tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8090823156066375562024-02-21T10:31:52.792+00:00Thoughts from a Wandering Mind<br><br>
It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes - Douglas Adams
<br>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-28254048129192432912020-07-19T18:59:00.003+01:002020-08-13T10:05:47.779+01:00Coronavirus Data<div style="text-align: left;">I've turned my graphs of coronavirus deaths for the UK into a Google Charts implementation which draws data from <a href="https://c19downloads.azureedge.net/downloads/json/coronavirus-deaths_latest.json">https://c19downloads.azureedge.net/downloads/json/coronavirus-deaths_latest.json</a> so should be up to date all the time. There's a weird thing in Northern Ireland where ten people seem to have come back to life on 12 July - I'm sure that's just a reporting glitch but there's no explanation in the dataset.<br />
<br />
<br />
</div><div id="chart"></div><br />
<br />
<div id="averagechart"></div><br />
<br />
<div id="totalchart"></div><br />
<script src="https://www.gstatic.com/charts/loader.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.1/jquery.min.js"></script><br />
<br />
<script type="text/javascript">
// Load google charts
google.charts.load('current', {'packages':['corechart']});
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawChart);
// Draw the chart and set the chart values
function drawChart() {
// Fetch JSON data from URL
//var url = "https://cors-anywhere.herokuapp.com/https://c19downloads.azureedge.net/downloads/json/coronavirus-deaths_latest.json";
var url = "https://c19downloads.azureedge.net/downloads/json/coronavirus-deaths_latest.json";
var xmlHttp = new XMLHttpRequest();
xmlHttp.open( "GET", url, false ); // false for synchronous request
xmlHttp.send( null );
var json_data = JSON.parse(xmlHttp.responseText);
// Create arrays for each country and one for date
var reportedDate = Array();
var rd = 0;
var Wales = Array();
var wa = 0;
var popWales = 3152879;
var England = Array();
var en = 0;
var popEngland = 56286961;
var Scotland = Array();
var sc = 0;
var popScotland = 5463300;
var NorthernIreland = Array();
var ni = 0;
var popNorthernIreland = 1893667;
// Decode data into an array
var raw_data = Array();
var i=0;
for (i in json_data.countries){
if (json_data.countries[i].areaName == "Wales"){
Wales[wa] = Number(json_data.countries[i].dailyChangeInDeaths) / popWales * 1000000;
wa ++;
}
if (json_data.countries[i].areaName == "England"){
England[en] = Number(json_data.countries[i].dailyChangeInDeaths) / popEngland * 1000000;
en ++;
}
if (json_data.countries[i].areaName == "Scotland"){
Scotland[sc] = Number(json_data.countries[i].dailyChangeInDeaths) / popScotland * 1000000;
sc ++;
}
if (json_data.countries[i].areaName == "Northern Ireland"){
NorthernIreland[ni] = Number(json_data.countries[i].dailyChangeInDeaths) / popNorthernIreland * 1000000;
ni ++;
}
}
// Calculate average arrays
var walesAverage = Array();
var englandAverage = Array();
var scotlandAverage = Array();
var northernIrelandAverage = Array();
for (i = 0; i < Wales.length - 7; i++){
walesAverage[i] = 0;
for (ii = 0; ii < 7; ii++){
walesAverage[i] = walesAverage[i] + Wales[i+ii];
}
walesAverage[i] = walesAverage[i] / 7;
}
for (i = 0; i < England.length - 7; i++){
englandAverage[i] = 0;
for (ii = 0; ii < 7; ii++){
englandAverage[i] = englandAverage[i] + England[i+ii];
}
englandAverage[i] = englandAverage[i] / 7;
}
for (i = 0; i < Scotland.length - 7; i++){
scotlandAverage[i] = 0;
for (ii = 0; ii < 7; ii++){
scotlandAverage[i] = scotlandAverage[i] + Scotland[i+ii];
}
scotlandAverage[i] = scotlandAverage[i] / 7;
}
for (i = 0; i < NorthernIreland.length - 7; i++){
northernIrelandAverage[i] = 0;
for (ii = 0; ii < 7; ii++){
northernIrelandAverage[i] = northernIrelandAverage[i] + NorthernIreland[i+ii];
}
northernIrelandAverage[i] = northernIrelandAverage[i] / 7;
}
//Wales.reverse();
//England.reverse();
//Scotland.reverse();
// Add data for line chart
var data = new google.visualization.DataTable();
data.addColumn('number', 'Day');
data.addColumn('number', 'England');
data.addColumn('number', 'Wales');
data.addColumn('number', 'Scotland');
data.addColumn('number', 'Northern Ireland');
for (i = 0; i < England.length; i++){
data.addRow([-i, England[i], Wales[i], Scotland[i], NorthernIreland[i]]);
}
// Optional; add a title and set the width and height of the chart
var options = {'title':'Daily Deaths per Million Population to '+json_data.countries[0].reportingDate, 'height':'500', 'hAxis':{title: 'Days'}, vAxis:{title: 'Deaths per Million'}, animation: {startup: true, duration: 1000, easing: 'out'} };
// Display the line chart inside the <div> element with id="chart"
var chart = new google.visualization.LineChart(document.getElementById('chart'));
chart.draw(data, options);
// Add data for average line chart
var avdata = new google.visualization.DataTable();
avdata.addColumn('number', 'Day');
avdata.addColumn('number', 'England');
avdata.addColumn('number', 'Wales');
avdata.addColumn('number', 'Scotland');
avdata.addColumn('number', 'Northern Ireland');
for (i = 0; i < englandAverage.length; i++){
avdata.addRow([-i, englandAverage[i], walesAverage[i], scotlandAverage[i], northernIrelandAverage[i]]);
}
// Optional; add a title and set the width and height of the chart
var options = {'title':'Daily Deaths per Million Population to '+json_data.countries[0].reportingDate+' (7 Day Average)', 'height':'500', 'hAxis':{title: 'Days'}, vAxis:{title: 'Daily Deaths - 7 Day Average'}, animation: {startup: true, duration: 1000, easing: 'out'} };
// Display the line chart inside the <div> element with id="averagechart"
var avchart = new google.visualization.LineChart(document.getElementById('averagechart'));
avchart.draw(avdata, options);
// Add data for bar chart
var walesTotal = Number(json_data.countries[0].cumulativeDeaths) / popWales * 1000000;
var englandTotal = Number(json_data.countries[3].cumulativeDeaths) / popEngland * 1000000;
var scotlandTotal = Number(json_data.countries[1].cumulativeDeaths) / popScotland * 1000000;
var northernIrelandTotal = Number(json_data.countries[2].cumulativeDeaths) / popNorthernIreland * 1000000;
var totaldata = new google.visualization.DataTable();
totaldata.addColumn('string', 'Countries');
totaldata.addColumn('number', 'England');
totaldata.addColumn('number', 'Wales');
totaldata.addColumn('number', 'Scotland');
totaldata.addColumn('number', 'Northern Ireland');
totaldata.addRow(["Country", englandTotal, walesTotal, scotlandTotal, northernIrelandTotal]);
// Optional; add a title and set the width and height of the chart
var options = {'title':'Total Deaths Per Million Population to '+json_data.countries[0].reportingDate, 'height':'500', vAxis:{title: 'Deaths per Million'}, animation: {startup: true, duration: 1000, easing: 'out'} };
// Display the line chart inside the <div>
var totalchart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById('totalchart'));
totalchart.draw(totaldata, options);
};
</script>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-44993321384132091252020-04-17T14:28:00.000+01:002020-04-18T17:18:58.214+01:00Vegetable Lasagne<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTdgL8KRbnQKofs4pepYc5yJt3j3LgYjAJc7BuBW1pL9a6VwVYLUmb2tFimVBr-afsdHsIQEM2vfoaOZcuX6-rnOZYl-Jtot40pUut4Jnsc6k0iEELlRP0vWF8-Pg487QuRTf0YZkcpqI/s1600/Vegetable+Lasagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="1600" height="121" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTdgL8KRbnQKofs4pepYc5yJt3j3LgYjAJc7BuBW1pL9a6VwVYLUmb2tFimVBr-afsdHsIQEM2vfoaOZcuX6-rnOZYl-Jtot40pUut4Jnsc6k0iEELlRP0vWF8-Pg487QuRTf0YZkcpqI/s200/Vegetable+Lasagne.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetable Lasagne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A mainstay of pub menus in the 80s and 90s, and in some places still today, most vegetarians are bored to death with vegetable lasagne. Slimy, artificial tasting tomato sauce and thick slices of chewy aubergine pretty much characterise a standard pub vegetarian lasagne. I had one a few months ago in Welshpool and it was everything I hate about the dish, along with undercooked and tasteless frozen chips. I won't name the pub, but you'll know if you see it on the menu.<br />
<br />
There's no need for it to be like that. I don't use aubergine - it's best left for ratatouille, and not used as a bizarre 'meat substitute'. Why is it that so many chefs seem to think that vegetarian cooking needs something to take the place of the meat? This is <b>vegetable</b> lasagne, not <b>vegetarian</b>. It happens to be vegetarian, but it's a dish made with vegetables, not a vegetarian equivalent of a meat dish.<br />
<br />
Making lasagne is a bit of an undertaking and you need to take your time. It's not difficult, but there are a few stages and it's worth the wait.<br />
<br />
You'll also note that there are no onions. In the UK we seem to think that tomato sauces invariably need onions. Sometimes that's good, other times not so much. Lots of proper Italian sauces don't include onion. I don't make any claims of this being in any way authentically Italian; it's the way my family like lasagne, not the way it 'should' be made. I even grate Cheddar on the top - no Italian would do that. But cook however you like; there are no rules really. You can use different vegetables - sometimes I use a bit of brocolli, cut up small, and mushrooms. But anything will do, even aubergine!<br />
