Lamb shanks and having a son

Tags

children, cuisine, education, fathering, Food, Jordan, lamb, rearing

This title is almost biblical, sounds like the Prophet Abraham and his son Isaac and the sacrifice asked by God. Luckily it ended in a lamb shank dinner.

So today is Father’s day, a bit of a commercial holiday like Mother’s day. But at the Farmer’s Market a lady from whom I bought stocks of rhubarb, wished me a happy Sunday (that is very Italian) and a happy father’s day, which surprised me. It also got me to think.

Today I am cooking for dinner 2 lamb shanks from well known local farm and their lamb is delicious. It takes about 2 hours to cook slowly with some thyme and rosemary. This is a meal I would have in Jordan every Friday, being prayer day for Muslims, we had the day off. Lamb in Jordan is a very traditional dish and it is prepared with much care. Lamb also appears at religious festivals, this of course is taken from Scripture and the Koran is basically the Old Testament with its stories and various prophets like Abraham, Moses, etc, including Jesus and his mother Mary.

So I was thinking if I had a son what would I want for him. I was reminded yesterday at a concert piano recital at the Club of Chopin, Bartok and J.S. Bach by young 12 yr old musicians, how education is so important to create a happy life and future for children.

I would emphasize reading and love of books, starting by books suitable for the age and then progressing to more serious books with time.

I would encourage visits to art galleries and museums, learning about paintings and its historical evolution and understanding what influenced painters is important because it develops the sense of observation and appreciation.

Learn to cook and appreciate food in many various forms. This is a life skill in my book, I find that people who cannot appreciate food or would not know how to boil an egg are deprived of an important life skill. Frozen food and fast food is not the solution, I unfortunately know people who feed their kids nothing but junk food because it is so easy to do so. Learning completely about vegetables and fruits, what is in season and what is not, appreciate cheeses from various cultures, there is more to life than commercial cheddar, baking is also an important skill.

This I would pair with learning about wines and how quality is not expressed in the price of a bottle, but the simple pleasure of what is good.

I would try to develop in him a taste for all cultures, pointing out that there is nothing to fear in what may appear strange or different. This is tied to learning languages, speaking a minimum of 3 languages fluently to me is essential to life, because if you speak many languages it opens doors to understanding others.

Above all, I would teach him to appreciate quality in all things and shy away from the simplistic and average.

Finally respect for people and a sense of civic duty and responsibility towards your community.

Children are a responsibility and need lots of care and at the same time the parent has to develop in the child self-assurance and natural curiosity. This is too often completely lacking in our world today.

Tuesday

Tags

Belle river, Food, life, PEI, Summer

Well our Summer plants are shaping up. We are going first to Les Iles de la Madeleine for a few days, then this Summer will go around the Island and on 21 August to the cottage at French River which is a place we love and will have some old friends from Ottawa visiting. I don’t think they have been here before and we are looking forward to their visit. They had visited us in Egypt back in 1990, seems like ions ago.

The weather is nice but like all Islands in the North Atlantic still with a cool wind.

My diet or I think I should say weight loss is going great and this gives me a lot of pleasure, this morning my nutritionist told be I look thinner and that there was a noticeable change from 6 weeks ago. I see it in the mirror and on the scale.

There is obvious benefits to eating more vegetables and fruits and limiting meat to 100 gr. fish and seafood with only lemon or some olive oil is also better, the big sauces are nice but in moderation. I am also grateful to my Mom who started us eating all manner of fruits and veggies at a young age and making up funny stories about them. I am not a picky or fussy eater and this has served me well in life. Mom also never prepared meals to please us, she prepared what she believed was good for us, she really favoured home made soups, she had recipes that came from the great grand-parents who lived into grand old age of their late nineties. Mom would say look at them and a sign of health, never mind the fact that my paternal great grand-mother smoke the pipe and was a shark at cards.

My brother in Florida is also following a diet now on his own, large salads and fish and he is also doing very well.

Today at the Health Food Store I found a ginger chew called Chimes, it is low on calories like 1 C. and my nutritionist said if you only have 2 a day you will be fine.

