Shiny squeezy
LED tweezers, y’all! I don’t know what I’m going to do with them, but I had to have them. At the model railway exhibition, yes.
Changing the subject, the Daily Mail is bigging up food shortages today, particularly fresh vegetables.
‘There was hardly any fresh produce in Tesco. In Morrisons I asked a young staff member what was going on and he said there was nothing in the back stores.
‘It was the same in Aldi and Lidl, it seemed to be affecting all the supermarkets.’
Coincidentally, we did our shop today. Uncle B went by himself into Waitrose for a few special bits and pieces and he said there was plenty of everything. They are, of course, more expensive than the rest. Tomatoes, if you can afford them.
But we went into Aldi afterwards and – hoo boy! – it was thin. I bought the last iceberg lettuce (and a very sad specimen it was, too). There were no tomatoes at all, no sweet peppers, (no eggs, but that’s different). I’ve never seen the veg so empty.
Meat was okay (phew!) and canned goods and all that sort of stuff. Just fresh produce. They’re blaming the weather here and in Spain and North Africa (where a lot of our fresh vegetables come from in Winter).
Oh, well. We’ll be in hobby growers season soon. I can deal with canned tomatoes until then.
February 21, 2023 — 8:26 pm
Comments: 5
Luxury
Welp, one kilo of green coffee beans arrived today. I paid way over the odds for it, but it’s from a local roaster with a good reputation.
Imagine my surprise when it came with a gift of Costa Rican coffee and a handwritten welcome note from the owner. Also that chatty newspaper in the photo (which Uncle B assures me was extremely expensive to print).
Is this what happens when you knowingly overpay? Is this what it’s like to be rich? Hoo! I could stand having my butt smooched on the regular.
I got Monsoon Malabar, which I’ve had before and liked. Wikipedia says: “The harvested coffee seeds are exposed to the monsoon rain and winds for a period of about three to four months, causing the beans to swell and lose the original acidity, resulting in a flavor profile with a practically neutral pH balance.” Yup, that’s how I like it.
The plan is to roast in mall batches as needed. I’ll let you know.
February 16, 2023 — 8:01 pm
Comments: 6
No, not *that* kind of green beans
I had a question today. And the answer is – yes, you CAN roast small quantities of coffee beans in an air fryer, if you like light or medium roast. Which I do.
Have you ever roasted your own coffee? Is it worth it? I bet there are some volatiles in coffee beans that don’t last long post-roastie.
Yes, that’s me all over: yesterday, I buy a fancy coffee subscription; today, I’m looking into wholesaling beans.
Oh, don’t worry. It won’t last. My enthusiasms flare up and burn out in short order, streaking across the sky like Chinese weather balloons.
February 6, 2023 — 8:11 pm
Comments: 10
Happy Groundhog Day
I understand the magic rodent has predicted six more weeks of Winter. Well, there are five daffodils blooming in my front garden, so there you buck-toothed prognosticator.
They’re under the bathroom window. I hate to think why it’s especially warm there.
Check out these carrots. Uncle B discovered them poking around in the vegetable beds yesterday.
Mind you, we knew we’d left them there, we just didn’t realize they’d be recoverable. I thought they might be woody, but they’re still tender and sweet. Damned if I can get the dirt out of the little cracks, though.
I’ve decided the dirt is good for my microbiome.
February 2, 2023 — 7:57 pm
Comments: 4
What is this deviltry?
We had to do an errand in the big city today. First time we’ve had Mickey D’s in at least four years.
They already had the touch-screen ordering kiosks when we visited last, but the McDonald’s app? That’s new. Imagine being a registered McDonald’s customer.
Free food, I guess.
I ate a Big Mac, fries and a Coke every school day for a whole year once. I think it was 1975. I don’t believe they called it a meal deal in those days, but I do remember it was under a buck.
I also remember a Big Mac was a much bigger sammich. And Brits are really stingy with secret sauce.
I’m not going anywhere interesting with this, just sharing.
Oh, look at that – 1975 was the year they invented the Big Mac. That probably explains it.
February 1, 2023 — 8:47 pm
Comments: 13
I did a middle class thing…
I bought myself a coffee subscription. Every six weeks, they’ll send me two bags of fancy coffee from two different artisanal roasters. It costs stupid money for what it is, but hey – surprise treat in the mail from time to time.
Look at that, the coffee even comes with baseball cards.
Why Waaqa? Oh, that’s the Ethiopian sky god, naturally. The Oromo tribes of Ethiopia believe coffee plants must be nourished by the tears of Waaqa.
