Robin Ellis's Blog, page 11
March 25, 2017
Matilde’s first half dozen…
I’m rewarded with a double first at Castres market this morning.
Two Spring firsts–though there is nothing spring-like about the weather.
I get there early–battling through a tempest of wind and the rain–determined to avoid last week’s crowds.
“Arrivez avant neuf heure le matin, ça suffit!” [Get there by 9am and you’ll be fine!] was the advice from our neighbor and friend Flo, who has recently taken over her sister’s lovely spice stall on Saturdays.
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The spice stall on a sunnier Saturday–with cooking workshop attendees checking it out.
What a contrast to this morning as I arrive in Place Jean Jaures just before 8.30am, to find the dance of the parapluies in full swing.
Stall holders and punters alike are desperately trying to prevent their umbrellas–large and small–from taking flight while undertaking the normal buying and selling transactions.
With difficulty, I make my way down the line of local vendors–nodding and grimacing the “isn’t this awful!” message, before arriving at my destination.
Opening a conversation with the vendor under these conditions is problematical.
I settle for more nodding and grimacing and secure (ho ho!) my open umbrella under my chin.
With my head looking down at the ground, I reach for my porte monnaie [change purse].
The umbrella is doing its best to turn inside out.
It succeeds–WHOOSH—and I’m involuntarily propelled towards the dry fruit stall–earlier than planned.
I manfully regain control and…
JOY!
Our newly acquired hen’s guardienne–for ’tis her stall–hands me a carton of six eggs.
Matilde’s first offering under our ownership.
What a thrill!
And to go with them for lunch today–a bunch of the locally-grown ASPARAGUS–FIRST of the season.
As I turn into our driveway 20 minutes later–the sun comes out!
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Asparagus and eggs–a match made in heaven!
Filed under: Food, other sides to this life, Robin Ellis
March 24, 2017
A Salute to St Thomas’ Hospital–“Tommy’s”
These buildings opened in 1872–the year my paternal Grandmother was born.
This historic hospital with its striking Victorian facade, featured heavily in the news coverage of the attack in Westminster on Wednesday.
Nurses and medics rushed to help the injured on the bridge just yards away from its entrance.
“One of the most uplifting scenes amidst the whole tragedy was doctors and nurses rushing out of St.Thomas’ Hospital to help the injured,” said Abdi Duale, of London Young Labour.
Its proximity to the scene of the outrage reportedly helped limit fatalities, as the “catastrophically” injured were treated within minutes of being hit.
The hospital, on the south side of the river, faces the Houses of Parliament. The design was intended to complement the look of the newly-constructed buildings opposite–both puffing out their chests with imperial pride.
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“Anything you can do I can do better!”
St Thomas’ was originally named for Sir Thomas A. Beckett (Henry II’s ill-fated Archbishop of Canterbury) and located in Borough High Street, Southwark. When the site was needed for the development of the railway link into London Bridge Station in the late 1860’s, it was moved to its present imposing site in Lambeth on the Thames, just off Westminster Bridge.
The design of the newly-sited hospital was influenced by the thinking of Florence Nightingale, whose fame spread during the war in the Crimea (1857).
Six “pavilions” were built facing the river, each connected by low corridors. These separate wings increased ventilation and reduced the possibility of spreading infection.
Three of the original six pavilions were destroyed in the London Blitz.
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“No you can’t” “Yes I can !” “No you can’t!”…
St Thomas’ has been an occasional feature in my life–and I always prick up my ears when it’s in the news.
I feel proprietorial about it–“Tommys” belongs to me!
I lost my tonsils here when I was four–1946. (More common then to have them removed–penicillin not so readily available.)
I have a vague memory of being on a ward in one of the three iconic wings and standing on my bed–terrified, refusing to drink the orange-flavored potion aimed at knocking me out for the operation.
Not surprisingly, I don’t remember how the kind and understanding–if exasperated–nurses succeeded in getting the evil-tasting liquid down my poorly throat–but they did. I have no tonsils.
