Food again

Names do not matter

Don't get confused with names. They are diabolical inventions to ensure you remain puzzled. Do you honestly believe a half a foot long French name has any function but offer an excuse to rip you off ?


Let's look at a salad and a sandwich. Salad conjures up a certain image and Sandwich conjures up a different image right? Now remove the crusts of bread from the sandwich. Has it become more like a salad? Or take any salad and place it between bread. Do you see the metamorphosis of a salad becoming a sandwich ?

Let us continue on the salad theme for a while. A soup is nothing but a liquid salad or risotto is nothing but a salad where rice dominates. Or if you think in-terms of sandwiches, risotto is a sandwich where rice takes the place of bread as a major ingredient.

The basics can be learnt in a few minutes

Eat them raw.

If you are hungry, you can snack on many veggies, fruit, even raw boiled pasta or raw cooked rice, cold tinned beans. All tinned food has been cooked.

Now as most of us aren't exactly starving when we sit for a meal, we need stuff slightly fancy to make it more edible. We learnt to heat foods to improve their tastes. Now this heating can be done in many ways like baking, stir-frying, microwaving, frying, steaming etc etc. But the basic principle of heating ( or cooling ) food to improve its taste hasn't changes in a million years.

So if you cant eat the raw, you cook them.

The less hungry we are, the more fancy the meal we demand. Maybe that explains why Cleopatra drank pearls dissolved in vinegar. As we prospered, we grew less hungry and went beyond raw food to cooked food. Now the next step was flavour.

If you cant eat them cooked either, try flavouring them

A ton of spices have been discovered and cultivated with the sole aim of making foods palatable.

If you cant eat them still, try mixing a few stuff together.

If they remain inedible, probably mixing them with better tasting stuff will make them edible.

So I guess we went through four phases, each phase becoming shorter and shorter

Phase 1 : Eat them Raw
Phase 2 : Eat them cooked
Phase 3 : Flavour them
Phase 4 : Mix stuff together.

Foodstuffs and way of cooking the evolved in different countries , in different ways, leading to the 'cuisines' we have today.

Les

I

We have all said

"I must"


I am Able.
I Can.
I Do.
I Endevour.
I Have.
I Love.
I Must.
I Never.
I Quit.
I Rarely.
I Shall.
I Trust.
I Will.

Are these the same?

Seezya Les

Help

Be Smart

• Be very careful when clicking on any advertisements, many are fake and will take you to a virus download
• Be very careful when “googling” anything, just because it’s at the top of your Google search, doesn’t mean it’s “virus free”
• If you see any type of “scan” started when you go to a website, do not touch anything! These are definitely fake and will download a virus if you touch any part of the screen. Right now, it’s “fake” (appearing to be real)
• Change all of your email passwords, make sure they are unique and are not the same as your Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn accounts
• Many email accounts are getting hacked into, so be very careful when getting emails from friends with “just a link” in it. The hackers are getting lazy and not even sending out text anymore. Just a link, be careful!

If you happen to see an attack/infection going on, your best bet to stop it:
• Press the “Alt and F4” at the same time on your keyboard.
• This shuts down the active window.
• Repeat until back to desktop.
• OR
• Press the “control, alt and delete” buttons” at the same time on your keyboard or…put your mouse down on the bottom of your screen (the task bar) and right click
• Press the “Alt and F4”
• Start “Task manager”.
• Go to the “applications tab” and then you will see what you have going on with your computer.
• Click on the Internet E or Firefox and then hit “end process”. Do it for all of them.
• You will see the scan windows go away.
• Update your antivirus software and do a scan
Now, you may or may not be infected still. If you do all of the above and see symptoms of a new program on your computer or it acting very slow, then you probably have a virus.

You can do the following:
• Ignore it and it will get worse, no question
• Fix it yourself, some of you can do a good job with that
• Get a kid to fix it, not a good idea
• Send me the details for more help
Les

The Quack

I have been put under a new regime of tests and drug changes.

Some of which require me to stay indoors.


If you think I am ignoring you.

You are correct.

Don't take it personally.
I am ignoring all but,friends and family.

I will deal as and when.

