2013/04/04
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Jour de la Terre – Earth Day – 2012.04.22Scènes de Montréal – Montreal Scenes 
Resurrection 2.0
Cartoon © André Philippe Côté – Le Soleil
Merry-go-round I
Cartoon found on the net – dates from 2011 – No expiry date.
Cartoon © Martyn TurnerMerry-go-round II
Snow instead of rain. Not much else changed since last summer…
Cartoon © Tom, Trouw (Amsterdam)Celebrating lazyness
Enquiring to someone once about the health virtues of playing golf, I was told that the long walks from hole to hole were it, physically, but also mentally. I guess he was talking about prehistoric times because I don’t see much walk and mental rest in ‘voyaging’ in one of these.
To make sure not to exercise your back picking up balls, there’s even a ball sucker (no pun intended) for sale out there.
By the way, I learned on Letterman recently that in the U.S. Americans can now carry two golf clubs with them in airplane cabins. However, this fabulous breakthrough is not available to Canadians on their planes. We’re so retarded.
On the other hand, frankly, besides poking into the overlapping blub of fat coming from your 350 pound seat companion, I don’t see too much what is the purpose of carrying golf clubs in airplane cabins. Smoking guns
Oh! I hear there was another shooting, this time at a Fort Knox military installation. Business as usual, in some way.
Da food section
No April’s Fool leftovers in this rather simple meal I had Tuesday (April 2): merguez with risotto alla Milanese ma senza zafferano. If I got this right, it means a risotto Milanese but without the safran. Simple meals will be on the menu for some time, because of new limitations.
In fact, the simpleness is more about the preparation than the meal itself. Cutting or dicing stuff with mostly only one hand is not a cook’s lifetime dream.
Yesterday, I had this. “Poulet chasseur” in French or “Pollo cacciatore” or “Pollo alla cacciatora” by its original Italian name, in English, dunno, hunter’s chicken?? A favorite of mine. As delicious as it is easy to make. Some people put the mushrooms to cook with the chicken. I much prefer to brown them in butter separately, just before serving time, when the chicken is done. They then keep all their fine taste.
Finally, I went to Marché Jean-Talon this afternoon. In the short list, I had firm cheese, because of the proteins and blah blah blah. I wanted to try something new so I chose a piece of Aged Leicestershire Red, at least it’s what is marked on the label. It is indeed aged, and the color is dark orange, bordering red. Also printed on the label: “…a traditionally Aged Leicester Red, authentically cloth bound during maturation, aged to perfection then hand selected to ensure the finest quality”. Well, if they say so… I had some with crackers (Breton) after supper and it is indeed quite good. Since I was there (Capitol), and also because it was late afternoon and one must never go food shopping when hungry, I bought two others: an Old Amsterdam [1] which is a kind of aged Gouda, and lastly, a blue from Oregon, aptly named Oregon Blue. I think I’ve already tasted this last one but I don’t remember so it’ll be as if I hadn’t.
[1] Birds flying towards Wenduine on top of that page.
In other foodly news, I started eating the Colomba di Pasqua this morning at breakfast. I calculated that I’ll still have four of the same before I finish it. The woman had said it was smaller. I wouldn’t want to see the larger one.
I had the Colomba with kumquat jam. They make a nice couple. By the way, returning from the Marché, I stopped at a large Asian supermarket to buy baby bok choy, for the only reason that I need variety in my life. They had packs of shrunken oranges, aka fresh kumquats. I almost bought one but they are a pain to peel with two hands, so with only one… I also made Jell-O this morning. It is light green in color and the flavor is “Fruit Fiesta”. To be frank, I’ve never seen fruits dancing the salsa together (er… maybe I did but we’ll skip this if you don’t mind ) so I can’t say if that artificial flavor is really the same as a fruit fiesta. I have to take their word for it. This and that’s
There’s so much major stuff happening and which I could discourse about but which would take me too much time, time (or energy) which I don’t have just right now. Among those, this whopping leak about people stashing billions in fiscal paradises, Canada breeding young terrorists, Canada bullying and isolating itself from the rest of the world, the astounding inquest on corruption involving the mob, politicians and the construction industry, in the greater Montreal area but also elsewhere in Québec, daily shootings in the U.S. and its corollary, people arming themselves to the teeth, police violence in Montreal, Jay Leno leaving the Tonight Show (oops, how did this land here?), and so on and so on…
Roger Ebert died. That’s a loss. Movies help to forget, temporarily, the hideous world we have created.
Comments (8)
The simple meals are the most heartwarming. Too bad about Ebert. I admired how he kept on going. So many fixtures from when I was growing up are shuffling off the stage these days …
Nice cartoon about North Europe ans south Europe. I’m afraid South Europe are not only having a hard time with the economy, but they also have not very nice weather. (In Italian we say time meaning also weather. Che tempo fa? The are having a bad time for sure, not getting rid of Berlusconi does not look good for the future either.
Saffron does not grow near Milano, so I wouldn’t worry about that. The saffron was introduced by a Flemish artist working at the Duomo to make colored glass. The modern cooking technique of the risotto seems to be much modern. Gualtiero Marchesi (Italina great chef) advices to make to glaze the onions separately and with cold butter add to the risotto at the end “Mantecare”).
Simple ways are often the best: Alla cacciatora (Pollo) Alla mugnaia- Meuniere( Fish).
Orange -red cheese? must be protestants farmers down there. The milk is normally white so I suppose they add some color to the milk.
Red cheese and blue cheese, it looks you like colored cheese. (Joke) ahah.
I wouldn’t have noticed the birds flying towards Wenduine if you hadn’t pointed it out. I just checked and they’re still flying.
I’m looking for a new cracker to replace the regular saltines that I’ve been eating for decades. I’ll give the Breton a try.
I could find the birds. I looked at the old Amsterdam site and I saw them. Nice. Thanks.
Montreal has many buildings. Looks like it’s not easy to breathe there. Good food and cheese.
@carlo - I add butter in the end also but glazing the onions separately seems an idea worth trying.
ps : à propos de corruption et de fraude tu as certainement entendu parler de la grosse affaire en ce moment en France ;
Once I was in Englad in a supermarket( Yes ! ) I wanted to buy a cheese named Chester . Improssible à trouver , Il n’ y avait que du leicester . Va pour le Leicester .Il était comme celui que tu montres .
Quand au Gouda on l’ apelle come cela en France aussi pour le distinguer du Vieux Hollande qui a la même couleur que le leicester mais il y a 60 ans on ne connaissait comme fromage de Hollande que ce qu’on appelle maintenat Gouda . En France il y a une telle multiplicité de fromages qu’on s’y perd;
Météo ; Après la neige nous avons depuis une dizaine de jours un temps sec et froid. J ‘ en profite pour bécher le jardin entier et enfouir le fumier . Maintenat j’ attends la douceur printannière .
Amitiés
Michel