My dear brother Jack was born there–a triumph for the special Diabetes Unit. My mother was under their care–in the mid-fifties doctors were less confident of letting a woman with Type 1 Diabetes go to term.
This iconic hospital was also where Ma was taken by ambulance from Pinner way up in NW London in the middle of the night, after she blacked out at home. She’d had a hypoglycemic attack–low blood sugar/insulin imbalance.
Dad woke up–a miracle–called an ambulance and raced through the darkened streets to St. Thomas’ –where Ma was saved.
It happened more than once!
In 1959, I visited my beloved Grandma–Dad’s adoptive mother–in another of the wings and was distraught a few days later on hearing she had died.
“Tommy’s” will always be MY hospital.
And Tommy’s tradition of saving lives and caring for the sick and injured was impressively on display Wednesday afternoon.
Its motto is Sancte et Sapienter: with holiness and wisdom.
And a swift pair of heels…
Filed under: other sides to this life, Robin Ellis Tagged: St Thomas' Hospital, Tommy's
March 21, 2017
We are fond of our cats and all their quirks
Fluffernut just swayed into the kitchen this evening, making his customary strangled screech of a hello.
“You were a good runner,” Meredith says, as she arranges the found kindling in the fireplace.
She and the famous three have been for a walk.
“You must be hungry!”
“Fluffernut“, or Midnight as he is officially known, hesitates–then hears the snap of the catfood tin and decides a little snack would go down rather well.
Meredith’s pre-prandial stroll down the field is popular with our three four-leggers.
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Fluffernut and Beau spreading love all over the place
A walk on the wild side with the brothers sets you up for the evening just fine.
Ben is up in the fig tree keeping watch as Meredith waters the courtyard (a hot and sunny Spring so far!). You never know who might be creeping around ready to pounce–better to keep her safe!
No sign of Beau–the customary gate-keeper–Meredith says he tired himself out showing off on the walk and is still climbing the hill.
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Beau thinking “It’s a long way home…”
The big boy carries some weight.
Filed under: other sides to this life
March 20, 2017
Cauliflower “chops” with a egg on top
A bit fanciful to call these CHOPS, though the soft chunkiness gives a similar sensation in the mouth.
The taste is pure cauliflower, which I love.
The egg(s) on top are optional but add to the interest.
1 large cauliflower
simple dressing–3tbs olive oil and 1 tbs of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper
grated parmesan to sprinkle
salt and pepper
Heat the oven to 200c.
Rest the cauliflower base on a chopping board–making sure it’s secure and won’t wobble.
You are cutting top to toe.
With a large knife carefully cut down through the head in roughly one inch wide slices.
Fascinating to see the thick filigree of this beautiful vegetable in cross section.
Cover a shallowing baking tray with foil and brush with oil; arrange the chops on the tray. (You may wish tidy the pieces with a sharp knife, but don’t cut through the little connecting stems.)
Generously brush each chop with the dressing and season with salt and pepper.
Slip the tray in the top of the oven for about 30 minutes.
After about half an hour turn them over–easing them gently off the foil.
Top with a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan.
Pop the tray back into the oven for about another 15 minutes.
Wise to check during both oven sessions–as the thickness of the slices will vary.
Serve with a poached or fried egg and green salad.
Filed under: Food, other sides to this life, Recipes
March 18, 2017
Go to it Matilde!
Market day in Castres and a parking place opens up after a single tour–thanks to our Parking Fairy–who has been kind these last two weeks after the ticket.
Teeming today–du monde–too many people, making it difficult to move along.
I resolve to make the effort next week and get there before 9am.
Queues at each stall.
I have to stand and watch one punter filling her bag with those sweet Spanish lemons I’d driven in to buy.
Not all of them–please!
She left a few and then the vendor magicked more lemons from under the table!
This is a new-ish stall—a breakaway from the neighbouring stall selling organic vegetables.
Seems she has a source south of the border supplying her with said lemons, the odd grapefruit and almonds that taste like almonds.
Until last week she had rosy red apples but warned that there’d be no more next week–the tree was bare—until next season. I like seasonal– it makes sense.