Sorry chaps and chapesses.


Seezya
Les

COO

I watched Horizon on BBC2 tonight.
It was about food and cooking.

A couple of the experiments stood out.
Firstly a human could not eat enough raw food to be able to extract sufficient day to day energy.
Secondly if mice were given cooked yams to the same weight as raw, they could trundle the exercise wheel far further and put on weight.

This tends to suggest, logically to me, that cooking is a pre digestion activity.

So the act of cooking, along with processing, makes the food more digestible, taste better and make many toxins safe.
As we throw so much food away it could also explain the dramatic rise in the urban fox population.

To calculate the amount of calories in food, it is burnt and the energy released is measured.
Cooking food does not add calories to food.

So could it be that it is not the amount of calories contained in a sample of food that is the problem.
But the quantity of energy derived by the body from food, that causes you to get fat??

Also as we have been cooking food for such a long time it may well explain why our gut is too short to be vegetarian and too long to be carnivore?

Les

Hospital Food?

The NHS has come under fire for undermining the fight against obesity by allowing Burger King restaurants inside hospitals.

Fat's not right: Campaigners say NHS should be leading by example.

Out of 170 NHS Trusts, 40 rent space to chains including Burger King, Starbucks, Subway and Upper Crust. More are expected to open.

Is this to supplement to poor food served by the Hospital?
Or is it a money making exercise?


Department of Health said in a statement

Obesity is on the up
"Our obesity strategy says that we expect the public sector to lead by example. The NHS has a responsibility to provide healthy and nutritious food for staff, patients and visitors.
"The NHS locally can choose to have shops and catering outlets in their hospitals. These outlets provide important services for patients, visitors and staff as well as generating income for the NHS."
Profits must go back to local health services it, added.
"It is for the local NHS to decide which outlets are given space and to enter into appropriate contracts, but goods or services should not conflict with the ethos and objectives of health and well-being," the statement said.
"Hospitals need to honour historic contracts that they have already entered into, but given the importance of the obesity strategy today it would be hard for any NHS organisation to justify entering into a new contract with a fast food restaurant."
Mayday hospital Croydon confirmed it had a Burger King outlet but said its own restaurant offered low-fat foods.
"Mayday's main entrance is leased to a private company which rents retail space to a variety of food and non-food outlets providing choice for visitors, staff and any patients who may be well enough to leave the ward," a spokeswoman said.
Last year, 8,085 people were admitted to hospital in England for obesity related conditions, according to NHS figures.
The health service's website advises people to "cut down on high fat snacks, junk food and ready meals, as they are often packed with fat, high levels of sugar and salt".

Les

Just a Thought

On the news tonight, worries about our Olympics.
We are on budget.
But, you knew a but was coming

No use for the stadium, I mentioned this a while ago.

The sale of the competitor’s village reliant on the property market.

Now this village will be one of the most secure areas in England just 10 minutes from central London.

Why can't  suites be made available for all our MP’s and their staff.

To save having second homes, and the implications this gave in recent times.

The cival service is very good at giving different standards according to hierarchy.
Also having a internal communication system for government business.

After Parliament finishes for the day only one or two trains need to be guarded.
I understand that the Palace of Westminster has a problem with office and media space.
There is a purpose built media centre at Stratford with no future use envisaged.

Or is this too simple a solution for our bombastic servants.

Seezya Les

Music on the move

I have a Pure DAB 2000
This is a DAB radio, FM radio and mp3 player.
It also uses standard AA rechargeable batteries.
When on a long journey I just carry a few spares.
I have had this for a few years and I got it so I can listen to the test matches on DAB,
Local radio on FM
My choice of radio or book etc. as mp3
Also because when using the under ground there are no radio signals.
Another bonus of the underground the dreaded mobile phone doesn't work either, oh bliss

Now I had the intermittent sound because of a dodgy headphone connection and being lazy I had wedged it with an elastic band.

Now having a bit of spare time today I decided to fix it.
This took all of 10 minutes five of which was waiting for my soldering iron to heat up.
I should have fixed it 6 months ago, but I kept putting it off as too much trouble silly me.