<br />
This is enough for a good helping for a couple of people. Have it with garlic bread - you can make it yourself but you probably won't want to, so either buy the frozen or chilled stuff or put garlic butter in a part-baked baguette for the "made it myself" feeling without the hassle. A bit of salad on the side with a balsamic vinegar dressing might be nice too. No frozen chips...<br />
<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h4>
For the tomato sauce</h4>
<div>
<ul>
<li>A splash of olive oil</li>
<li>A clove of garlic</li>
<li>Three or Four medium sized mushrooms</li>
<li>Half a courgette, or a whole little one</li>
<li>About an inch off one of those nice pointy sweet red peppers</li>
<li>A tin of nice chopped tomatoes</li>
<li>A squirt of tomato puree</li>
<li>A pinch of chilli flakes</li>
<li>Some fresh basil, or dried if you haven't got it</li>
<li>Sea salt or black pepper to season</li>
</ul>
<h4>
For the white sauce</h4>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>A good glug of olive oil</li>
<li>A heaped tablespoon and a half or so of plain flour</li>
<li>About half a pint of milk; semi skimmed is fine</li>
<li>Grated nutmeg</li>
</ul>
<h4>
To finish</h4>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Lasagne slices</li>
<li>Cheese to top</li>
<li>Dried oregano</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Tips</h3>
</div>
<div>
Sometimes I make this with fresh tomatoes if they're plentiful, really ripe and cheap enough. But you need loads, and making a passata first is a right hassle. Honestly, chopped tomatoes in a tin are plenty good enough, and for lots of the year, better. Buy nice ones though - Napolina are really good but expensive, Cook Italia are nice and much cheaper but harder to get. The Lidl ones are OK, but buy the "Freshona" ones not "Simply". They're definitely worth the extra 3p! You can use whole tinned tomatoes but chop them up in the tin first, plus they'll need to cook for longer because there's more juice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As usual, I'll say that the tomato sauce needs plenty of cooking. If you don't simmer tomato sauces for quite a long time they are sharp and acidic but cook for long enough and the tomatoes go nice and sweet. A bit of salt helps with this, oddly. I've seen a few recipes which suggest putting a bit of sugar in. I wouldn't; just cook for longer, and don't use rubbish tomatoes.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A lot of people struggle with a roux, or white sauce. There are as many ways of doing it as there are people cooking I reckon, but the way I make the sauce is pretty foolproof. The olive oil instead of butter makes it lighter. You do need good extra virgin olive oil though. Lidl is fine, Cypressa is good too, and great value. I find the branded ones are fine but overpriced for what they are.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Grated mature cheddar is my topping of choice. Equally you can use Parmigiana Reggiano (parmesan) or one of the other Italian hard cheeses, but be sparing with it or mix it with cheddar. Slices of Mozzarella would work too.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You need a lasagne dish to cook this in. Not too deep and preferably as square as you can get it, because it makes the assembly much easier.</div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div>
Make the tomato sauce first. Put enough olive oil in a medium sized saucepan to cover the bottom. Peel the garlic, crush with the knife and finely chop. Slice the courgette into rounds, cut the manky bottom of the stalks off the mushrooms and slice. Cut the pepper into very fine strips - you want it to disappear in the sauce. The courgettes should be nice and thin; the mushrooms a bit chunkier.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Put the heat on, put all the vegetables in the saucepan, add a pinch of sea salt and stir. When they start to sizzle, turn the heat down to quite low and put the lid on. Leave it for a while, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat if necessary. You want the courgettes to look pretty much cooked but still whole.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Add the tin of tomatoes and swill the tin round with a bit of water and add that too. Squeeze in a good squirt of tomato puree and add a small pinch of chilli flakes. Be sparing; you don't want it to taste spicy as such, but a little bit of chilli just lifts it a bit. If you're using dried basil now is a good time to add that too. Give it a twist of pepper now, but not too much - you can add more later but you can't take it away. Bring it to the boil, stir, turn down to a low boil (not quite as low as a simmer) and put the lid on and leave it. Return to stir occasionally.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You'll know when the tomato sauce is nearly ready - it'll thicken a bit and the lumps of tomato will pretty much have gone away. Taste it, adjust the seasoning and add some chopped fresh basil if that's what you've got. Put the lid back on and turn it down a bit more until you've finished making the white sauce. It won't take long. Put the oven on - 180 is about right for a fan oven, but if you're cooking garlic bread too then whatever it says on the packet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Make the white sauce. Put some olive oil in a small saucepan. Quite a bit - difficult to say how much but you'll need it to be runny enough once you've added the flour. You can always add a bit more. Put the heat on full, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon. It should look a bit like grease, but not too thick. Stir until it starts bubbling; turn down and leave to cook for a minute or so. Take the pan off the heat and, using a balloon whisk, whisk in a decent splash of milk. Put it back on the heat, turn up to high and keep whisking. As it gets towards boiling it will suddenly thicken, hopefully becoming too thick. At this point whisk in a bit more milk. You can leave it on the heat to do this, just tip a bit in as you're whisking. The idea is to keep adding milk in little splashes until it reaches the right thickness. The right viscosity is about that of a thick gravy - it'll thicken a bit more when it goes in the oven so don't overdo it. It doesn't matter if the sauce boils a little while you're doing this. Once you've got the consistency right take it off the heat and stir in a bit of grated nutmeg.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now assemble the dish. The 'right' way is alternating layers, but I prefer white sauce on the bottom and top. No need to grease the dish. Put half of the white sauce in the dish and spread it out evenly with the back of the spoon. Put a layer of lasagne sheets on top. You want it to be as close as possible to one complete layer - break it to fit, and try not to overlap it too much because it will be a bit chewy if you do. Then add half the tomato sauce, another layer of lasagne, the other half ot the tomato sauce, lasagne and the rest of the white sauce on top. Grate cheese evenly over the top, sprinkle oregano evenly over that and bake for about 25 minutes, until the cheese is a bit brown and you can see the sauce boiling around the edge.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once the lasagne is cooked, take it out of the oven and leave it for a minute or two so that it isn't too hot to handle. Now is a good time to dress a salad or slice some garlic bread. Cut through the lasagne with a big sharp knife, free off the edges and get it out of the dish with a fish slice. That way it'll keep its shape, and you can feel clever like I always do when it works and doesn't just go in a big heap on the plate.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope you like it - better than a pub lasagne.</div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-60686145057118108622020-04-13T16:40:00.001+01:002020-04-17T14:31:41.811+01:00Coronavirus - Worse for the HomelessIt stands to reason; obviously the coronavirus epidemic must be worse for homeless people. Nowhere to live, no money and no food. It's practically impossible to practice social distancing, and now there is nobody on the street, there is no way to support yourself.<br />
<br />
There has been a lot of talk on social media about the policy of housing homeless people in hotels during the epidemic. There's a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/21/uk-hotels-homeless-shelters-coronavirus" target="_blank">Guardian article</a> about the policy which makes interesting reading. I don't know if it's happened but it's obviously a good idea. However, most of the talk was along the lines of "look, homelessness can be fixed if there's the political will and money to do it". Whilst that may in theory be true, all I can say is, if you think that homelessness is fixed by putting people up in hotels for a while then you have no idea what it's like to be homeless.<br />
<br />