Tomorrow we are going to visit a friend of ours who lives East of Charlottetown, in Belle River which prior to 1755 was called Belle Rivière. We have not seen him since October 2019, looking forward to the visit. Another sunny day tomorrow which is very nice, it really feels like Summer now.

Belle River on the shore of the Abegweit Passage (formerly known as Northumberland Strait)

Cayenne

Tags

Apple cake, casserole, EIIR, Food

Today is Easter Monday, in my previous post I told you about the ham and potato casserole I made and putting a tea spoon of cayenne and worrying about it, I rarely use that spice.

Well it was the main dish at lunch today and everyone had 2 helpings. It had at first a bite to it but overall it was good and tasty. Next time, yes there will be a next time, this is a very easy dish to make and good, I will only do 1/4 T.spoon. The casserole was served with a simple green salad.

The dessert was an old favourite of Will, he made an Apple cake, he says it is a Passover dish. It was very good and light. Beautiful day today, really a Spring day.

Sprinkled with almonds and powdered sugar.

This Thursday 21 April is the 96th Birthday of HM Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. She was born in Mayfair in London, in a house at 17 Bruton Street. At the time her grandfather was King George V and her father was Duke of York. She was born in a house belonging to her Maternal Scottish grandparents the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, the parents of Her mother Elizabeth, Duchess of York. The house no longer exist, it was demolished by property developers in 1937. She was baptized Elizabeth, Alexandra, Mary, thus named after her paternal grandmother, Queen Alexandra and great grandmother Queen Mary.

Her father became King George VI in May 1936 at the abdication of his brother Edward VIII who married that woman, Mrs Simpson. Below the Canadian logo for the Queen’s Birthday on this Her 70th year of Accession to the Throne of Canada.

Easter Sunday

Tags

Brazil, Food, Holiday, lunch, Picaha Steak, Restaurants

The day started with a cold high wind and rain lashing at the house, afternoon it all cleared up and we had bright sunshine. A quiet day, we went to Slaymaker and Nichols for Brunch, the food was wonderful and the service great. The wait staff are older and know the business and very respectful none of that phoney friendliness just helpful. The bartender also solved a mystery for me, he made excellent Bloody Cesars and showed me how to use a small spray bottle full of vermouth to wet a martini glass before pouring the vodka. He also told me that all drinks are 2 ounces but not 3 ounces never, not allowed. So what I had been told at the Club was BS and I was not wrong about it when I was making martinis.

SLAYMAKER AND NICHOLS in Charlottetown

It is a great place for food and cocktails, opened 3 years ago by the same owner as the famous Blue Mussel in Rustico on the North Shore. Great food, good professional service and polite staff. We had their house made crab cakes topped with beautiful poached eggs done perfectly and a bearnaise sauce. Will had a specialty of the restaurant a cut of steak not found in North America usually, the Blue Picaha, Brazil’s favourite cut of steak, known as the rump cap or sirloin cap, with a poached egg. They get it from Mike the butcher on University street. Absolutely delicious, no one else in town offers it. This is what I like about the restaurant, they innovate and bring in dishes that are different. Also their dishes are gorgeous, all plates are different pattern but all very elegant, glassware of quality. The decor is also elegant and eclectic. In the Summer you can sit on the patio on the street, which is very quiet despite being just a block away from City Hall.

When we came home, I made the Holiday French Ham and Potato Casserole, it all went well except that I made one mistake, instead of adding 1/4 tea spoon of Cayenne pepper, I added 1 tea spoon, the result a dish with a bite, it is not unpleasant but it does have character. Other ingredients are 2 cups of heavy cream, sharp cheddar, thyme, nutmeg, black pepper and sprinkle of Worcestershire sauce. Well this dish is for Easter Monday’s Lunch at friends.

ARTICHOKE Season

Tags

Food, Italy, life

Yes April is Artichoke Season and here are some beautiful photos

We would go to the market in our neighbourhood and see this beautiful display of fresh artichoke. You can prepare them 2 ways Alla Romana stuffed or Alla Judaica which is fried.

Both are very good and you should see the flower produced by the artichoke plant, spectacular.

