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Archive for the ‘other sides to this life’ Category

Interesting cabbage

Posted in Food, other sides to this life, Recipes, Robin Ellis, tagged , , , , on December 15, 2012| 11 Comments »

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A cabbage once got the job of representing my head.

A grisly tale this.

In 1971 I played the foolish, arrogant, headstrong Earl of Essex in Elizabeth R opposite a formidable Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth.

The young jackanapes got it into his head to start a rebellion against the Virgin Queen.

He’d been her favorite for years and had been forgiven much–but this she couldn’t ignore. He found himself on Tower Green and a rendezvous with the headsman.

The powers that be at BBC Television Centre decided the most realistic way to replicate the sound of a head being chopped off was to lop a cabbage in half!

I have only recently been able to eat them without getting nervous!

Here the abused cabbage is restored to its proper place–on the table.

Not as spectacular, but last night we found ourselves forking a little more and then a little more onto our plates–until there was none!

for 2

1 small cabbage–halved vertically and sliced finely

1 clove of garlic–sliced finely

1 small onion–chopped small

10 juniper berries–crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper

a splash of water

  • Heat the oil in a pan.
  • When hot, sauté the garlic until it starts to color.
  • Add the onion and stir fry until the onion catches up with the garlic.

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  • Add the cabbage and the juniper berries and turn all together thoroughly in the garlic, onion and oil mix.

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  • Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for a further ten minutes to soften the cabbage.
  • Add a splash of water if the cabbage starts to catch (stick to the pan)
  • Be generous with the pepper and sprinkle some salt over.

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Brussel sprouts–sautéed with parmesan and breadcrumbs

Posted in Food, other sides to this life, Recipes, tagged , on December 12, 2012| 13 Comments »

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Sprouts like a good frost is one of the few gardening mantras I remember growing up in the fifties.

My father must have said it.

Dad grew vegetables–mainly root vegetables in winter but sprouts as well–on their extraordinary rods.

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Late autumn/winter is their season–time of the first frosts.

Woke this morning to a white out–not snow, but a heavy frost–brussels came to mind.

At this time of year my mother would add the traditional chestnuts or bacon to liven them up.

She didn’t overcook them either–one reason members of the cabbage family remain unpopular with some.

This is a simple alternative–adapted from the wonderful Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen.

for 2/3

1lb brussel sprouts–outer layers removed and larger ones halved

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons wholewheat breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons parmesan–grated

salt and pepper

  • Steam the sprouts for about ten minutes–to soften them but taking care not overdo it.

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  • Remove from the heat.
  • Heat the oil in a sauté pan and when it’s hot carefully transfer the sprouts to the pan.
  • Sauté on a high heat until they show signs of browning.
  • Add the cheese and breadcrumbs and stir fry for a couple of minutes–scraping the breadcrumb and cheese mix off the base of the pan (they become deliciously crunchy), while turning the sprouts.

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Keeping the Black Snake fat!

Posted in Diabetes, other sides to this life, Robin Ellis, tagged , , , on December 11, 2012| 17 Comments »

It’s a while since I posted a Diabetes update.

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Recipes and cat tales are so much more uplifting.

But given my recent history, this new study deserves an airing.

After analyzing the medical records of almost two million people in the UK, the National Diabetes Audit found that people with diabetes have almost a 50% higher risk of a heart attack.

About 22,000 people with diabetes in England and Wales died prematurely in 2010/11, the report says.

“The finding that people with diabetes are almost 50 per cent more likely to have a heart attack is shocking; this is one of the main reasons many thousands of people with the condition are dying before their time,” said Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK.

About seven weeks ago, my cardiologist at the excellent local clinic wasn’t a hundred percent happy with the results of a couple of my stress test results.

(These were routine tests suggested by my G.P.–given my Type 2 diabetes.)

The local cardiologist sent me to the Clinique Pasteur in Toulouse, where late one Tuesday afternoon in October I found myself flat on my back, naked, in what felt suspiciously like an operating theatre.

(This isn’t my preferred theatre experience!)

Shortly after sensing something creeping up the inside of my right arm, a masked face pushed through the hygienic barrier, regarded me with two quietly friendly eyes and uttered words I shall never forget:

“Vous avez un blocage de l’arterie principale coronaire.”

[You have a blockage of the coronary artery.]

His tone was so reasonable, I heard myself replying in a similar tone:

“C’est sérieux, Monsieur?”.

He remained calm in spite of what he had just heard, and didn’t shout:

“OF COURSE IT’S SERIOUS YOU IDIOT!!“.

Instead I was relieved to hear him say he was going to insert three stents–then and there.

