clinging to the wreckage: Bah! Humbug!

Sunday 23 December 2007

Bah! Humbug!

We are a little weary this morning. TBH has been trying to restore another cruisers laptop and hit a major problem when his own crashed late last night....after a tense few hours and some phone calls to both the USA and India he managed to reinstall and configure the registry(worse than brain surgery I am led to believe!). We finally made it to sleep around 3am , oh well such is life.

You know I think that computing skills is really similar to witchcraft and magic! Few people really understand the dark arts and to those of us who don't know what is going on it is just a marvel when the 'blue screen of death' is resurrected into an animate object again!

I am set for a busy day, there are so many social events over the next few days here at Mario's marina that I need to get ahead with my cooking contributions. We have a breakfast potluck coming up as well as carol singing and of course Christmas Day potluck...

I am going to start by making the mince pies as soon as I have had breakfast and cleared the decks a bit. Looks like a bomb has gone off down here at the moment. Tiny computer repair tools jumbled in amongst Christmas decorations and 'How to' manuals. Well I guess that's the down side of living in such a small space.

The 'Bah Humbug' part of me, yes even I have a touch of it, has been trying to assert itself. Case of missing the kids, and the cat, fending off a cold that is trying to take hold, and a sentimental longing for snow and crowded shops...it's all in the mind though and with a generous dosing of Christmas music, glasses of mulled wine and Chrismas baking I will kick it into touch!

So more choirboys and traditional music to get me back in the mood. These are from King's College, Cambridge. I shall miss listening to the service of nine carols and lessons that will be broadcast from there by the BBC, as it is every Christmas Eve, sorry got to go need to wipe the tears that are gathering in the corner of my eye...

And an excerpt from 'The Snowman' by Raymond Briggs. An integral part of my children's childhood Christmases , pass the tissues!

That's better! Therapy successful. Just a bloody good job I don't wear mascara here!

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Cuban-style shrimps with rum

100ml rum
few drops tabasco sauce
zest and juice of 1 lime
2tsps worcester sauce
2.5tbso plain flour
pinch of ground cumin
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
24 large shrimp,peeled and deveined
10z butter
80ml olive oil
4 large cloves garlic,crushed
1tbsp chopped parsley
1tbsp chopped coriander(cilantro) leaves

Mix rum,tabasco,lime juice and zest and worcester sauce in a small bowl.
Mix flour with cumin,nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.Dip the shrimp in the mix before cooking.
Melt half butter with half oil in large saute pan, when hot add half garlic and half shrimp. Cook until prawns are pale pink and lightly golden. Lift on serving plate, keep warm. repeat with remaining butter,oil, garlic and shrimp.
Pour rum mix into pan and allow to bubble for a minute or two, stirring.
Mix with parsley and ciltrano.
pour over shrimp and serve with rice as a main dish or alone as a starter.

Delicious!

Caramalised Onion,Fruit and Nut Pilau

2tbsp Ghee
2 large onions, sliced
2tbsp Ghee, extra
1tsp hot chilli powder
1tsp ground black pepper
1/4tsp saffron threads
4 cardamon pods, crushed
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1tsp salt
2 cups basmati rice, washed and drained
4 cups water
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, shelled

Heat ghee in large pan. Cook the onions until caramelized. Remove from pan.

Add extra ghee and spices to same pan, cook stirring, until fragrant. Stir in salt, rice and onions.

Add water, bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and cover until rice is tender and all water has been absorbed.Stir in fruit, cover and stand 5 mins.

Just before serving stir in nuts.

Carrol Shelby's Chili Recipe.

1/4	lb suet or 1/4 cup cooking oil
1	lb beef round steak, coarse chili grind
1	lb beef chuck, coarse chili grind
8	ounces can tomato sauce
12	ounces beer
2	tablespoons crushed red chili peppers
2	medium garlic cloves, minced
1	small onion, finely chopped
1 1/4	teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1/2	teaspoon paprika
1 1/2	teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/4	teaspoons salt
1/8	teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4	lb monterey jack cheese, grated

Melt suet or heat the oil in a heavy 3-quart (or larger) pot over medium-high heat.
Remove the unrendered suet and crumble meat into the pot. Break up any lumps with a fork and cook, stirring occasionally. until meat is evenly browned.
Add tomato sauce, beer, crushed red chile, garlic, onion, oregano, paprika, 1 teaspoons of the cumin, and salt. Stir to blend and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Taste and adjust seasonings, adding cayenne pepper.
Simmer uncovered 1 hour longer.
Stir in the cheese and the remaining 1/2 teaspoons cumin.
Simmer 1/2 hour longer, stirring often to keep cheese from burning.
I serve the chili with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese to garnish, and warm cornbread on the side.
The cookbook actually called for 1/4 cup of crushed red chile pepper, but unless you have a taste for fire, use less! I use half that amount, and I really like hot food.