Carciofi alla Romana, literally “Roman-style artichokes”, is a typical dish of Roman cuisine. During spring-time in Rome, the dish is prepared in each household and is served in all restaurants.

Carciofi alla giudìa is among the best-known dishes of Roman Jewish cuisine. The recipe is essentially a deep-fried artichoke, and originated in the Jewish community of Rome, it is a speciality where it is served by Jewish restaurants in the springtime. The best restaurants can be found around the Portico D’Ottavia. The Porticus Octaviae is an ancient structure in Rome. The colonnaded walks of the portico enclosed the temples of Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina, as well as a library. The structure was used as a fish market from the medieval period up to the end of 19th century.

Now this is a real deli in Rome. Look at that selection, including beautiful Italian cheeses, so much variety. Then cured meats, olives and excellent olive oil from various regions of Italy. You can also buy wine, much of it is from the Lazio, the province of Rome. I really miss this aspect of life.

Italian Cheeses, balsamic vinegar, etc… A feast for the eyes.

Then the wine merchants with an unbelievable selection of Italian wines from various regions of Italy. The country has 20 different wine regions, producing a great variety of wines and then many Italians still make wine at home, especially those living in the country side. Another delight. Look of DOC on the label or DOCG, an indication of quality.

This weekend

Tags

Beaverbrook, Budget, Food, Fredericton, Halifax, Riopelle, Ukraine

A quiet time really, much was done this week and now it is quiet. I continue to be horrified by the situation in Ukraine and the war crimes of Russia. The Federal Budget came out yesterday and I am happy with it. I think that Chrystia Freeland as Finance Minister gave us a responsible budget and is addressing important issues. I was also happy to see Justice Brown Jackson confirmed to the US Supreme Court, I heard her speak at the hearing and was impressed with her knowledge and calm, well spoken, she will do well on the Bench. She reminds me of our Canadian Supreme Court Judges, in the way she handles herself.

I am still trying to plan a trip to Halifax which is 325 km away. I would go over 2 days so as not to be too tired.

We visited Fredericton in New Brunswick 2 years ago and at the time the Beaverbrook Art Gallery was closed for a large second expansion construction work. It reopens this weekend with a Jean-Paul Riopelle, CC GOQ RCA (1923-2002) painting exhibit.

He was a painter and sculptor from Quebec, Canada. He had one of the longest and most important international careers of the sixteen signatories of the Refus Global, the 1948 manifesto that announced the Quebecois artistic community’s refusal of clericalism and provincialism.

If ever you visit Fredericton, do go see the Beaverbrook Gallery, it’s collection is beautiful and extensive. The city itself is rich in Canadian History and great heritage architecture. It became an important military garrison town during the revolution in the colonies, several well known figures like Major Andre, Benedict Arnold and others came to Fredericton and their homes can be seen. Fredericton is the Capital of New Brunswick and is name after one of the sons of King George III.

The Beaverbrook Gallery with the new Harrison McCain wing.

I always say to people who would not visit an art gallery that if you go and see a painting that appeals to you, think that the painter is talking to you. The painting is a conversation and the painter is expressing a thought, an idea or a mood. Every painting has a story just like a book, it is up to you to make the effort to decipher what is going on.

Harrison McCain (1927-2004) was the potato king in Florenceville, New Brunswick. McCain products can be seen in all grocery stores from french fries to frozen pizza. He died some years ago and his family gave money to have this wing built at the Beaverbrook. Back in 1984, I was starting my Foreign Service Career and in those days, the Department of Foreign Affairs would send all new recruits on a Canada wide tour. We came to visit the McCain factory and HQ in Florenceville. Harrison McCain, spoke rapid-fire English — and he drove his Cadillac just as fast. He was assertive, salty-tongued, headstrong, and charismatic, he greeted us and like all multi-billionaire business tycoon, he was super confident in his product and it was a national success. After showing us around and boasting about the Frozen French Fry, he showed us a new products aimed at kids after school snack, the mini pizza. It was no bigger than 3 inches across with a tomato cheese topping. The audience test had gone very well, mothers and kids loved it. He asked if we had any questions, one colleague of mine being very earnest and a bit of an nutritional activist, said; Mr McCain how do you feel about feeding fast food to children and ruining their health. McCain was obviously very angry at this question, he immediately demanded the name of this person. We were ushered out quickly and the next day we heard that he had phoned Ottawa and spoke to the Minister asking that this individual be sacked on the spot for attacking a national brand. This person was not fired, but we were told in no uncertain terms never to do this ever again.