The seriousness of the situation only registered fully with me the following afternoon just before we left for home.

The doctor showed us a video of my heart and arteries BEFORE and AFTER.

Oh my word!

For the procedure my blood had been dyed to show up as black.

In the BEFORE version, a black (blood-rich) artery snakes across the screen to the rhythm of the heart–black except for a small section where the FAT black snake became a very THIN black snake running through an otherwise pale (no blood) tube.

Le blocage–a narrowed artery!

In the AFTER video–three stents in place–the black snake is restored to its glorious fatness.

I had none of the usual symptoms of narrowed arteries— shortness of breath while walking, pains in the chest.

I asked the Quietly Spoken One why?

He said diabetes masks cardiac symptoms–numbing the nerves.

So, j’avais de la chance, je crois!

[I reckon I was lucky!]

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The Ben and Beau Show!

Posted in other sides to this life, Robin Ellis, tagged , , , on December 4, 2012| 23 Comments »

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Our beloveds have grown a little–though Ben–the all-black–stays slight and slim, perhaps by exerting more energy per metre than Usain Bolt winning the Olympic 100 meter dash this summer.

Beau pretends that he’s grown out of his crazy games stage–but fails to convince!

He needs the exercise–after hoovering up food from any spare plate.

(Echoes of Marmalade there….)

They appear unfairly matched–a heavyweight against a flyweight.

Nevertheless, young Ben is usually the attacker and Beau the only too-eager receiver.

More paws than claws; no biting either (as far as we can see) in the melées (happy about that!).

Younger brother vs. older brother more like.

Late evening, a sequence can run something like this:

Leap—roll—push off—pause(paws!)—walk away–walk back––languid lounge–yawn–wait—quick lick/scratch—pause—small haunchcrouch—couple of tail swishes—lean back and leap—repeat, repeat, repeat–retire.

They swagger back to their separate “corners”  to catch their breaths before the bell rings for the next round and they hurl themselves at each other anew.

We are the exhausted ones at the finish.

Meredith caught them at full frolic–watched over at one point by disdainful a Pippa.

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Spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, rosemary and lemon zest

Posted in Food, other sides to this life, Recipes, tagged , on December 3, 2012| 11 Comments »

Meredith reminded me about this pasta a couple of days ago.

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Our friend Hilton introduced us to this dish years ago (like me, he too is a fan of Marcella Hazan).

My version is a slight twist on her original–(using olive oil instead of butter and adding the lemon zest).

It’s the quickest, delicious pasta I have ever had–and so simple!

The sauce is made in 5 minutes while the pasta is cooking.

for 2

a large pan of water

100gms/4oz of wholewheat spaghetti–Meredith thinks that a flat pasta like fettucini would catch the sauce better–hard to find wholewheat fettucini though
three sprigs of fresh rosemary

4 tablespoons olive oil
3  garlic cloves–pulped
1 vegetable stock cube (I use organic)–crumbled
the zest a lemon

2 tablespoons parmesan–grated.

some chopped  parsley to add at the end–for the look.

  • Cook the spaghetti in the salted water until al dente–or to your taste.
  • Meanwhile heat the oil in a small sauce pan and on a low heat cook the rosemary and garlic until the garlic begins to colour–about 5 minutes.
  • Add the crumbled stock cube, stir thoroughly–and turn off the heat.
  • Drain the pasta and put it in a warm bowl.
  • Strain the oil through a sieve and add it to the pasta with the cheese.
  • Turn it all over to coat the pasta with the oil and sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley on top.
  • We picked the not-too-brown garlic bits out of the sieve and scattered them over the pasts too!

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Sea Bream with lemon, garlic and thyme

Posted in Food, other sides to this life, Recipes, tagged , on December 2, 2012| 7 Comments »

This guy was still on the ice at the market with two companions, at 9.15 Saturday morning.

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At 600 grams a little on the large size for two–but I couldn’t resist him and counted myself lucky he had not been claimed.

Two smaller ones would do just as well.

Freshness is all–what is available and looks good.

This is adapted from a recipe by one of my culinary goddesses–Marcella Hazan.

for 2

1 sea bream, 600gms/1lb 5oz in this case or 2 at 250/300gms–washed and patted dry

4 tblspns olive oil

juice of a lemon

a handful of fresh thyme–very hardy and easy to grow in pots

3 cloves of garlic--crushed

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a couple of tblsps flour–I use chickpea flour

salt and pepper

  • Heat the oil to hot in a pan large enough to hold the fish flat.
  • Season the flour with salt and pepper.