Last week she handed me a sheet of paper dense with text about a new idea she’s hatched: Adopt a Chicken!
You pay 12 euros. She looks after the chicken, which lays eggs for you which you buy after getting your first 12 euros worth. She includes a photo of your little dear one, so you can prop it up at the breakfast table while eating your boiled egg.
Merci infiniment ma cherie—je me regale!
We are buying into the idea–and I handed over 12 euros.
Meredith translated the dense text and found a sweet drawing illustrating the special kind of chicken, La Flèche–a rare French breed.
Our stall holder—yet to know her name—was delighted!
Go to it, Matilde*!
(*I christened her–sight unseen!)
Filed under: Food, other sides to this life
March 10, 2017
Spring
Spring is here…
Printemps est arrivé!
All of a sudden (tout à coup) the willows are weeping, the garlic is showing, the trees around the house are budding and the almond blossom is out.
Our resident tree frog croaks a greeting–joining the spring awakening.
A low buzzing creeps into our consciousness and sure enough there are bees above.
A frosty start this morning but now a gentle warmth pervades–and the quiet is palpable.
Beau, head cat, spent the night locked in the dependence (our mistake), but shows no resentment–and is doing what cats are expert at–lying in the springtime sun.
Il profit du soleil.
I saw three baby elephants on a patch of grass outside the Géant supermarché this afternoon.
Pas vrai–spring fever!
No, really! The circus is in town.
Even the parking fine notice that just arrived–two weeks after the offense–can’t dampen the spirits.
It is good to be alive.
Filed under: other sides to this life
March 2, 2017
Activist wife/Proud husband!
–Authors Guild President Roxana Robinson Feb 20, 2017
Proud husband bathing this morning in the reflected glory of my activist–the French would call her “militante”–wife.
Last Friday, several key news organisations, including The New York Times, CNN and the BBC were excluded from a White House press briefing. The White House accused these august members of the fourth estate of broadcasting “fake news”–in other words news it did not want spread.
On learning this, AP and TIME refused to take part in the briefing that excluded other news organizations as a form of retribution.
The next day Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal came out in support, announcing they would no longer take part is such “exclusionary” briefings.
The TV news networks were conspicuous by their silence.
Meredith was disturbed that ABC News–where she worked as a producer/writer for legendary news correspondents like Peter Jennings, Sam Donaldson and Barbara Walters–had not joined the chorus of outrage.
She sat down at the kitchen table Sunday and drafted a letter.
It has now been signed by over 230 veteran ex-ABC News correspondents (including Sam Donaldson), former ABC News Vice Presidents, producers and support staff and sent to the current President of ABC News (see below) encouraging this guardian of the public’s “right to know” to join its peers and take a principled public stand.
The letter was picked up by the Associated Press (AP) and has entered the public domain.
Bravo Meredith–my Beauty!
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March 1, 2017
Mr. James Goldston President, ABC News 47 West 66th Street New York, NY 10023
Dear Mr. Goldston:
We write to you as former ABC News employees — correspondents, executive producers, field producers, writers, editors, camera operators, technicians — many of us now retired, alumni from an era that included such distinguished broadcasters as Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, Sam Donaldson, Frank Reynolds, David Brinkley, Harry Reasoner, Barbara Walters and Howard K. Smith.
The recent exclusion of certain news organizations from a White House briefing is an alarming new development enacted by an administration that has declared war on respected media
outlets — including CNN, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, POLITICO and the BBC.
This is a disturbing new tactic from an administration that has branded the news media an “enemy of the people” and seeks to undermine the traditional role of a free press in American democracy. It is clearly retaliation against news organizations for reporting facts that are embarrassing to this President and his staff.
The New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet reacted by writing, “Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties. We strongly protest the exclusion of The New York Times and the other news organizations. Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest.”
We note that AP, TIME and USA Today voluntarily refused to accept this policy, and boycotted the press briefing.
Subsequently both Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal announced that they will notparticipate in any future “exclusionary” briefings. The White House Correspondents Association also has protested.
