Monday 30 June 2014

Capital City of the Week – Buenos Aires


 
Almost as many people live in Buenos Aires as in the whole of New Zealand.
 
Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires.
 
The Battle of the River Plate, the first naval battle of the Second World War, was fought just off the coast from Buenos Aires.  One of the ships involved was the Achilles, a New Zealand vessel.

 
This is the Pink House you can see in Buenos Aires.
So where in the world is Buenos Aires?
Buenos Aires is the capital of:

Ralph Goings Artist



Today I am bringing to you some paintings by Ralph Goings – of food.  He is a photorealist.  I find the paintings quite intriguing.  I hope you like them too.
 

Goings is an American.  He was born in 1928 which makes him about 86 now.  May he long continue in good health.

 

Sunday 29 June 2014

Well I guess he knew.... or did he inherit his money?


Gordon's Chicken Wings


Gordon's Chicken Wings by Carole's Chatter

I got the basic idea for this dish, which I have called Gordon's Chicken Wings, from a TV programme by Gordon Ramsay.  I didn't note it down so the dish may not be exactly the same.  But I was pleased with it.
I marinated the chicken wings overnight in a mixture of:

Tamarind paste
Palm Sugar
Chilli flakes
White pepper
Garlic
Fish sauce
Vegetable Oil 

The quantities will differ according to your taste – I do recommend not going too heavy on the tamarind paste – it packs a really sour punch.  You could use lemon or lime juice instead.
Then when you are ready to cook, just pop the wings in a tray on foil and grill or bake them for 25 to 30 minutes!

Saturday 28 June 2014

Unfortunately, if I don't make a note ... it won't happen!


Avignon – a famous bridge and a palace


Street in Avignon old town

Avignon in Provence lies on the river Rhone. There is a lovely ancient medieval town centre still there.  But Avignon is mostly known for 2 main things – a bridge and a palace.
Palais des Papes, Avignon
 
Palais des Papes – or Papal Palace. 
Avignon was where Popes lived for about 70 years from 1309 to 1377.  There were 7 different Popes – all of them French -  and 2 Anti-Popes based in Avignon.  The Palace of the Popes is said to be the most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. 

 
Sur le Pont d’Avignon
L'on y danse, l'on y danse
Sur le Pont d’Avignon
L'on y danse tous en rond

The other famous thing about Avignon is its bridge.  We all sang "Sur le pont d'Avignon" at school (click here for a YouTube clip of the song)– but the bridge is actually the St Benezet bridge and it now only goes part way across the river.  The song dates back to the 15th century.  What remains of the bridge is a World Heritage Site.
Pont St Benezet, Avignon
 
The old streets in the walled part of the city are great to visit – but not by car – that is quite hair raising since the streets are very narrow and windy.

Friday 27 June 2014

Hee hee....


Food on Friday: Sage & Thyme

ON
 
 
Food on Friday is going 'herby' – this collection is for dishes that have either or both of thyme and sage in them.  Fresh or dried.
To add your dish which has either thyme or sage  in it, just put the name of the dish together with your blog name/name into the first Mr Linky box you will find below.  Then paste the url for your post about it into the second box.
I'll be pinning the links to this Pinboard – this is a quick way for you to scan the dishes and choose which ones you want to check out in more detail.
Give it some herbs – as they sometimes say in New Zealand – meaning put your foot down and go faster!
 

Thursday 26 June 2014

Yes, but it still doesn't make change easy!


Need Some Inspiration? Try Broccoli & Brussels Sprouts!



Lemon& Orange Vegetables
Food on Friday: Broccoli & Brussels Sprouts resulted in some great ways to use these so healthy sounding ingredients!  I have chosen four broccoli dishes and 3 Brussels sprout dishes to inspire you today.  To see the rest (there were over 80) just pop over to this Pinboard.
The first pic is of Gormandize's Lemon & Orange Vegetables.
 


Here are Grilled Mustardy Brussels Sprouts by Dimples & Delights
 


Asparagus & Broccoli Quiche by Rachel Cotterill

 

Stuffed Brussels Sprouts by Home Cook Food
 


Oven Roasted Broccoli by Butteryum
 


Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Strawberries by Jenni's Ferris Wheel of Food

 
Broccoli Quinoa Salad by A Frenchtown Kitchen

Wednesday 25 June 2014

Nostalgia alert!




Downtown by Petula Clark – an international hit in 1964
When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know, downtown


Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?
The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares


So go downtown
Things will be great when you're downtown
No finer place for sure, downtown
Everything's waiting for you


Here is a YouTube clip of it for you

The Unpredictable Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell




The Unpredictable Consequences of Love is unashamed chick lit – but it's still quality writing.  The main female characters are very relatable – even to someone of my age.  And you feel happy both during and at the end of the book.  What's not to like?
If you are in the mood for a light entertaining and romantic read this may suit you.  The book has no swearing that I can remember (other than a toddler on a beach saying 'bugger' when meaning 'bucket') and no sexual content.
One of the things that makes the authors books so enjoyable is that they are multi-dimensional in terms of characters without ever getting too difficult to follow.
This is Jill Mansell's 25th book which is a major body of work by anyone's standards.