I was homeless. I never actually slept on the street - living in a small community means that there are always people willing to help - but I slept on a lot of sofas and was put up in a bed and breakfast for a couple of weeks at one point. I ended up living in a caravan in an abandoned quarry. In fact, I lived there for years, even after I'd got a job and was financially very much stable. I just wasn't ready to become 'normal' again.<br />
<br />
Why was I homeless? Was I useless with money? A hopeless drug addict? Well, there are a lot of reasons why people become homeless, but for me it was watching my best mate Rob die in a ditch in front of me when he was 23. He was the victim of a motorcycle accident - he had done nothing wrong but we as 'dirty bikers' were vilified for it in the local press. Being interrogated at the police headquarters didn't help, and neither did the subsequent inquest, both of which I had no choice but to attend despite not actually being involved.<br />
<br />
All that left me in a delicate emotional state. But I'd been renting a room in Rob's house as well. When his grandparents asked me to leave so that they could sell the house I had nowhere to go, and was in no fit state to work out how to solve the problem. The social security had visited me unannounced to make sure that I wasn't using Rob's death to defraud the benefits system (I wasn't) and then sent me on a 'training' scheme, apparently as punishment. In the middle of all this I found myself out of my home with nowhere to go. Luckily a friend offered me the caravan, which he had put there after being in a similar situation himself. It had been vandalised, the ceiling leaked and some of the windows were boarded over, but I couldn't have been happier. It was that or a doorway or maybe a tent.<br />
<br />
A hotel room wouldn't have fixed any of that. Homelessness is much more complicated than somewhere to sleep. It's domestic abuse, addiction, mental illness, financial insecurity, relationship breakdown. It's hitting rock bottom after multiple missed opportunities to help. In my situation, what if the police had asked if I was OK, rather than treating me as a criminal? What if the social security had involved the social services instead of accusing me of a bizarre fraud? What if the people running the training scheme had intervened? In fact, one of them did, informally, and that's how I ultimately got out of that particular hole.<br />
<br />
In the end, I got a good job, was finally persuaded to buy a house and moved out of the quarry. Now, over 30 years later, I've been happily married for 20 years and we own our small house outright. But it could have been so different.<br />
<br />
Homeless people need support, now more than ever. If you've got a local homelessness charity I'd suggest you donate if you can afford to, otherwise perhaps <a href="https://crisis.org.uk/get-involved/in-this-together/" target="_blank">donate to Crisis</a>. Obviously a lot of people have got no money at the moment, but if you are one of the lucky ones then there's no time like the present.<br />
<br />
Thank you.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-69935909336316688942020-04-05T19:01:00.002+01:002020-04-18T17:20:15.381+01:00Vegetarian French Onion Soup<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa6f5BHhyphenhyphenwJgt1fNW4MhljBqZ-ydr6jp1NR8te2ME6s_o-A_0nglJXLqUsWZKOf554PDCHwwO_s8ywtZbFb0EJ0LgcYseYFOteBOfSbLWbPfJnSoWtySnySt2-0wwminp9pRf4YuMdR8M/s1600/Onion+soup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Vegetarian French Onion Soup" border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="1600" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa6f5BHhyphenhyphenwJgt1fNW4MhljBqZ-ydr6jp1NR8te2ME6s_o-A_0nglJXLqUsWZKOf554PDCHwwO_s8ywtZbFb0EJ0LgcYseYFOteBOfSbLWbPfJnSoWtySnySt2-0wwminp9pRf4YuMdR8M/s200/Onion+soup.jpg" title="Vegetarian French Onion Soup" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Welsh" Onion Soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
</h2>
<div>
So we were sitting in our house yesterday, prohibited from going out (much) by the coronavirus thing, and fancied some soup. I was going to make carrot soup, but there aren't very many carrots left and they're a bit manky. When did we start to think that washing carrots is a good idea? When they were covered in soil they lasted loads longer. Anyway, we bought one of those bags of "marvellous misshapes" onions from Co-op last week or the week before, which couldn't be more perfectly shaped in fact, and there are loads left. So onion soup it is.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our 6 year old daughter says this should be called "Welsh Onion Soup" because it's not French at all. She's right really - the French classic is made using beef stock, which would make it very non-vegetarian, and white wine. I used Marigold Organic Vegan Bouillon and red wine, because there's a bit more flavour to it than white wine. And because I was already drinking from a box of it. Pub's not open...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The quantities here will make a decent bowl of soup for a couple of people, as a lunch with a bread roll.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
<ul>
<li>3 medium sized white onions</li>
<li>A clove of garlic</li>
<li>A splash of extra-virgin olive oil</li>
<li>A knob of butter</li>
<li>A dessert spoon or so of soft brown sugar, or any sugar really</li>
<li>A dessert spoon of plain flour</li>
<li>A splash of red wine, perhaps half a small glass or so</li>
<li>A pint (568 ml, so half a litre and a bit will do) of stock</li>
<li>A splash of dark soy sauce to taste</li>
<li>A slice of two of nice bread for croutons</li>
<li>Grated cheese to sprinkle on the top</li>
<li>Sea salt and black pepper to season</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<h3>
Tips</h3>
</div>
<div>
All soups benefit from long cooking. Any recipe which says you can make a soup in 15 minutes is optimistic at best. But this one really does need quite a long time - the onions need to be properly caramelised, and that will probably take 30 - 40 minutes before you add the stock. So if you want it earlier, start sooner.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm using Marigold organic (and vegan) Swiss vegetable bouillon in this. I've always got a tub of it in the cupboard and I use it for most things really. I'm not particularly bothered about the organic or vegan aspects of it, I just think it tasted nicer than the original one. I used to use a lot of Knorr stock pots but I don't use them much any more; they're quite pricey and I keep finding that the packet is empty again. They're good though, and would certainly be nice in this.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You need a heavy-based saucepan with a proper lid. But then, you always need a heavy-based saucepan - if you've got any with floppy thin bases throw them away and buy some proper ones otherwise you'll always be burning things. They don't have to be too expensive - ours are stainless steel Stellar ones which were pretty cheap at the time. We've had them for nearly 20 years and they're fine. They aren't so cheap any more though - Ikea do good ones which aren't madly expensive if you can't run to Stellar.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The proper way of serving French onion soup is with a slice of toasted baguette floating in it, with melted Gruyere or Emmental on top. We didn't have any baguette or Gruyere, so normal croutons and cheddar had to suffice, along with a bread roll. Edam or maybe Gouda would probably be better if you happen to have it though.<br />
<br /></div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div>
Put enough olive oil in the pan to cover the bottom, and add the knob of butter. Peel, halve lengthwise and thinly slice the onions. Peel and chop or crush the garlic. Heat the pan until the butter has melted, add the onions and garlic and sprinkle the sugar on top. Stir, and when they start sizzling, turn the heat down and put the lid on. You want the mixture to be obviously cooking but not too much.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Give it a stir every five or ten minutes and put the lid straight back on. If it's sticking to the bottom of the pan turn it down; you want the onions to caramelise, not burn. Eventually, once the water has cooked out, the onions will start to go dark and sticky. Stir it a bit more to stop them sticking, until they are all nice and caramel-y.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sprinkle the flour on top and stir it for a little bit until it's combined with the onions. Add the wine, turn the heat up a bit and stir. Let it bubble a bit while you make the stock, according to the instructions on the packet. Add the stock to the mixture and bring to the boil. A little splash of soy sauce will deepen the flavour - add that now if you want but don't overdo it. Literally a splash will do - certainly no more than a teaspoon. You want this to taste of onions, not like a stir fry. Pop the lid on and turn down to a simmer or slightly more, and leave for a while.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cut the crusts off the bread and cut into cubes for the croutons. I fry them in the deep fryer at 190 degrees, just until they are golden brown; you can shallow fry them or drizzle them with olive oil and bake them in the oven instead if you like. If you're going to cook them in the oven do it now, otherwise wait until the soup is nearly ready.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once the soup has been simmering for a bit, taste it. Once it tastes sweet and rounded, not sharp and wine-y, season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. More of the latter than the former. If you're frying the croutons, now is a good time.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Serve in warmed bowls, with the croutons and grated cheese on top. Lush.</div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-10470140286350431002019-04-08T17:01:00.000+01:002019-04-11T19:55:29.321+01:00Falafel in Pitta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWu-N_QkqcpiirZikxY4LpDdTU76SAzLqkBN0f5QecE3Z3sZlp7aY6HmVNKsuk2Qq5A2TWnSxlebxx6ryUtjYDUSlTdGDdiz6aWv1_az_cBvoCF4vLuBsoNgSi24xGBfsOlISwKSlnrXG/s1600/IMG_20190325_124438983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Falafel in pitta bread with salad" border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1600" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWu-N_QkqcpiirZikxY4LpDdTU76SAzLqkBN0f5QecE3Z3sZlp7aY6HmVNKsuk2Qq5A2TWnSxlebxx6ryUtjYDUSlTdGDdiz6aWv1_az_cBvoCF4vLuBsoNgSi24xGBfsOlISwKSlnrXG/s200/IMG_20190325_124438983.jpg" title="Falafel in Pitta" width="200" /></a></div>
