.

Today my dear friend Dr Burrito was asking about turkey cooking, I suggested the method of Sous vide which means that the bird is cooking in the oven in a bag, it makes the most excellent turkey and so juicy, fool proof.