Foods good and bad

Tags

dachshunds, dogs, economy, Food, Oil, Ukraine, war

To continue with my story about Nicky and Nora, Nick will not jump on anything, so I have to lift him up unto the sofa. Nora just jumps and is very independent. Nick is the whiner, not only do you have to lift him up, he then expects you to tuck him into his blanket and say a few soothing words and a cuddle. Nora needs no help and she keeps one eye on you at all times, Nick falls asleep. He is happiest if I am sitting next to him and he snuggles up in his blanket and I put my arm over him. Then he feels perfectly safe and falls into a very deep sleep and dreams. Last night he was sound asleep when all of a sudden he starts to dream and he huffs and puffs, his face twitches, his eyebrows move up and down and he starts to have muffled barks and growls, his claws come out. I do not wake him up it’s his dream. It passes soon enough and when he wakes up, he looks at me as if to say, where am I. Nora also dreams and also has these little episodes, we always wonder what they are dreaming about.

About food, when shopping at the grocery store I am continually surprised that we have so much on offer, from frozen foods of all kinds, to a large variety of meatless products, natural, bio, gluten free, halal meat, we do not have kosher on the island despite our Jewish community of 260 people. Then the ancient grains and other combinations. Apparently ancient grains are so much better for you, your ancestor the cave guy ate them all the time. There are a lot of food fads around and they do not last. What about these doctors who beg you not to eat this or that fruit or vegetable, where does that come from? There are a lot of scams out there.

On instagram there is a plethora of physical fitness, training instructors who constantly push diets, eat this and eat that. Do’s and don’ts, carb and protein, etc. I simply cannot pay attention to any of it. Also most of these guys are under 30, there entire life is at the gym, morning, noon, night. When not at the gym they travel to Mexico or Thailand for a vacation. I found them vacuous during the height of Covid, it was party, party in packed discos and now with war in Europe, they look mindless, their lives appear out of any real context, it’s still party time, not a care in the world. They must all be millionaires or….

What is also the fascination with Dubai? I don’t get it. To me Dubai is and was a duty free city and nothing else. It is all about shopping for luxury products and cars. Again why would you want to live there for an extended period of time, as a young person. It is all very strange.

Gas in PEI is now $7.90 a gallon. the price went up another .10 cents this morning. It had gone up .12 cents 2 days ago and I am sure it is going to continue to rise even more. The big question here on the Island is what to do, people love buying big gas guzzlers, F-150 trucks and giant SUV, you can well imagine the cost now at the pump. It is all about putting priority on status symbols. An interview this morning on the radio, asking people will they consider buying an electric car, no comes the reply, this hike is just temporary. HELLO!!!! no it’s not, but they will find out soon enough with the war in Europe and the disruption it brings to the world economy. Next came a report on the price of food, Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe and Canada is a huge producer of wheat, we had a very bad harvest in the last 2 years due to climate change, guess what, food prices will continue to climb. This with rising interest rates will create a storm for many who have over extended themselves. Economists have shown that the average Canadian for every $1.00 earned owes $1.64 in debt. How do you get out of that one? Too many hope the Government will provide a miracle cure. I am always surprise how few understand basic economics.

On a cold but sunny Friday

Tags

Canada, covid, Food, Russia, Sicily, Spring, Ukraine, USA, Wine

We are in mid-January and typically the weather is very cold. I had my booster shot 3 days ago and all is well, no after effects. So now I am all boosted and frankly Covid is no longer my priority. I lived in too many countries where many awful diseases where endemic and my vaccinations protected me. So time to move along.