There are falafel recipes all over the internet, so there's not much point in this one, especially as it isn't vegan. But if you're not vegan, the egg makes it much easier to handle, and it's really tasty. I've been making these for so many years that I've got no recollection of where the recipe came from, but I'm sure I've accidentally modified it over the years. It uses tinned chickpeas for ease and lack of forward planning, and is closely related to my <a href="https://www.rs-webcreation.com/2019/01/vegetarian-sausages.html">vegetarian sausage recipe</a>.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<h4>
For the Falafel</h4>
A tin of chickpeas, from anywhere really. Lidl ones are nice; Home Bargains sell very cheap ones<br />
<div>
About an inch off a loaf of proper bread; I use white - it needs to be a day or two old preferably but not stale</div>
<div>
A small white onion, or half a bigger one</div>
<div>
A clove of garlic</div>
<div>
An egg, which is kind of optional</div>
<div>
Ground cumin</div>
<div>
Parsley</div>
<div>
Coriander</div>
<div>
Mint</div>
<div>
Sunflower oil for frying</div>
<h4>
For the Sauce</h4>
<div>
Mayonnaise</div>
<div>
Spicy paprika, from Lidl of course</div>
<h4>
Plus</h4>
<div>
A packet of pittas, also from Lidl or Co-op or anywhere, but the Lidl ones are nice</div>
<div>
Some bagged salad or any type you fancy. Just a leftover bit will be enough</div>
<h3>
Tips</h3>
<div>
This is much easier to do if you have a processor, a toaster and a deep fat fryer, although you can mix the ingredients by hand, warm the pittas in the oven and fry the falafel in a wok. But you know, life's too short. It should make enough for six to eight pittas; any left over falafel can be frozen. It's best to fry it a bit first. You can fry it again when you want to eat it - the ones in the picture were frozen and re-fried because I forgot to take the picture the first time. Also there weren't quite enough left because we ate too many first time!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's important to rinse drain the tin of chickpeas really well otherwise they're a bit slimy and smell of dog food. No idea why that is. Preferably tip them into a sieve and rinse under the tap then leave to drain for a while over the sink. Or shake furiously if you're in a rush. You can use harissa instead of the spicy paprika if you like it spicier, and if you can find it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm pretty sure this would work as vegan if you leave out the egg, but cool the mixture for a while first because otherwise it'll be impossible to handle. Plus of course lose the mayonnaise. Tahini would be a good substitute, and appropriate. More correct than the rest of the recipe in fact.</div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div>
Cut the crusts off the bread and cut into chunks. Process into coarse breadcrumbs, just until there are no big lumps left. Peel the garlic and onion and cut into chunks. Add to the processor along with ground coriander and the herbs. Crack an egg on top and process until it's fine enough to stick together but not smooth like a dough. You will have to stop the blade and scrape the mixture off the sides a couple of times.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With clean damp-ish hands, take a dessert-spoon full of mixture and roll into a ball. Place it on a dry board and repeat until all the mixture is used. It won't hurt to let them dry a little because it makes them easier to handle.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To make the sauce, just mix some spicy paprika with mayonnaise until you like the flavour.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This bit is easier with two people, but if it's just you cooking put the oven on to keep the falafel warm. Fry the falafel in sunflower oil at 180 degrees. I lower two or three at a time in with a slotted spoon, until the bottom of the basket is covered. Once they've cooked for a few seconds they will be pretty robust. Cook until they are nice and brown, then lift out onto a piece of kitchen paper to drain.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Warm the pittas in the toaster until they expand, cut a slit in them like the guy at the kebab shop does and put salad and sauce in the bottom. Add the falafel and eat straight away. That's it - don't wear your best shirt because you will definitely drip sauce down it.</div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-84621478019480903562019-04-08T16:04:00.000+01:002019-04-08T16:04:05.469+01:00Brexit 1975Brexit has totally taken over politics, it's depressing and confusing and I can't think of anything to say about it which won't turn into nonsense by this evening.<br />
<br />
So I suggest listening to this fascinating 15 minute piece which was on Radio 4 this afternoon. It's about the last time there was a brexit referendum, in 1975. The parallels are kind of unsurprising, but remarkable all the same:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040m0" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00040m0</a>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-91701351374684897292019-04-08T15:01:00.002+01:002019-04-08T15:06:01.107+01:00Tagliatelle with Mushroom<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6aEXe2ugw4h2fxq5hjqDLyCAacCnNmWsKi1hgl76OELBdv6EeLXWbMyaiEn-xPpPsV2LEKG8nP6TasnLtNoMp2afgxXaIw2ZmC6nYWbmxaRS-qNLqgsW-skFhfFSvnfU2MKEnhouq0cG/s1600/Tagliatelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Quick tagliatelle with mushroom in a cream sauce" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6aEXe2ugw4h2fxq5hjqDLyCAacCnNmWsKi1hgl76OELBdv6EeLXWbMyaiEn-xPpPsV2LEKG8nP6TasnLtNoMp2afgxXaIw2ZmC6nYWbmxaRS-qNLqgsW-skFhfFSvnfU2MKEnhouq0cG/s200/Tagliatelle.jpg" title="Tagliatelle with Mushroom" width="200" /></a>It feels as though summer is round the corner. Well maybe not so much today, but yesterday was nice. So instead of soup, here's a simple pasta dish which doesn't involve a tin of tomatoes, and is really quick and easy to make. It will serve two as a lunch or light supper. Add garlic bread if you want something a little more substantial.<br />
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<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
150g - 200g dried tagliatelle, depending on how much you like</div>
<div>
A handful of fresh closed cup mushrooms, perhaps 5-8 depending on size</div>
<div>
A clove of garlic</div>
<div>
A small pot of single cream. You won't use it all</div>
<div>
Olive oil for frying and tossing the pasta</div>
<div>
A splash of white wine</div>
<div>
The juice of half a lemon</div>
<div>
A little chopped parsley</div>
<div>
Sea salt and black pepper to taste</div>
<div>
Parmesan to serve</div>
<h3>
Tips</h3>
<div>
I cook this in a cast iron skillet, although a saucepan or frying pan will do. It needs to have a thick bottom to prevent burning. Use a wooden spatula to stir rather than a spoon because it will stop the sauce sticking to the bottom of the pan.<br />
<br />
Lidl extra virgin olive oil is my favourite. Don't use the blended muck because it's a really important part of the flavour. A real lemon rather than Jif and proper Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) are pretty much essential too. Dried parsley will definitely do, although obviously fresh is better. Make sure the mushrooms are nice and fresh, they'll soak up the oil otherwise and go a bit slimy. I don't really drink white wine, so I buy those little screw top bottles like the ones you get on a long-haul flight. It'll keep for ages in the fridge if you put the lid back on.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Grate the Parmesan directly onto the food for that lovely cheesy smell. I don't use a lemon squeezer but just squeeze it over my hand, letting the juice run through my fingers to catch the pips. There seems to be debate about whether to add oil to the pasta water. I do, but not to stop it sticking as everyone seems to believe, but because it stops the boiling water splashing everywhere ("pour oil on troubled waters...") and means you can boil it faster. I also add a good pinch of sea salt. The most important thing is to cook it in as much really boiling water as you can and not overcook. I invariably go for the shortest cooking time on the packet and sometimes even shorter. Use a timer!</div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div>