Now due to "health and safety" concerns all solder now days is lead free.
How ever this is physically weaker than the original lead tin alloy of the last century.
This goes some way to explain why intermittent connections occur in parts subject to physical stress.
Fortunately for me I still have a tiny supply of "old solder" which I use in these circumstances, so the repair should be stronger the original.

Another case of "health and safety” gone mad?

Well yes and no, it was found that soldering with lead solder did release fumes that were toxic and so workbenches and even some soldering irons had an extract system to help draw the fumes away but it was a clumsy solution and so lead free solder was introduced.

Which I use for all other jobs.
But I will still use leaded where the different properties are a benefit and hold my breathe, for the ten seconds needed.

Seezya Les

Curry again

I do like a curry and I cook for four and divide by three eat one freeze two.

But clearing up after the last curry party, I decided to further divide the portions for freezing in half again.

This means when I reheat later I can have two or three portions of different curries, which is why I enjoy cooking for a group.

I love the variation of tastes and textures.


I am considering Mexican for my birthday as May 5th is a Mexican holiday.


Next time you have a chilli put a teaspoon or two of cocoa in, in this case less is more, you must not taste chocolate.

It gives a depth of flavour that is difficult to place.

Another that does this is a dash of ketchup in any dish with tomatoes in it.

Also remember a curry or stew is always better the following day, even a take away.


As an aside, and a gloat.

When I cooked curry for Christmas Eve.

All the curries were precooked and saved in foil dishes for reheating and serving, as per usual.

Vickey was asked by a couple of friends which take-away she used as they wanted to use them.

Vickey was disbelieved when she said “my dad cooked it”.


Seezya Les

How secure is your password?

With most websites requiring you to create an account, do you find yourself in a bit of a pickle when it comes to inventing passwords?
Many people use the same password for all their online accounts and often forget the password they came up with months ago.
Hands up who doesn’t feel like banging your head against the wall trying to remember the password you created months ago?

Let’s face it - everyone has problems with creating and remembering secure passwords.

Tips on how to create and remember your passwords:

Use the first letters of a sentence that you will remember, e.g. "I have 3 cats: Fluffy, Furry and Shaggy" gives: Ih3c:FF&S, or “Bouncing tigers have every right to ice-cream” becomes: Bther2I-C.

Take the name of the website and then add your personal twist, like your height or your friend’s home address, a car registration plate (not personalized) (e.g. “AmazonOceanRd6’2”). Avoid using your own contact details like your phone number or house number.

Remove the vowels from a word or phrase e.g. "I like eating pancakes” becomes: Ilktngpncks”.

Replace the letters from a word or phrase with numbers e.g. "I like eating pancakes” becomes:” 1l1k334t1ngp4nc4k3s. Here a=4 b=8 e=3 i=1 o=0 etc

A very old coding trick was to split into groups of 5
"I like eating pancakes” becomes: “ilike_eatin_gpanc_akesx”

Use a phrase from your favourite book and then add the page, paragraph or chapter number.#




The Do’s and Don'ts of creating passwords

DO

Mix letters, numbers and symbols, and use case sensitivity (upper and lower case letters)

The longer the better. Use passwords that are longer than 6 characters.

Change your passwords at least every 60 days, cycling the numeric values up or down makes the new password easy to remember.

Try copying and pasting at least some of the characters in your password that way key loggers won’t be able to track your keystrokes.

DON’T:

Don’t use words or phrases or numbers that have personal significance. It is very easy for someone to guess or identify your personal details like date of birth.

Avoid writing your password down, use a reputable password manager to manage all your passwords.
I use last pass, for IE and Firefox
An example of a generated pass word is

1hhFn5fYdn#$W5k2@pUd

Don’t use the same password for several logins, especially if they involve sensitive financial or other personal information.

Don’t tell anybody your password.
When registering on websites that ask for your email address, never use the same password as your email account.

Remember no password is unbreakable
You just have to make it not worth their while.

Seezya Les

Acronyms

Acronyms are form of shorthand and some of these have come from normal usage.
They are used in all forms of typed (texted) electronic communication.