 

Tuesday 24 June 2014

What's your laundry technique?


Leftover Steak on Buttered Leeks


Leftover  Steak on Buttered Leeks by Carole's Chatter

So I was left with half a piece of steak.  I hate waste but it wasn't enough on its own to make a lunch for two – even a light lunch.
I had a leek as well – so I washed it (doesn't the grit just hide in them) and sliced it.  I sautéed it in butter until the leek was almost but not quite soft.  Then into an oven dish with the steak sliced up on top – with salt and pepper, some grated cheese and paprika and a litte cayenne pepper.  A splosh of white win and then I just baked it until it was warm and the cheese had melted. 
It was a yummy lunch.

Monday 23 June 2014

Capital City of the Week – Moscow


 
So I guess we will all know this one.  But Moscow is an interesting city.
 

This is the famous St Basil's Cathedral.  Love all that colour!

 
This convent is also in Moscow

 


And of course the legendary Bolshoi Ballet is headquartered there.
So where in the world is Moscow?
Moscow is the capital of:

 

I will follow him made a hit by Peggy March at only 15 years old


I will follow Him, follow Him
Wherever He may go,
And near Him,
I always will be,
For nothing can keep me away,
He is my destiny.
I will follow Him, ever since
He touched my heart I knew,
There isn't an ocean too deep,
A mountain so high, it can keep,
Keep me away, away from His love

Sunday 22 June 2014

So let's all be cheerful!


Feijoas poached in wine


Feijoas poached in wine by Carole's Chatter

Feijoas poached in wine – a real treat!  If you are familiar with feijoas (you might know them as Pineapple Guavas) then you'll know that they have a distinctive and fabulous flavour.
I heated up ¾ cup of sugar, 1 cup of white wine (I used viognier but it could be any white wine), ½ cup of water, juice of ½ a lemon, splosh of vanilla essence and a couple of bay leaves.  I simmered the feijoas cut in half in this mixture for 10 minutes.  Then take the feijoas out and boil the remaining liquid until it is syrupy.
You can serve this just with a little cream – my preference – or you could add some chopped nuts on top!

Saturday 21 June 2014

A frog with attitude!


Hot Water Beach

Hot Water Beach
 
Ok, it's time to titillate you again with a post about a place in New Zealand.  I do hope you come to visit real soon!

Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula is a pretty special place.  Not only is it a great big and beautiful beach but at each low tide you can dig yourself out a hot spring pool to lounge in!  Lots of people do visit to do just that.  The local cafes do a brisk trade in hiring out little spades to dig.  You can make your own hot spa for 2 hours each side of the low tide. 

 
One warning – if you dig down you will find very hot water – so it's not advisable just to leap in without testing just how hot it is.  People do manage to burn themselves quite regularly. 

 
Another warning – if you are all hot and want to cool off by swimming – don't just dash into the sea right where the hot springs are – there is a notorious rip right there and you might get towed out to sea.  Just go back down the beach a little ways to swim – the safest place is between the flags, of course, when the beach is being patrolled (ie during the summer).
Our preferred time to visit Hot Water Beach is not at summer's height – too many tourists all at once for us.
Hot Water Beach is about a 2 ½ hour drive from Auckland – a lovely drive through some great natural scenery.

Friday 20 June 2014

And all that for 15c a box!


Food on Friday: Chillies


 
ON
 
I decided it was time to revisit dishes made with Chillies – what you may call red peppers, chili peppers, jalapenos etc etc.
To add your dish which has chilli in it, just put the name of the dish together with your blog name/name into the first Mr Linky box you will find below.  Then paste the url for your post about it into the second box.
I'll be pinning the links to this Pinboard – this is a quick way for you to scan the dishes and choose which ones you want to check out in more detail.  This is the same Pinboard I used for the last chilli collection so you might like to check out the earlier 70 or so dishes as well!
Have some red hot fun!

 

Thursday 19 June 2014

Love this!


Need Some Inspiration? Try Dried Fruit!


Date Square
Foodon Friday: Dried Fruit was indeed inspirational!  I have selected just a few of the many great dishes to show you today.  To see the rest just head on over to this Pinboard.
The first pic is of Jodi from Happy Hearted Kitchen's Date Square

 

 
Apricot Almond Hummus by Living Free

 
Dried Fruit Almond Twist by three kids and a fish

 

Moist White Fruitcake by Kitchen Nostalgia
 
Finishing off with this informative post by Countrified Hicks on Dehydrating Fruits/Vegetables