Start by weighing out the pasta and putting the water on to boil. You want to aim for putting the pasta in the water at about the same time as you add the cream to the sauce, so read through this before you start.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Peel the garlic, crush with the back of the knife and finely chop. Clean the mushrooms and slice quite thinly. Put a good slug of olive oil in the pan, put the heat on and add the mushrooms and garlic in that order, sprinkling the garlic over the mushrooms. When it starts to sizzle, turn it down a bit until it's cooking quite quickly but not like frying mushrooms for breakfast. You don't want to burn the garlic because it'll go bitter. Stir frequently and don't leave it alone because it'll go suddenly overcooked if you do.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once the mushrooms are cooked - they want to be kind of floppy but not really brown - pour a little white wine in. It wants to be enough to cover the bottom of the pan, that's all. Leave it a minute or two until the bubbling has subsided a bit. Now is about the right time to put the pasta in; throw it in the boiling water, bring it back to the boil, stir with a fork and put the timer on.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pour the cream onto the mushrooms. The idea is to have enough to coat the mushrooms once it's reduced a bit, but not so much that they're swimming in cream, or it'll taste like a dessert. Now is a good time to add the parsley. Gently boil for a little bit stirring frequently until it's thickened, then season with sea salt and ground black pepper and taste. Stir in the lemon juice; you need to stir pretty frantically to stop it curdling the cream, which by rights it should do. Stir well and keep on the heat for a bit though and it'll all combine nicely. As soon as it looks ready turn the heat off. There shouldn't be too much sauce - it wants to coat the pasta, not be like soup, and smooth pasta like tagliatelle can't take too much sauce.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As soon as the timer goes off, drain the pasta into a colander or sieve and immediately tip it back into the pan. That way it retains a bit of the water and you don't have to go through all that palaver of retaining the water and using it to 'loosen' the sauce. Toss it in a little olive oil, add the sauce and stir it in. I do this on the cooling ring which makes sure it's nice and hot, but do it quickly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Serve immediately on warm plates or bowls. Grate fresh Parmesan over; perhaps eat it with the rest of that white wine you opened.</div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-24404296241065453802019-01-12T16:41:00.000+00:002019-01-12T16:41:26.765+00:00Easy Vegetarian Onion Gravy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFbYuG545wR4WGMNHe9ksdqDYyzOlotfRT18QaJ3584S8ubqLicdAOFgvBO4qKjNfybAfL463fEO_rr4uh3Doe1DLrWosDLZeC9NjWc5Qipkg96Y43XEKSX_in0wI4G0ICVEeH5J24C3e/s1600/gravy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Easy Vegetarian Gravy" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFbYuG545wR4WGMNHe9ksdqDYyzOlotfRT18QaJ3584S8ubqLicdAOFgvBO4qKjNfybAfL463fEO_rr4uh3Doe1DLrWosDLZeC9NjWc5Qipkg96Y43XEKSX_in0wI4G0ICVEeH5J24C3e/s200/gravy.jpg" title="Easy Vegetarian Gravy" width="188" /></a>I've always been disappointed by vegetarian gravy. The instant stuff is just full of chemicals and tastes like it; other recipes I've tried are either tasteless or taste of Marmite, which I don't really like. So a while ago I thought I'd set myself the task of making nice gravy, combining a few ideas I found on the internet. This is my easy vegetarian onion gravy recipe; I hope you like onions!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<div>
A small white onion, or half a large one<br />
A decent slug of olive oil or sunflower oil<br />
A little soft brown sugar<br />
A heaped tablespoon of plain flour<br />
A pint of vegetable stock<br />
A tablespoon of dark soy sauce or shoyu<br />
Black pepper to season<br />
<h3>
Tips</h3>
</div>
<div>
I use sunflower oil and olive oil interchangeably, normally because I pick up the wrong bottle. But a flavourless oil is ok for this, so sunflower oil will do instead of olive oil. The sugar is a refinement so not completely necessary if you don't like the idea. The onions will start to caramelise eventually without it, but I think it adds a little something. We have it in our cupboard for baking anyway, and I'm not a believer in the idea that sugar is somehow evil, I just think people eat too much, mostly in processed food. Because we rarely eat processed food I don't worry about it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You can add a clove of crushed garlic with the onion if you like; I don't because I don't think it's necessary. Gravy needs to be salty but there's plenty of salt in the soy sauce and the stock so no need to add any. If you need to make it gluten-free be aware that most soy sauce has wheat in it.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A lot of people seem to make gravy in a skillet or frying pan. I think this comes from making it in the meat pan with the juices, but I really think a small saucepan with a heavy base is better. The heavy base is important to stop the onion sticking. this should make enough for four normal people but our five year old loves gravy, so for us it only feeds three.</div>
<h3>
Method</h3>
<div>
Peel the onion and slice finely. How fine depends on how you like your gravy - I like identifiable bits of onion, but not so big that it feels as though I'm eating onion. If you chop it small enough it'll pretty much disappear. Put enough oil in the pan to cover the bottom and a bit more, put in the onion and sprinkle about half a teaspoon of sugar over it. Stir with a wooden spoon, heat until it's just sizzling and then turn it down until the onion is still cooking but not enough to burn or go crispy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You need to leave it cooking for quite a while. How long depends on the onion and the temperature, but bank on about 15-20 minutes, longer without the sugar. You're looking for the onions turning a golden colour - if you let them get darker the gravy will have a stronger flavour, it's up to you. Stir it from time to time - if it's starting to stick turn the heat down.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once the onion looks about right, add the flour and stir in. Leave it to cook without adjusting the heat while you make the stock. Pour the stock on, add the soy sauce and stir. Bring to the boil, stir and reduce the heat to a rolling boil. That's more than a simmer but in no danger of boiling over. Leave the lid off so that it can reduce.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You want the gravy to reduce a fair bit and thicken. This will happen with time; keep stirring occasionally and checking the thickness. It should lose between a quarter and half of its original volume. When it's the right consistency taste it and add black pepper to taste. Pour it into a warmed gravy boat or jug and serve straight away.</div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-34057772936749717762019-01-12T16:36:00.003+00:002019-01-12T16:38:56.563+00:00Brexit - Labour's fault?Apparently, there's a journalistic convention that, if the headline ends with a question mark, the answer to the question is "no". So no, the labour party aren't responsible for brexit, and the full-sized cock-up which it has become. Not directly anyway. But their contribution deserves closer scrutiny.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
I'll declare my hand here - I'm pro-European. I have lived and worked in France, I've travelled extensively in western Europe for work and leisure and I believe that European political integration and freedom of movement is generally a good thing. Economic union I'm not so sure about, but that's another discussion. One of the things I've found distasteful about the way the country has become since the referendum is the way that it's now considered normal to demand to know how an individual voted, breaking the whole principle of the secret ballot. That's deplorable but I'll say it anyway - I voted for the EU, but only as the least-worst option. I could have been persuaded to vote the other way if something different were on the table but it wasn't, and I don't think you get to dictate the rules by shouting through a closed door, but by being in the room. So that's that.<br />
<br />
Obviously the people we should really blame here are the conservatives and their cronies. In a (ultimately successful) attempt to destroy UKIP and capture their electoral support, they ended up destroying the very things that they were supposedly trying to protect. Things like equality, offering a safe haven to the persecuted, helping the poor, that kind of thing. All of this is deplorable. But could it, and should it, have been stopped?<br />