Really. That’s the kind of pretentious wankers I’m dealing with here.
I have to say, though, following their instructions I made some of the best coffee ever. Turns out, I was cooking it too hot for too long (though, to be honest, there’s a part of me that likes it nasty bitter, especially first thing in the morning).
Bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a minute or so to cool down. Grind the beans while waiting – coarse for a cafetière – 13g to 18g per 250ml cup (my usual scoop is 16g. Yes, I weighed it). Pour a little water on the grounds and let it soak for 30 seconds, then pour in the rest of the water for four to five minutes.
At first I thought, “pff! So it’s coffee.” But the more I drank, the more I realized it was milder and sweeter than my usual. Almost chocolatey.
Very nice. Still not worth stupid money, though.
January 31, 2023 — 6:57 pm
Comments: 16
It’s just ham, y’all
We are having gammon for Thanksgiving this year. I think this might be the first time ever I’m not having turkey on Turkey Day, but Uncle B was the first to point out that we have two turkey holidays a month apart and then don’t eat it again for a whole year.
Looked at that way, it diminishes the specialness of…one or the other holiday, somehow.
I have been puzzled over the exact meaning of “gammon” ever since I moved here – especially when I learned it’s also called boiled bacon. Delicious!
It’s just ham, though. Upper leg of pig (nowhere near bacon, but whatever). We’re going to pressure cook it.
Pic nicked from Wikimedia, with proper attribution.
With it, we’re having homemade dinner rolls and the traditional pease pudding – an unremarkable starchy side dish that does well with pork (do follow the link if you’d like to take a peep at pease pudding and faggot).
Speaking of Christmas turkey, I ordered mine yesterday. I know your turkeys have gone through the roof this year, but you can console yourself they’re still substantially more expensive in Jollye Olde.
November 23, 2022 — 7:37 pm
Comments: 14
Air fryer pizza!
You may recall that among my many accomplishments, I once made pizza for a living. Specifically, Sicilian deep dish pizza. Now I have mastered the art of homemade za in the air fryer, using this ONE WEIRD TRICK.
Can’t be clickbait, you’re here already.
If you can get it where you are, buy a pound of raw white bread dough (don’t sell it here, so I do the pizza program on the breadmaker). That will make three 9″ pies, or two if you like a lot of crust. It freezes wonderfully.
Dough works better if it’s a little warm; I usually give it twenty seconds in the nuker. Roll it out with a rolling pin and then place it in the bottom of the food basket, with the grill removed, and press it around the sides. Unless you’re some kind of crazy cleanaholic, the basket is probably just oily enough that the dough will come out easily when it’s done.
Give it five minutes or so, until the dough holds its shape and has a little strength. Then – here’s the important thing I learned! – flip it over and give it about seven minutes upside down, until it’s just starting to brown. If you don’t do this, the pie will be gluey and underdone on the bottom.
Flip it back over and add sauce (I used storebought spaghetti sauce with a little added olive oil and cracked black pepper because I’m lazy like that). That poor little bent spoon is perfect for spreading the sauce around – and hooking under the edge of the dough to lift it out whenever necessary.
The pie I was taught to make has the ingredients under a solid layer of cheese, and that’s my preference. This one is bell pepper, onion, mushroom and pepperoni. I cook that part for a few minutes in its own before adding cheese. The house mixture was 50/50 cheddar and mozzarella.
Cook until desired doneness (I like the cheese a little browned), hook it out with your ickle spoon, and viola!
Since all food looks gross in black and white, here’s the final product in color.
Or you can buy a 9″ supermarket frozen pizza and give it ten minutes. That’s good, too.
November 16, 2022 — 5:01 pm
Comments: 9
My lunch had a good life
Oh, Waitrose. I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me. Did he have a winsome smile? A mellifluous squeal? Did he have a crush on the sow in the airy barn next door? At night, did he look up at the stars and…
Nah, screw it. There’s only so much I need to know about my lunch.
October 25, 2022 — 7:37 pm
Comments: 5
Success?
The question mark is because I ain’t so sure. It has a lovely flavor and a beautiful color, but I don’t think it’s going to set. Quinces have lots of pectin and usually don’t have any problem setting firm, but I think I cooked it in too much water. As I boiled it, it just didn’t thicken properly
The internet helpfully suggests I use it for sugar syrup. If I don’t want to boil it again. And I don’t.
Yes, you can see it in color.
October 5, 2022 — 6:52 pm
Comments: 5