Serving suggestions

Buying me tea, I saw these and thought it's a cold night some delish pease pudding would be just the thing. I was even more pleased when I saw the the serving suggestions! mmmmm tasty!

Now there will be the rationalists amongst who'll be saying well we eat humous what's the difference. Well you may have point.

Time for the nursery rhyme.

rhubarb triangle

Saw this in the paper; it’s about the Rhubarb Triangle. Which has particular place in my heart, as it’s one of the places I grew up in.
It’s the only place to buy the pink forced rhubarb from. I saw some on one of my rare visit to a supermarket the other day and was tempted but was recoiled when I saw the cretins where selling Dutch grown stuff. It’s why we need this “appellation controlle” designation. The fields around our village are filled with rhubarb and the long sheds where the stalks are forced. In the summer you can gather enough for a pie off the roads where it’s bounced of the farmer’s trailers. My dad would come home with a huge bunch in a twist of newspaper, fresh from the grower.
Its gathering praise here’s what Ricky Stein has to say.

Details of the Rhubarb Triangle

Some recipes:

My own is simple; stew the 'barb either the Nigella way in oven or just in pan. Add sugar to taste, it can stand a sprinkle of cinnamon or ginger. I then have it cool with 50/50 Greek yoghurt and custard (cold) with either toasted oatmeal (heat in pan for few minutes) or a ginger nut crumbled over the top. In Italy it would be regional specialty; here I’ll just call it “store cupboard rhubarb fool”.
Whilst finding some pictures of the triangle I found these sites.
Again top marks to the authors for sharing their hobbies and interests.
Pictures of churches in UK
And a perplexing Maths site based in Rothwell, that sounds like it should be in Roswell, cryptography and rhubarb who knew.

Ramble on.

Exciting day, firstly I was in a meeting with someone who looked like CJ Cregg (Allison Janney) everyone’s favourite press secretary. It was quiet unnerving; my "London CJ" was just as nice as the so called fictional one, very delightful.

Not more than 20 minutes later I almost bumped into Terry Gilliam. This impressed me more than it should. He is after all one of the best ever British film directors and there he was walking past Muji on Tottenham Court road. It was one of those minor coincidences as I had just been looking at a box set of his films. Obviously if this was a true coincidence he would have just been reading my blog!

Lastly just watched an enjoyable programme, “Wainwright walks” on BBC4. It’s just a programme about walking in the lakes, but like most programmes I like more and more, it is just of its self, no side, no angle. The only celebrity is Wainwright, who although a million selling author was a town treasurer and curmudgeon for most his life.
The programme features Watchdog’s Julia Bradbury, who is a good choice, being friendly and personable but also seemingly new to hill walking and so has a nice everywoman touch. The true star of the show as they always say is the scenery, The Lakeland fells always look good but this show was really shot well. You just wanted to be sat next to Sprinkling tarn or be just setting out across the heather to tackle another summit.
My only gripes are that there where too many establishing shots of Julia, we would see her walking up hill then cut to her walking toward the camera etc. They just look set up and the process of filming gets in the way. There was one long shot where you just thought did they all have to wait whilst the camera man schlepped to the other side of the valley or was the peace of the lakes ruined by “wup wup” of a BBC chopper.
One last thing, I don’t know if it’s just Julia’s background or I have been mispronouncing it all these years but all the way through tonight’s show she referred to Scafell Pike, but said it more like Scawfell pike instead of Scarfell pike. It just sounded weird; I can never fully come to terms with these southerners and their long vowels. But anyway vowel complaints aside the programme did make me want to get my mental kink cake out and head for the hills.

Barnstorming Wallis

Master Chef reheated:

Had a request for a review of the final. I missed it when it first went out on Thurs (I was at lecture) I caught it this afternoon, switching to and fro from the Grand Prix (Hamilmania anyone).

I have aired my doubts early in this blog about the format but in and of its self its perfectly fine tv. I think this series hasn't totally taken off due to poor quality of the cooks taking part. I think it was mistake to loose the garrulous Geordie David(?) as he had potential to do well.

Of the the finalists I think Steve Wallis was the obvious winner, the posh cheese shop owner Ben was too posh and couldn't make food tasty. The nervous "country lawyer" Hanna (which makes her sounds like a Beatrix Potter charcter ) could never make 3 excellent "plates" of food in row.