<br />
It's reasonable I think to put some blame the way of Tony Blair's government. In their enthusiasm for all things European, and perhaps their over-confidence after winning a landslide election victory, they did little to counter anti-European and anti-immigration sentiment. Also, they were overly keen to take responsibility for European initiatives (like the smoking ban and the minimum wage) and equally keen to blame Europe for unpopular initiatives (weights and measures, immigrants' rights).<br />
<br />
But that's not what I want to concentrate on. No, it's Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party and their role in facilitating brexit. I'm no fan of Corbyn; although in general I think his policy direction is sound the divisions he has created in the labour movement will take generations to heal. He seems to me to be all for party democracy, but only when it suits him. And that's the core of their problem with brexit. Well, that and the fact that the more centrist, social democratic and, perhaps, representative part of the party are excluded.<br />
<br />
The biggest issue I have with the Labour party's input to brexit is this: They have supported when they should have opposed, and have been plain absent when a broad coalition was called for. This is the most important constitutional change in decades; a cross-part coalition should have been formed to come to a compromise which suits as many people as possible. Labour should have been arguing for that. Instead their policy is one of self-interest; a no confidence motion which they threaten but won't move because they know they would lose. An imaginary general election which probably won't happen and in which they would struggle for an overall majority anyway.<br />
<br />
If Theresa May's deal passes - and it still might - then nobody will be happy. If it fails then article 50 will be rescinded or extended, or worse, no deal will be agreed on. The failure of the Labour party to block the inclusion of a fixed leaving date in the act means that we are in an extremely precarious position - there may not be a majority for amending the legislation to extend the deadline. If there is, then what next? Another referendum, and more years of vicious division and hatred? Or the government collapses and potentially an even more right-wing one appears. This is all too risky, and all driven by Jeremy Corbyn's pig-headed dogmatism and implacable opposition to those within his party who actually know how to win elections; those who were part of the most successful Labour government ever.<br />
<br />
Labour should have been present from the beginning, pushing for a better and more inclusive brexit compromise from the off. One which works for the majority, and especially the poor. One which includes a customs union, and access to EU rights and institutions through the EEA. In short, like Norway (plus). But, in part through fear of the bigots in their own party, they weren't, and they didn't. So now we have to hope that parliament will prevail, and not a right-wing government who are rapidly becoming indistinguishable from the fascists they claim to oppose.<br />
<br />
Can I have the real Labour party back now please? The one which realises that in order to win elections they have to appeal to people who aren't their natural supporters? The one which acts for equality for all, not just the people who agree with them? The one which governed under <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_government,_1964%E2%80%931970" target="_blank">Harold Wilson from 1964 to 1970</a> . The one I <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premiership_of_Tony_Blair" target="_blank">voted for in 1997</a> (in lieu of the Liberals), and which is remembered not for the minimum wage, peace in Northern Ireland, the huge reduction in homelessness or the massive investment in education, but for one stupid and horrible war. Yes, that was wrong, very wrong, but throwing the baby out with the bathwater has never looked as stupid as right now, with a Labour party which seems to prefer an extreme right-wing Conservative government over anything which is remotely similar to social democracy or "Blairism", even if it would bring them to power. A centrist compromise is what we need, not more division and hatred.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-83790551034273399712019-01-03T17:05:00.000+00:002019-04-08T17:02:07.268+01:00Vegetarian Sausages<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynzOuA_9bZeO0tP79_ioY_RviTnzhFmbH990R6S6Vkb17TIio4lGD5HGyJVmDud0jMQ7kdFbMQW7TQbCMdGs2DQoTMdf8RSqglYO8JPCQVWe2ON1uWtw88GKgTa9zslsT5TJp4S1JPQU5/s1600/IMG_20190102_194150306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Vegetarian sausages made with chickpeas" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhynzOuA_9bZeO0tP79_ioY_RviTnzhFmbH990R6S6Vkb17TIio4lGD5HGyJVmDud0jMQ7kdFbMQW7TQbCMdGs2DQoTMdf8RSqglYO8JPCQVWe2ON1uWtw88GKgTa9zslsT5TJp4S1JPQU5/s200/IMG_20190102_194150306.jpg" title="Vegetarian Sausages and Mash" width="200" /></a>I've never been a fan of meat substitutes; not when I was a full-time vegetarian and not now. I know there are lots of people who eat them, some because they are vegan or vegetarian for ethical reasons, some who just like them. But I prefer to eat food which tastes of the things it is made from, and not food which is factory processed to taste like something else. Having said that though, sometimes I just fancy sausages, mash, peas and gravy.<br />
<a name='more'></a>This is my vegetarian sausage recipe - it's based on an <a href="https://www.rs-webcreation.com/2019/04/falafel-in-pitta.html">easy falafel recipe</a> and doesn't really taste like pork sausage at all. It should make about 12 sausages, enough for four people to have three each; if you don't use them all you can freeze the rest, but separate them with grease-proof paper before freezing or they'll stick together. My five year old daughter loves these, especially with gravy.<br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>One good slice of bread, about an inch thick, more if the loaf is small</li>
<li>One small white onion, or half a large one</li>
<li>A tin of chick peas, drained and rinsed - shake them dry in a sieve</li>
<li>One egg</li>
<li>A small handful of fresh parsley - dried will do</li>
<li>A little ground cumin</li>
<li>Sea salt and ground white pepper to season</li>
<li>Sunflower oil for frying</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
Tips</h3>
You need to fry these in a non-stick frying pan. I've tried in a cast iron one and they stick. A pair of tongs is handy for turning the sausages too. The recipe calls for a food processor; I'm sure it's possible to do it without but if you're going to do much cooking I'd recommend you buy one. We have a cheap 'Cookworks' one from Argos and use it for all sorts of stuff - blending soup, making pastry, even making icing sugar. They're only about £25 - I'd love a proper Magimix but the cheapest one is £240 which puts it somewhat out of reach.<br />
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The bread is best if it's about a day old - not stale, but not so moist that it's difficult to work with. I use white bread, but I'm sure wholemeal or brown will work fine. What's important is that it's 'proper' bread, not sliced bread. Trying to make breadcrumbs out of sliced bread is impossible - it's mostly water.<br />
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If you use a big onion you can use the other half to make <a href="https://www.rs-webcreation.com/2019/01/easy-vegetarian-onion-gravy.html" target="_blank">onion gravy</a>. I expect it would be possible to leave the egg out to make the recipe vegan but I've never tried it. Perhaps a bit of plain flour might bind it together - I've used that method with other things.<br />
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These sausages are lovely with mash and gravy, but just as good with chips and work pretty well with fried onions and mustard in a hot-dog roll.<br />
<h3>
Method</h3>
Cut the crusts off the slice of bread and discard. Cut the bread into cubes, put in the processor and process briefly until you have coarse breadcrumbs. You just want to do it until you can't see the cubes any more.<br />
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Peel the onion and cut into big chunks. Put it in the processor with the breadcrumbs. Add the chick peas, parsley (no need to chop), a pinch of sea salt, as much pepper as you like and a little cumin. You could add a little sage too if you like - I do sometimes. Crack the egg on top.<br />
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Process the mixture until it forms a dough, stopping occasionally to stir in the stuff which has got stuck up the sides. What you're looking for is for everything to be thoroughly mixed but still with identifiable chunks of onion and chickpea. It needs to stick together when squeezed, but not be too processed or it'll be sticky and impossible to work with.<br />
<br />