The weather has been cold, frigid, the Hillsborough river is now frozen. We are in a lockdown but the number of sick people has been dropping every day. Yes those who are sick are unvaccinated and maybe you will think me callous or unfeeling but I really do not care about them, it has been 2 years, plenty of time to do the right thing. Everyday we have 100 + spot for vaccination available on PEI so if you want a shot it is very easy to get and takes about 6 minutes. Someone I know yesterday was shopping and stopped at the Pharmacy enquired about a vaccine and got it on the spot. Could it be easier?

I have joined those who are fully vaccinated and feel they should be allowed to go about their lives and not have to worry about the Covidiots who sit there and complain.

So we are more or less confined to our homes, though you can shop for groceries and pick up at the restaurant, but that is not civilized living. On the other hand we have had some pretty marvellous meals at home thanks to Will.

I was thinking this week, that if one day I was to travel again I would love to return to Granada to see the Alhambra palace and the gardens again. What a stunning place it was, and to think it was built 1000 years ago, a marvel. Portugal would be another place I would like to visit again. We had a very nice visit to Lisbon a few years ago. Then Sicily, such an ancient place, beautiful Marsala, Trapani, Monreale, Ragusa, Catania on the slope of Mount Etna. The food in Sicily is a completely different cuisine from Italy, due to centuries of Spanish, Normand and Arab influences. The wines are also of great quality with all that volcanic soil.

I would like a month long trip, not a week or a few days, which is good if you are young and must get back. On the other hand I have cooled to cruises, the food is usually just ok despite what you are told, the rooms on board are nice but I never found them as comfortable as an hotel room. Frankly the crowds on ships despite being on smaller ships get to me. I think that I would like some really good food and service, something you do not come across much these days despite high prices. However if one travels now there are all these tests and complications mass confusion at the airport, not to mention the crazy travellers.

Catania and Mount Etna

Well on 1 February we will see if the sanctions come off and if life returns to a more normal pace, let’s hope so.

But then Blinken meets Lavrov to talk about the Ukraine, what they are really talking about is not so much a possible invasion as let’s not use any nuclear weapons, negotiating a complicated ballet. Would be inexcusable to blow up the planet over the Ukraine. If there is an invasion by Russia, the only likely response will be severe or more severe economic sanctions. Europe may not follow because their economy would suffer, China will help Russia in any way they can, Iran also will be part of the underhanded help. I love to listen to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, so calm and worldly, he knows his stuff and will not be perturbed, Blinken looks unsure and nervous.

As for Canada in all this, well our Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, a nice person and well educated but way over her head. Canada can do nothing in this conflict we are irrelevant, even with our gift of $120 million to help Ukraine, chump change really. Our Armed forces leadership has been decapitated with a series of well timed alleged sexual peccadillos. Our army is short 12,000 men, ill equipped, no air force to speak of and no navy, all this due to decades of cut backs on military spending. So I so not think that Russia is too worried about us.

How many days til Spring? 58 Days! Seems like an eternity.

Winter and Lockdown

Tags

CBC PEI, Food, island, Mainstreet, Matt Rainnie, PANDEMIC, Radio, winter

For the last 2 years PEI had avoided Covid19 and the worst of the pandemic, we had some cases but overall it was as if the pandemic had forgotten about the Island. With the New Year 2022, suddenly cases are surging, from a handful to suddenly hundreds of cases, the 2 first death and some 8 hospitalizations. You might say only 8 people in hospital that is nothing, however we only have a total of 20 ICU beds.

What has caused this upsurge? During the Christmas Holiday everybody was travelling around the world or elsewhere in Canada. They had to travel, to see family they don’t really like or because of mental health, which has become a new separate pandemic. It use to be peanut allergy now it’s mental health.

Yesterday the Chief Medical Officer for PEI announced that all restaurants, bars and gyms would close for 2 weeks at midnight. Guess what, the announcement came in the afternoon and last night restaurants and bars were packed to the gills. It would appear that we are dealing with a society full of indulged, selfish, spoiled brats who are unable to think like adults. On the radio, Matt Rainnie who has the popular late afternoon show Mainstreet on CBC, was going on about how times were tough and could people call in to suggest happy songs to get us through these tough times. I sent a message to Matt asking if he was serious, I can think of much worse times in the last 100 years, World Wars, Great depression, Cuban missile crisis, Vietnam war, economic crisis. Now we may get a war in Europe between NATO, Ukraine against Russia, with the possible threat of nuclear war, which would be curtains for all of us.