We urge you to join other news organizations and take a public stand. Refuse to take part in any future White House briefings based on an “invitation list” of “who’s in/who’s out.”
Yours sincerely,
MEMBERS OF THE ABC NEWS EXTENDED FAMILY OF FORMER STAFF FROM AROUND THE WORLD
cc: Ben Sherwood
ABC News TV and Radio Correspondents
Wolfgang Achtner
Betsy Aaron
Roberta Bailey
Bob Brown
Michael Connor
Dan Cordtz
Al Dale
Ted Davis
Greg Dobbs
Sam Donaldson
LaVonne Ellis
David Ensor
Anne Garrels
Bill Greenwood
Bob Hardt
Jim Hickey
Susan Donaldson James
Ken Kashiwahara
Peter Lance
Jeanne Meserve
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Av Westin
VP Program Development, Executive Producer, “World News Tonight” and 20/20”
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London Bureau Chief, Producer, “Prime Time Live”
Tom Yellin
Executive Producer, “Peter Jennings Reporting,” and “Day One”
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Lynne Adrine ……………………………………….Senior Producer, Weekend News, DCCharlotte Perry Aguilar ………………………..West Coast Producer, Nightline & WNT Joann D’Alessandro………………………………Technical Manager, ABC BO&E,
Steve Alhart …………………………………………. Technical Mgr ENG Operations, BO&E, NY
Todd Andreasen …………………………………..Engineer
David D’Ardenne …………………………………2” Editor, ENG Sound & Camera
Lou D’Aria……………………………………………Editor KGO SF
Gloria Bailen…………………………………………PA/AP 20/20, Prod, ABC All Media Group
Bill Bailey ……………………………………………..Engineer, Lighting & Master Control, DC
Marcus Baram ……………………………………..Writer/Producer ABC News
Martin Bell ……………………………………………Videotape Ed & Playback Op, Special Events
Peter Berman ………………………………………..ENG Cameraman, WABC-TV
John Beattie…………………………………………..Producer, World News Tonight
Joan Bieder …………………………………………..Producer, WNT
Gary Boyarsky………………………………………Technical Director, Nightline, WNT
Darrell Brand………………………………………..Film & ENG Camera
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Marvin Bronstein …………………………………Engineer, BO&E and RF Operations
Jack Brown……………………………………………Manager of News Coverage, ABC News NY
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Cass Wagner…………………………………………Cameraman
Leslie Walker ……………………………………….. Associate Producer 20/20
Mia Freund Walker ………………………………Story Editor, 20/20
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Shirley Weiss ………………………………………..PA, GMA, AD 20/20
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Lawrence Wells…………………………………….Writer/Producer/Acting Beirut Bureau Chief
Laura Wessner………………………………………Nightline Press Representative
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Kristin Whiting …………………………………….Producer
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Porter Wynn ………………………………………… Studio/Field Engineer
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Gail Zimmerman…………………………………..Producer, 20/20, Producer/Director Biz World
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Caren Zucker ……………………………………….. Producer, WNT & Nightline
Howard Zweig……………………………………..Technical Direct, ABC Network
Filed under: other sides to this life
January 31, 2017
Sausage and Beans–One Pot Wonder
I’m always on the look-out for one-potters–the sheer convenience of them attracts.
This I found the other day on a printed sheet stuffed behind some recipe books.
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Treasure!
Delicious. Eureka!
This is the classic mix of pork and beans.
Here the meat is in small sausage shape; these chipolatas happily bob along in the tomato and bean base for 45 minutes as it slowly thickens up, concentrating the smoky taste.
There is a certain amount of building work to do before you leave the pot to get on with it.
1lb small sausages– like chipolatas
2 tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic–peeled and chopped
1 carrot–peeled and chopped small
1 leek –carefully cleaned and sliced thin
1 stick celery–chopped small
1 tin [can] tomatoes–chopped with the juice
1 tin [can] or (better still) bottle white beans–drained
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1 pint water
salt and pepper
In the medium casserole in which you cook the whole dish heat a tablespoon of oil and add the sausages.