Now it needs to be formed into sausage shapes. It's best done on a dry board with slightly damp hands. Don't be surprised if you have to stop and clean the board and wash your hands a couple of times. If the mixture is just too sticky to work with it can usually be rescued by adding a tablespoon or two of plain flour and mixing in.<br />
<br />
Take a good dessert spoon full of mixture. Roll it lightly between your hands to form a ball. With one hand roll it backwards and forwards on the board, pressing just enough to form a sausage shape. Don't press too hard or it will fall apart. If it comes out too big or small you can add a bit or take a bit away and do it again. Put the sausage to one side and repeat. With practice they'll all come out the same.<br />
<h3>
Cooking</h3>
If you're not in a rush the sausages are easier to handle if you leave them to dry for about half an hour before cooking. If you can't do this then it's OK - they're just a bit harder to pick up.<br />
<br />
Put a decent amount of sunflower oil in a non-stick frying pan and bring up to temperature. Carefully add the sausages and cook at a medium heat, turning occasionally to ensure that they are cooked evenly. It will probably take about 15 -20 minutes - I turn the heat up a little for the last few minutes and turn them lots to make the outside nice and brown and crispy. Serve as soon as they're cooked, with chips or mash, peas and <a href="https://www.rs-webcreation.com/2019/01/easy-vegetarian-onion-gravy.html" target="_blank">gravy</a>.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-34410127828761296432019-01-03T15:33:00.001+00:002019-01-03T15:34:50.439+00:00The Migrant Crisis - Echoes of prohibition?Apparently the UK is in the grip of a "migrant crisis". Although, with apologies for linking to Sky News, <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/channel-migrants-what-are-the-numbers-behind-the-major-incident-11596943" target="_blank">230 people attempting to cross the channel</a> during December can hardly be considered significant in a country of around 66,000,000 people. Neither can it really be considered significant when compared with the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/05/130000-homeless-children-to-be-in-temporary-lodgings-over-christmas" target="_blank">130,000 children in the UK</a> who were forced to spend Christmas with no permanent home.<br />
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Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, raises doubts about whether these people are <a href="https://www.theweek.co.uk/98707/sajid-javid-criticised-for-asylum-seeker-remarks" target="_blank">genuine asylum seekers</a>. Apart from the racist overtones of what he says, and the fact that, under current rules, his father would not be allowed into Britain, perhaps there's some truth in that. But maybe not in the way he means it; the way of appealing to the right wing to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/02/sajid-javid-bluster-channel-crossings-australia" target="_blank">ennoble his potential leadership bid</a>.</div>
<h3>
Prohibition?</h3>
<div>
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States" target="_blank">story of prohibition in the USA</a> is well known; the government of the time banned nearly all legal sales of alcoholic drink, causing widespread criminality and ultimately repeal of the law. There is some dispute over the criminality, but it's clear that a large black market was produced, which gave a significant income to the only groups which could consistently outflank government enforcement - organised criminals.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
So what has this got to do with migration? Well, it seems that, if something is ruled against to the extent that it is impossible to do it legally, it won't stop happening. Rather, it will continue to happen illegally, fuelling criminals, denying revenue to legitimate businesses and the exchequer and making the users into victims. It happened with alcohol during prohibition, marijuana and heroin. It's even starting to happen with tobacco consumption in the UK - cigarettes and tobacco have been taxed out of the reach of many smokers and, rather than stop, they buy fake products smuggled from less well-regulated countries. The income from those goes directly into the pockets of smugglers.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
The same, of course, happens with people-smuggling. The people who are taking desperate measures to cross the channel and settle in the UK are taking the only route now open to them. Of course they're claiming asylum - there is no legal means for them to travel to and settle in the UK otherwise. As a country we have cut off every legal route available to them so some people will inevitably resort to the illegal. This leaves them at the mercy of the people smugglers, who have no care for their customers beyond the cash in their pocket. Just like prohibition, tobacco smuggling and heroin dealing, that money goes straight into the pockets of the criminals, and funds their increasing power. Surely this shouldn't be what we want?</div>
<h3>
What's the solution?</h3>
<div>
Honestly, I don't know. Immigration is a complex problem with no easy solution. I would love to think that it will be possible one day to open all borders, but at the moment we seem further from that than ever before. But part of the solution has to be to introduce a legal method of entry for people who don't meet the standard immigration criteria. The USA does it through their <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/diversity-visa" target="_blank">Diversity Immigrant Visa Program</a>, which selects people via a lottery, to increase the diversity of immigrants. That must be a good thing; I just hope President Trump doesn't cancel it, before his inevitable fall from grace that is.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
During the cold war we used to welcome "dissidents" who manged to make it across the iron curtain which divided Europe and the world. Now we regard people who manage to escape ruinous wars and barbarous regimes as criminals and, even worse, "enemy combatants". Really, what's the difference?</div>
Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-38228125740257882032019-01-02T16:43:00.004+00:002019-01-03T13:55:17.925+00:00Minestrone Soup<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypTLidN7SJfts_U43W_nZ5QbGzTZNqzsfzB7dh_gdVikfXXBthclc-N-XzovzCofsTmj8IlbLjBwfBTgpk9MB2DDDI6GukJuI0LAIVlR1ii3lfGIt6zT4NGkeyag6njOzz-nVs21LRYOZ/s1600/Minestrone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Vegetarian minestrone soup for a cold day" border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1600" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypTLidN7SJfts_U43W_nZ5QbGzTZNqzsfzB7dh_gdVikfXXBthclc-N-XzovzCofsTmj8IlbLjBwfBTgpk9MB2DDDI6GukJuI0LAIVlR1ii3lfGIt6zT4NGkeyag6njOzz-nVs21LRYOZ/s200/Minestrone.jpg" title="Minestrone Soup" width="200" /></a>It's cold outside, the trains are too expensive to go anywhere and anyway Christmas has worn us all out. What you need is a nice warming soup full of vegetables. This is the way I make minestrone soup; it's vegetarian, possibly vegan and gluten-free (check the stock; use gluten-free pasta) and makes easily enough for four people, or you can freeze the leftovers. If you do, reheat it gently but make sure it's boiling before you serve it.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3>
Ingredients</h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li>A small red onion</li>
<li>A glove of garlic</li>
<li>A medium-sized carrot</li>
<li>A medium-sized potato</li>
<li>Half a medium sized courgette</li>
<li>About a tablespoon of decent olive oil</li>
<li>A pinch of sea salt</li>
<li>A tin of chopped tomatoes</li>
<li>A tin of white beans</li>
<li>A pint of vegetable stock</li>
<li>Something leafy; a cube of frozen spinach, some shredded cabbage or whatever you've got</li>
<li>Some fresh basil or parsley, or dried will do if necessary</li>
<li>A handful of spaghetti or other pasta</li>
<li>Black pepper to season</li>
<li>Parmesan for grating</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
Tips</h3>
You need a biggish saucepan with a lid to make this, or you could do it in a slow cooker so that it can simmer while you're out. You don't have to stick to the ingredients listed; use up odd bits left over in the fridge. Lidl extra-virgin olive oil is my favourite; it's about half the price of any of the brands but just as nice if not nicer. Don't be tempted to use any of that blended or 'light' olive oil - it's not much cheaper and it's horrible. A bottle of nice oil from Lidl won't cost much and will last for ages. Same with sea salt - a pot or box of nice stuff is cheap and will last for ages. Lidl don't usually sell it though so you'll have to go to Co-op or somewhere.<br />
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For the white beans I usually use butter beans. They're cheap from Lidl and they don't sell cannellini beans which are more traditional. While you're in Lidl get a wedge of proper Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) if you fancy. It's loads cheaper there. You need a decent tin of tomatoes. The Lidl 'Freshona' ones are OK, the 'Simply' ones are very variable. I prefer the 'Cook Italia' brand from Co-op. They're £2 for four tins, so 50p per tin, and are every bit as nice as Napolina.<br />