The weather here is definitely cold -29C today, bone chilling at least it is sunny and the city has started to clean the streets from last Friday’s storm. I also got my booster shot yesterday at the pharmacy, took all of 4 minutes. No reaction so far and things are fine.

I did do a bit of grocery shopping also on Monday, I had a bit of a shock as I entered the store, the display on the right which is all fruits, salads, vegetables, the shelves were completely bare, nothing at all. On the left side the shelves were full of breads, biscuits, cakes, package cheese, deli counter offerings etc. In Winter if the bridge to the mainland is closed for a day or two, suddenly we have shortages in the grocery stores. The bridge was close on Friday/Saturday/Sunday the winds over the Strait were so high at 130Km per hour at one point, no one can cross the 12 Km over the sea far too dangerous. At some point the bridge is 300 feet above the water to allow for large ship to sail under it. Before 1997 when the bridge did not exist, shortages of food on the Island were frequent, but people had farms and gardens so amply supply for meat, eggs, cheese and potatoes not to mention other dry goods. But it was a more simple time.

The old Abegweit ferry of PEI bought by the Chicago Yacht Club and used since 1983 as their Club House at Monroe Harbor in Chicago.

On Monday night we also had a power outage for about 90 minutes, which is rare for us. Luckily this happened after 08:30pm. This is why we always have candles around the house just in case all Winter long. It was dark but only in the old downtown area by the river where we live. There was an aura in the distance in newer parts of the City, across the river in South Port lights were on. We simply went to bed early, the dogs did right away, it’s dark, we sleep. However this darkness was peaceful and relaxing the neighbourhood looked different, quiet.

I heard a good joke the other day, For 5000 years man ate bread, suddenly in just the last 10 years we are all Gluten intolerant. Yep that explains a lot about today’s world.

Is this 2015 all over again?

Tags

Charlottetown, cuisine, Food, PEI, snow, winter

Charlottetown in 2015 on the street.

In 2015 the Winter in PEI did not start before mid-January, there was no snow, nothing, very quiet weather wise and then all of a sudden every 4 to 7 days a major snowstorm and it lasted for 2 who months. There was so much snow that no one knew what to do with it and life became difficult for many. The City had no where to put it, people could not get out of their homes, some people lost their homes to house fires simply because the Fire Dept could not get to them, blocked by giant snow banks. Here is an archival picture of what it was like. People were in shock, yes we are Canadians but there is a limit to everything, the cold also was intense. We missed it all by arriving in May 2016.

Found his car, now how to get it out.

This is a 4 lane highway reduced to one lane in 2015, see how high is the snow compared to the huge plow.

Hopefully this year 2022 will not be a repeat but we have had 2 major snow storms in 7 days. The City has had little time to clean up after the first storm. We also have now Omicron and 2 people died last night in hospital, the first of this pandemic. People are scared and concerned.

Haviland Street at Euston today.

Needless to say, tonight the storm is over but the streets remain unplowed and the sidewalks well they disappeared under 4 feet of snow. It is very heavy snow, very compact and it is about -28C right now. So walking the dogs is short and sweet, they do not want to be outside.

This morning at 10am, the wind was still blowing at 70Km per hour. Our parking lot was cleaned but I still had to clean the car and get it moving, it was stuck with snow under the carriage and in the wheel base pushed there by the strong winds and it solidified. Can’t remember when this last happened to me, maybe before 1982?

Around 2pm the one plow had passed on Water street but that was it. No cars many still had not had their drive opened up. Next few days should see more efforts to clean up but it will take at least 4 days.

While this was happening Will was making meat pies aka Tourtière, small ones for 2 so we can have them for dinner. Tomorrow he is making his lasagna with béchamel sauce. He already made his meat sauce. For the pie crust he uses a little vodka, it makes it more flakey.

Tourtière.