So, Steve ,his scarf and fluster rightly won. Mr "Boodaful plate of food" baldy judge Gregg kept alluding to him being "flamboyant" presumably in the same way Larry Grayson was "Flamboyant". I thought we had got away from this sort of innuendo.

I have one gripe though I can't really see why we need a whole week of tasks which don't count for anything. As all the judging seems to be done on the last meal. Also have you noticed that whenever a professional chef is given some food to taste on TV, if they can't find anything wrong they always say it needs more salt, so reluctant are they to give praise.

One last thing if "pears, chocolate sauce and ice cream" makes you Masterchef, I can proudly announce next years winner......... it's My Dad. Yes, BLTP senior who spent hours feeding us ungrateful wretches, use to knock out this dish for a special afters. Now I will admit the pears were tinned "Bartlett pear halves", the ice cream out of the Freezer but the sauce was home made a sort of coco custard and it was delish, in fact it was boodaful plate of food!

Going for a Burton

Dressing the part:

While looking up Clint's character names, I came across this wonderful site. The net is full of obsessions (this blog among them) but some people take it to new heights. This site is devoted to "Where Eagles Dare". It's well done,covers the film and book in extreme details. Part of the idea of this blog was to celebrate such things so, well done lads it's a beaut!

Another gem I found via the WED site was this clothing firm. Do you want to dress like Clint and Burton in Schloss Adler? Well, the M.O.D (Maverick Outdoor Designs) can help. They can even help you out if you wish to look like Michael Caine aka "Col. Kurt Steiner" the cockney Wehrmacht commander in "the Eagle has landed".

Man with too many Names:

The poetry of Lists Vol1:

I put this together as part of an occasional series. You must have noticed how sometimes a random order of words can have a hidden poetry about them. The shipping forecast is probably the most famous. Well, here's my first entry it's a list of Clint Eastwood's character names. They seem to be mix of Celtic sounding ones mixed with Scandinavian and polish. Some of the earlier ones sound like they come from a gay chatroom. I do like first Saxon and dumbo pilot!

Frankie Dunn
Terry McCaleb
Frank Corvin

Steve Everett
Luther Whitney
Robert Kincaid
Chief Red Garnett
Frank Horrigan
William 'Bill' Munny
Nick Pulovski
John Wilson

Tommy Nowak
Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan

Gunnery Sgt. Tom 'Gunny' Highway
Preacher
Lieutenant Speer
Capt. Wes Block
Harry Callahan
Red Stovall
Mitchell Gant
Philo Beddoe
Bronco Billy McCoy

Frank Morris
Philo Beddoe
Ben Shockley
Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Josey Wales
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock
John "Thunderbolt" Doherty
Insp. 'Dirty' Harry Callahan
Man in Crowd on Pier
The Stranger
Joe Kidd
Insp. Harry Callahan
Dave
Cpl. John McBurney
Pvt. KellyHoganPardner
Lt. Morris Schaffer
Deputy Sheriff Walt Coogan
Marshal Jed Cooper
Rowdy Yates
The Magnificent Stranger
Charlie
MoncoRowdy Yates
JoeRed Hardigan
George Moseley

Keith William
Burns
Dumbo Pilot
John Lucas
Lt. Jack Rice,
Roughride
Marine (Medic)
Tom, ranch hand

Law Man
Will
Joe Keeley
Jet Squadron Leader
First Saxon

Jonesey

Friday Lucky bag

So let’s try again, if history tells us anything it’s that you should always do your work in Word and save it rather than spend an hour on your blog only for it to crash and you loose all you stuff just when you try to post it!
Anyway anyway , the sharp eyed of you will have noticed that this bit has changed its name. Even though this edish is coming out on Saturday it will now be called “Friday lucky bag” this is because it’s taken me a week to remember they were called lucky not variety bags! It had been worrying me all week.

Fancy a nice iced Fancy?: My good friend L sent me this picture this week. It’s from a site called mini man, I think but unfortunately the link didn’t work. It did however lead me to musing on éclairs. Firstly I remembered that rare thing an intentionally funny dictionary citation, the éclair is described in Chambers as “a cake long in length but short in duration”. This is pleasing because it’s precise and humorous.