AAMOF as a matter of fact
BBFN bye bye for now
BFN bye for now
BTW by the way
BYKT but you knew that
CMIIW correct me if I'm wrong
EOL end of lecture
FAQ frequently asked questions
FWIW for what it's worth
FYI for your information
HTH hope this helps
IAC in any case
IAE in any event
IMCO in my considered opinion
IMHO in my humble opinion
IMNSHO in my not so humble opinion
IMO in my opinion
IOW in other words
LOL laughing out loud
NRN no reply necessary
OIC oh, I see
OTOH on the other hand
ROF rolling on the floor
ROFL rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFL rolling on the floor laughing
TIA thanks in advance
TIC tongue in cheek
TTFN tat ta for now
TTYL talk to you later
WYSIWYG what you see is what you get

RULES FOR WRITERERS

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be ignored.
21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words> however should be enclosed in commas.
22. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
23. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
24. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth shaking ideas.
25. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.
26. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
27. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
28. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
29. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
30. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
31. Who needs rhetorical questions?
32. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement. And finally...
33. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

Olympics

Now, as residents of London we pay a levy towards the cost of the Games via our Council Tax. What benefit do we get from this at all? I've had a bit of a Google to see if as we are paying for it, we may get free/subsidised tickets but I can’t see anything. If not, does anyone think this is unfair?

Whilst on the subject, it appears that our Olympics Minister has rebuffed the idea of the Olympic Stadium being used for football, as we have committed to providing a legacy, to provide a 'Grand Prix' 25k seat Athletics stadium. Apparently we 'promised' this to the IOC and played a big part in us being awarded the games. Firstly, what the IOC do post 2012 if we announce that the OS would be used for football? Retrospectively take the games away from us? And secondly don't we already have a 'Grand Prix' athletics stadium next door to Dulwich and West Norwood? With a bit of investment and TLC you could have a cracking stadium.

I think it's a bit short sighted to dismiss the idea of having those nasty football types move into the site. Who or what entity, apart from a football club could afford the freehold or rent costs for that stadium which under the 'legacy' would get used a handful of times a year. How many 'grand prix' events are there a year anyway? White and Elephant spring to mind.

Hopefully, there'll be a change of government come May so these comments will become irrelevant.

Seezya Les

While I have been ignoring you all.

I have had my doctor’s review.

A little tinkering with pain killers has helped with mobility.
I still normally need to rest the day following a day out but I am getting used to that.
All my path lab tests are good.
Still over weight but stable only a drift of a couple kilos, up or down, over the last few years..

Learnt a new trick for blood tests, I was told to relax,
How I said I hate them, needles and all.
My very first test found me waking up on the floor.
If one of my girls came with me they had to take all their rings off first.

I was told to concentrate on my breathing.
Go slowly
So I breathe in counting 1 little second, 2 little second, 3 little second.
Breathe out counting 1 little second, 2 little second, 3 little second.
And it works.

Talking of counting, when driving, try and keep two seconds behind the car in front.
Say “Only a fool breaks the two second rule”.
In bad weather say it twice.

Further to driving in the UK, front fog lights may only be used in fog or falling snow.
Dipped head lights to be used in bad visibility.
So if you use side lights in daylight you are technically breaking the law as you have admitted you need lights!!.

The mobile phone offence is “holding a mobile phone with the engine running”.

Seezya Les

I am Sorry

Chaps and Chapesses,

I have Had a few bits and pieces demanding my attention.

Hence my lack of posting.
Perhaps some may be revealed.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

For the mean time imagine the potters wheel.
As I whirl around.
Keeping the dervishes at bay.


Loadsa
Les

Another Health Scare

This time for Dementia and Alzheimer's

The exact causes are unknown and at the present time there is no cure to this, progressively debilitating condition.

It appears the easiest way of contracting dementia in the first place is to be a couch potato eating junk food, worst still ordered by phone.

So the answer is easy do not do that.

How?

Stop watching no brainer programmes.
Demanding programs or reading is better.

Stop watching cookery shows to build an appetite, and then ordering a take away.
Start watching cookery shows to build an appetite and then cook your own inspired food.
Buy ingredients not meals.