Sauté them over a medium heat until they are nicely browned.
Take care they don’t leave a burned residue in the pan.
Set them aside.
Add the second tablespoon of oil and the vegetables–celery, leek, carrot and garlic.
Sweat the veg until tender–about ten minutes.
Add the tomatoes, paprika and mix thoroughly before adding the beans, sausages and water. Add the bay leaves.
Combine everything with care and bring to a simmer.
Cook for about 45 minutes, turning from time to time as the sauce thickens and the smoky deliciousness concentrates.
Good with some dijon mustard on the side.
Chopped parsley garnish optional.
Filed under: Food, Recipes
January 28, 2017
Roasting A Chicken for the Chinese New Year and brother Peter
Meredith reminds me that today marks the Chinese New Year.
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Chickpea shows his colors
She tells me in the Chinese lunar calendar it is the Year of the Rooster.
When I think about the date–28th January–I’m reminded that it is also marks what would have been my late brother Peter’s 69th birthday.
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Peter (seated) directing an episode of Highlander.
I don’t remember Peter having much to do with chickens except that from time to time he most likely ate some.
Peter died almost 11 years ago–quite suddenly aged 58–while out walking his dog in Griffith Park in Los Angeles.
He was a TV drama director at the height of his powers with a great future.
They say that directing TV drama in Tinsel Town is a very stressful occupation.
So to mark Peter’s birthday and the Chinese New Year, here is a simple recipe for Roast Chicken that has served me well for years and features in my latest cookbook, Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics.
Simple Roast Chicken
for 4
1 free range chicken–about a 3 pounder
olive oil
salt & pepper
6 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic–unpeeled and whole
1 lemon — halved
1 glass of white wine
set oven at 190c
Rub the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper
Stuff the cavity with the with the bay leaves, garlic and lemon halves
Place in a roasting pan and into the oven.
Roast the chicken for about one-and-a-half hours.
Baste it about half-way through the cooking process.
It should be nicely browned and when pricked, the juices should run clear, not pink.
Remove from oven.
Pick up the bird with a pair of oven gloves and up end it, letting the juices run back into the pan.
This a little tricky–but worth it for the taste of the gravy.
Tip the pan carefully and spoon out excess fat/oil– leaving about a table spoonful in the pan.
Add the glass of white wine and scrape any residue sticking to the pan.
Gently stir over a lowish heat for 2/3 minutes.
(You can add some stock or more wine to make it go a little further.)
Taste the gravy and season as desired.
Filed under: Food, other sides to this life, Recipes Tagged: chinese new year, mediterranean cooking for diabetes, peter ellis, roast chicken
January 24, 2017
A comforting soup for frosty days–pretty pumpkin.
This is not the recipe I mentioned yesterday–I will publish that later in the week.
Jack Frost was a busy lad last night–“white out” this morning.
This is a re-run of a simple pumpkin soup–spicy yes, but it’s up to you how spicy.
Leave out the cayenne if that’s not your taste.
Is there a more beautiful soup?
No peas involved–simple, easy, as in easy peasy!
Just looking at the colour warms you up.
Adapted from a recipe in Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen–a peak into the day to day ways of cooking in a Tuscan villa in the late 19th century.
for 2/3
1lb/450gms pumpkin–roughly chopped with its skin
1 medium onion–chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
1 generous pint stock (I use organic vegetable stock cubes.)
salt and pepper
Put the onion and the pumpkin pieces in a saucepan with the olive oil.
Add the spices with the salt and pepper.
Turn everything over, cover and sweat over a low heat for twenty minutes to soften the vegetables.
Add the stock and cook uncovered for a further twenty minutes or so, until the pumpkin is tender enough to liquidize.
Liquidize the mix–best done with a stick mixer, saves much washing up!
A pinch of chopped parsley is a nice touch in each bowl.
I cut up some rye bread–a slice each–into crouton size pieces, sautéed them in a little olive oil and added a pinch each of salt and cumin powder.
Meredith suggested sautéed bacon bits would be good too.
Filed under: other sides to this life