Also I took a surf and found that Éclair is from the French for lightning which some in interwebland seem to think reflects the shiny flash of chocolate icing; this is nonsense it refers to how long they last!

Lastly there was also some discussion as to what an éclair should consist of, well there’s no argument the perfect éclair should have chocolate icing and be filled with whipped cream, not crème patisserie, or chantilly cream or even heaven for fend butter cream. Nor should there be any coffee flavour in the icing or filling. If it comes on one of the fresh cream “naughty but nice” paper doilies with little blue cows on that would be perfect.

Not so dumb blonde: I was listening to my Dolly Parton cd this week. I was struck by what a perfect work song “9 to 5” is.

I would offer that it is the best hit work song. It is full insight and compassion for people (women) going about their daily grind, it’s also a really good catchy song. Why do C&W songs talk about work better than rock or even pop?

Is this because C&W is “blue collar and red neck” music? Rock is particular hopeless at every day work all the writers of “classic” tunes, the likes of Ray Davies, Paul Weller , Damon Albarn et al are rubbish at it. In fact they are usually disdainful and patronising about work. And give the impression that us wage slaves are complicit in our slavery. This would be fine if any of them had done a days work in their lives and didn’t write toss like “drink all day because the country’s at war”
Dolly on the other hand may not have slaved over a copier or sat through boring meetings in Luton but she has sung and performed to earn her crust since her early teens. This may have just given her more insight than, lechering your way through art school and then pestering groupies for a living.
Oh and lastly blond/e is one of the few gendered words we use in English,

To infinity and beyond: I was working in office last night that had a tiny 4 person lift, to make it seem like it had more space it was clad in infinity mirrors on all sides. This is a terrible thing to do to anyone, we all feel bad in morning but seeing ourselves disappearing into the distance makes it worse.

I remember a lift in friends' flat in Spain that had the same mirrors, it was really slow and stank of sewerage .

It was a terrible 3 minutes ride as you sank to earth, your head throbbing, you blood shot gaze illuminated by harsh strip light reflected back into infinity, the sickly stench of sewer turning your hung-over stomach.
That being said if you want to make your own go here.

Woody land walk: Like everybody with a new mp3 player (mine is on my phone) I have been rediscovering my cd collection. One of my current faves is “the best of Benny Goodman”. I was going to tell about how great “sing, sing “ is but this chap has already done it and he knows all the correct jazz mag words. I have found something out however, if you play Benny Goodman (or that matter any swing tune) whilst walking you immediately turn into a Woody Allen character.

So here’s BLTP “How to walk like Woody”™ cut out and keep guide.

1,Buy the best of Benny Goodman (usually less than a fiver)
2.Don one of those nice brown Armani coats they all wore in “Hanna and Her sisters”
3.Walk briskly down the high Street listening to Benny.
3.Meet up with Diane Keaton for coffee.

NB. You’ll have to supply your own witty philosophical voice over, also for a change Duke Ellington works just as well, especially the totally Woodytastic “take the A train”

Subterranean street sign semiology:

Saw this on the tube. Its for an interiors show, what struck about it was whatever, the appeal of Fearne Cotton (apart from the obvious) (wasn’t she rubbish on comic relief) she’s not my go to girl for paint tips. I don’t know if the photographer wanted to highlight this but she is holding a paint roller without anything to roll it in!
Lastly and in a puerile this say’s more about me that does about you sort of way, isn’t the strapline “smarten up your downstairs” a bit Les Dawson. It's like something Cissy and Ada would say “ she’s gone into the Royal to smarten up her (mouthing now ) door stairs.
Here is some classic Les for you.

CISSIE: "Leonard took some lovely photos... He's got a big Polaroid"ADA: "Ooh they can be painful - does it affect his balance."

"Marriage: The only union without a shop steward"



Sweet of the week: Cadbury chocolate éclairs not the cheapo knock off ones you get in pick and mix, mind.

Make sure everyone gets to see the cake: is the reason the Roux family have stayed at the top of the food world so long because Michel roux is really organised crime boss Hyman Roth (as played by Lee Strasburg)