Stop lying around start moving about.
Go shopping, buy ingredients not meals.
15 minutes walking is better than 5 minute drive.
Plus there are no parking fees.

Healthy foods need not be dear it’s the “Health Foods” that tend to expensive, and they purport to be better for you than they may be.
Good foods take time, effort, care.
Not always all at the same time.
I am reluctant to say but a lot of the time you can put your feet up and wait.
Pre-prepared food you rely on someone else’s time, effort, care.
Are they on piece rate?
Do they care for you or pounds in their pocket?

Alcohol can help but not at the start of the day.
Get all the jobs done first.
You make fewer mistakes this way.

If your Doctor recommends medication take it/them.
If you are worried say so.
Let the Doc explain the need for his prescription.
If you have side effects good or bad say so.


Seezya Les

Julie Andrews

To commemorate her 69th birthday, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan’s Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.
One of the musical numbers she performed was 'My Favourite Things' from the legendary movie 'Sound Of Music'.
Here are the lyrics she used:


(Sing It!) If you sing it, it's especially funny!!!
So all together now.

Botox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
these are a few of my favourite things.

Cadillac’s and cataracts, hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favourite things.

When the pipes leak, when the bones creak,
when the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favourite things,
and then I don't feel so bad.

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favourite things.

Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinning,
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinning,
and we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
when we remember our favourite things.

When the joints ache, when the hips break,
when the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel soooo bad.
******************************************

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores.

Seezya
Les

Just a Quickie

Fire insurance

A North Carolina man, having bought several expensive cigars, insured them against... get this... fire.

After he had smoked them, he then decided that he had a claim against the insurance company and filed.
The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigar normally.
The man sued. The judge stated that since the company had insured the cigars against fire, they were obligated to pay.
After the man accepted payment for his claim, the company had him arrested .....
for arson.

Seezya Les

Pass The Butter... Please.

         This is interesting. .. .

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys.  When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. 

It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow colouring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.  How do you like it?   They have come out with some clever new flavourings...  

 DO YOU KNOW... The difference between margarine and butter?  

Read on to the end...gets very interesting!  

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared   to 5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over   eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and   
only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine...

Very High in Trans fatty acids.

Triples risk of coronary heart disease.
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times...

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here’s the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine  is but ONE  MOLECULE  away  from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life  and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is  added,  changing the molecular structure of the  substance).  

You can try this yourself:

Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area.  Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

 * no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

 * it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny micro organisms will not a find a home to grow.  Why?   Because it is nearly plastic.  Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?  

Share This With Your Friends..... (If you want to butter them up')!

Chinese Proverb:  When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.  
Pass the BUTTER    PLEASE

Currying for more flavour

I strongly believe that good food takes time, care and some effort.
Expensive to buy food supposedly saves you time and effort.
Most of the signature dishes of world are peasant dishes.

When I cheat at a curry I use Pataks sauces and pastes, but I still try to cook and mature.
I cook four portion sizes and divide by 3 for my serving size.

When I scratch cook the usual method is:

Gently dry fry the whole spices, to release the oils, if you burn them throw away and start again, grind, add pre ground, put aside.

Fry chopped onions, ginger, garlic and chillies as required; add a drop or two of water as needed to prevent catching, put aside, puree if required.

Chilli notes: it is the seeds and membranes that are hot, remove for chilli taste/ flavour without burning heat.
For a do-piaza fry separately additional sliced onions put aside and add after maturing.

Fry meat/ vegetables
If I am using a fatty meat like mince or lamb, I will drain the fat off in a sieve.

Add back the onion mix, half the spices.
Now I add the liquid part e.g. tomato, coconut, stock.
Bring up to boil then reduce to simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Now taste add some of the rest of spices simmer 3-4 mins taste again, if all ok leave to cool.
Put in fridge to mature 24/48hours. Then you can either use or freeze.

For a curry party I make each curry, separate into four portion sizes put in separate foil dishes and label, so I can reheat them in the oven.
I allow two and a half portions per person plus two extras and rice, party fever encourages the appetite.

On D day cook/ reheat/ assemble/ adjust seasoning of, the accompaniments and curry.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaf on curry serve and enjoy.