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My favourite stock at the moment is Knorr stock pots. The vegetable one is good, the organic vegetable one better if you can find it. It's not all that cheap, although I've seen it in Lidl and on offer at Tesco. Marigold stock is a cheaper option and is perfectly acceptable; it comes as a powder and you can use as much or as little as you like. It can be difficult to find - try a health food or wholefood shop. If you're not bothered about being vegetarian then you can use anything. Chicken stock is traditional, you could even use an Oxo cube, although I'm not a fan personally.<br />
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Time is the key with soup. Start cooking at least an hour and a half before you want to eat, although you can leave it cooking and go and do something else, especially if you have an electric hob. That's what I do.<br />
<h3>
Method</h3>
Peel the onion, garlic, carrot and potato. Wash the courgette. Chop all the veg into small dice; make the potato a bit bigger than the others. Put a decent slug of olive oil in the pan, put the heat on and throw in the vegetables. Add a pinch of sea salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Once it starts to sizzle turn it down to a low-ish heat and put the lid on. Leave for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn it down if it starts to stick to the pan.<br />
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If you're using fresh leaves (cabbage, spinach, kale) then add them now and stir it around a bit so that they wilt slightly before you add the stock. Pour the stock into the pan, add the tomatoes and drained beans. I usually give the beans a quick wash before I add them because I don't really want any of the bean liquid in the soup; it smells like dog food - don't know why. Give it a stir, turn the heat up and bring it to the boil. If you're using frozen spinach add it now. Same with dried herbs.<br />
<br />
Once the soup comes to the boil turn it down and put the lid on. You're looking for a fast simmer - definitely boiling but not so much that there's any risk of boiling over. Once you're sure that the heat is right then you can leave it for 45 minutes to an hour. Check on it occasionally if it isn't in a slow cooker. It won't look very appetising at first but trust me.<br />
<br />
Ten minutes before you want to eat, stir in some chopped basil or parsley, season with black pepper to taste and add the pasta. Stir and replace the lid. I use spaghetti which I break into short pieces as I put it in. You can use any dried pasta really but make it small - you can smash fusilli or penne up by putting it in a sturdy sandwich bag and hitting it with a rolling pin. If you're feeling really middle-class you can buy special soup pasta. I bet Waitrose have it.<br />
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Serve in warmed bowls, and add grated Parmesan or other favourite cheese to taste if you like. Some people drizzle olive oil on the top - do this too if you want, although I find it a bit too oily like that. A soft roll to dip in the soup and it's complete. Yum!Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-22357887919735323822019-01-02T15:42:00.000+00:002019-01-03T14:31:22.689+00:00Rail Fare Increases - a disaster for the environmentThe increase in UK rail fares is in the news today, including the astonishing claim by the transport secretary that the increase is <a href="https://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/17330277.chris-grayling-blames-trade-unions-for-rail-fare-rise/" target="_blank">due to the trade unions</a>. How dare ordinary people working on the railways expect a reasonable pay increase? Nothing to do with the management of the railway or the government, and notwithstanding the fact that the fare increases are based on the rate of inflation, apparently this is all the fault of the ordinary worker.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
But that's no more than I would expect from a right-wing minister in a right-wing government. Using the misery of people whose real income is lower than it was 10 years ago to bash the opposition is just the kind of narrow-minded self-important thing we've come to expect from politics in general and this government in particular.<br />
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No, what's more important is the effect this kind of policy has on the people, the country and the environment. The same set of policies which caps fuel duty rises for road vehicles whilst cutting bus services and increasing public transport prices across the board.<br />
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The effect on the individual is obvious, especially on those who can't afford to run a car. But the effect on the local and global environment is arguably worse. A 3.1% increase makes people's budgets tighter without doubt, but it will also drive people back into cars. How can you expect anyone to move from the roads to public transport if the latter is unreliable, slow, crowded and expensive? Some rail journeys now cost more than <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/train-fare-price-rise-rail-tickets-1-per-mile-a8706671.html" target="_blank">£1 per mile</a>! To put this in perspective, my old car costs less than 25p per mile to run, and it's got four (five at a pinch) comfortable leather seats.<br />
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Something has to change. Not this daft, over-budget <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46461606" target="_blank">new high speed railway</a>, but a different funding structure to make the railways work for the people. Not re-nationalisation; I'm old enough to remember just how terrible British Rail was. Perhaps the <a href="https://tfw.gov.wales/" target="_blank">Welsh model</a> will end up working better - it's got off to a bad start, with loads of trains cancelled, but it promises a great deal so we'll see. Whatever happens, our governments have to be prepared to change their spending priorities to create a railway which works for the people it is meant to serve, the passengers.Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-809082315606637556.post-68763893008635354272019-01-02T14:49:00.002+00:002019-01-02T14:53:57.459+00:00Eating Less Meat - Why and HowFor the sake of our health those of us in rich countries need to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/10/huge-reduction-in-meat-eating-essential-to-avoid-climate-breakdown" target="_blank">eat less meat</a>.<br />
For the sake of the climate those of us in rich countries need to eat less meat.<br />
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Raising animals for meat consumption is an inefficient process which causes significant harm through the emission of large amounts of greenhouse gasses, whilst at the same time reducing the amount of land available for other uses.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The consumption of meat at our current level is also a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/red-meat-and-the-risk-of-bowel-cancer/" target="_blank">significant risk factor for cancer</a>, and a contributory factor in the obesity crisis. And that's without considering the effects on food quality and animal husbandry which large-scale low-cost production implies.<br />
<h3>
So what is to be done?</h3>
Become a vegan? Well I'm not in any hurry to become a vegan; I dislike the current polarisation in politics, and this extends to food politics. Why do I have to either be a vegan, or eat animals as if they're going out of fashion? Veganism has its own problems - the potential increase in food miles and the growth in factory-made "meat substitutes" are a couple.<br />
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I was a vegetarian for about fifteen years, and although I eat meat and fish again now, it's in much smaller quantities. In our house we very rarely cook meat, but don't have any rigid rules. We'll go out for Sunday lunch and have a roast dinner, and get fish and chips on a Friday. If we see a nice jar of French Duck Paté in Lidl we might buy it, but it won't be on the shopping list. Meat is part of our diet, not the basis of it.<br />
I've never understood why, if you say you don't like carrots, say, or onions, people fall over themselves to accommodate you. But if you say you don't like meat, then you're either a weirdo or looked up to as virtuous. Why? Its just an ingredient.<br />
My philosophy is that the best, and for most people easiest, approach to reducing meat consumption is to see it like that - as an ingredient with the same status as any other expensive ingredient. If you buy meat, buy nice stuff in small quantities and use it occasionally. With that approach I believe that we can all enjoy a tasty, healthier diet which is better for the planet and even save some money along the way. What's not to like about that?<br />
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<br />Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17791346931878641415noreply@blogger.com0