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  • Turn the fish in the flour, pat off the excess and stuff the cavity with half the fresh thyme.

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  • Add the bream and the garlic and sauté the fish for 2 minutes each side–

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  • taking care when turning it over in the hot oil.

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  • Turn the heat down to low.
  • Add the lemon juice and the thyme and season (s & p) the fish on both sides.
  • Cover the pan and cook until the fish is done, turning it over after five minutes.

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  • About ten minutes should do it, depending on the size of the fish.
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Mr. Bream with tail restored

  • Now comes the tricky bit–lifting off the fillets.
  • Not too tricky–in fact quite fun and no matter if it breaks up, it will taste the same.
  • Carefully ease the top fillet away from the backbone—-
  • and place it on a plate!

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  • Peel the backbone away from the remaining fillet and

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  • slide a fish slice (the spatula pictured)  underneath.

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  • Voila!

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  • I served it with sautéed spinach and we ate the garlic!

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“Nooked!”

Posted in Diabetes, Food, other sides to this life, Poldark, Recipes, Robin Ellis, tagged , , , , , , on December 1, 2012| 6 Comments »

Making Poldark has been Nooked at last!

Nick it on NOOK–it’s a steal!

It’s available now on NOOK.

Making Poldark: Memoir of a BBC/Masterpiece Theatre Actor
Making Poldark: Memoir of a BBC/Masterpiece Theatre Actor
by Robin Ellis
This revised version came out in April 2012 and is greatly expanded–including new photos from Winston Graham’s personal Poldark photo album.
And while we are at it…
Delicious Dishes for Diabetics
Delicious Dishes for Diabetics 

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A lentil and spinach supper

Posted in Food, other sides to this life, Recipes, tagged , on November 29, 2012| 10 Comments »

Meredith’s Ayervedic consultant gave lentils the thumbs up yesterday.

A break for me–I love all lentils.

Meredith’s not so keen, though she likes the taste—their tendency to “airify” is not so agreeable.

There’s a big glass jar of green/grey Puy-type lentils on the shelf in the larder that’s seen no action for months, so…

inspired by a recipe in Rose Elliott’s Bean Book that combines lentils and spinach (and remembering the pound plus of beautiful organic spinach in the fridge)–I gleefully took it down last night.

This and is another one pot meal–though some brown basmati rice makes for a good companion !

for 4

8oz green/grey lentils–washed thoroughly, but no need to soak them

2 celery sticks–washed

1 clove garlic–peeled

half a large onion–peeled

water to cover the lentils by an inch or a bit more

the other half of the onion–chopped

1 clove garlic–pulped with half a teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

450gms/1lb spinach–washed and drained. (Use frozen if you like–thawed and squeezed)

a couple of pinches of salt

juice of a lemon

  • Put the lentils in a pan with the water and add the celery, onion and garlic.
  • Bring to the boil, turn the heat to low and cook covered until the lentils are tender–try not to overcook them to mush.  The time depends on the age of the lentils–about 25 minutes; check them from time to time.
  • While the lentils are cooking–heat a tablespoon of oil in a sauté pan and add the chopped onion and garlic.
  • Cook gently until they are soft and beginning to colour.
  • Add the cumin and coriander and cook for a minute or two longer.
  • Remove the celery, onion and garlic from the lentils and drain them of most of the excess liquid.
  • Add the spiced onion and garlic mix and turn it all over to coat the lentils.
  • While this is proceeding find time to put the spinach in a large saucepan with a couple of pinches of salt snuck in between the leaves–no extra water is needed.

  • Cook on the lowest heat, covered–until it has wilted.
  • Drain it of excess water but don’t squeeze it.
  • Add it to the lentils and squeeze over the lemon juice
  • Turn it over carefully–and serve with some rice on the side and a couple of lemon quarters on the plate.

Evidence of a change of mind!

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Ella and Marilyn

Posted in other sides to this life, tagged , , on November 28, 2012| 22 Comments »

Meredith spotted this brief but telling anecdote from Ella Fitzgerald.

In the 1950s, the popular nightclub, Mocambo would not book Ella Fitzgerald because she was black. Fortunately for Ella, she had a powerful and unlikely benefactor Marilyn Monroe. “I owe Marilyn Monroe a real debt…it was because of her that I played the Mocambo, a very popular nightclub in the ’50s. She personally called the owner of the Mocambo, and told him she wanted me booked immediately, and if he would do it, she promised she would take a front table every night. She told him – and it was true, due to Marilyn’s superstar status – that the press would go wild. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. The press went overboard. After that, I never had to play a small jazz club again. She was an unusual woman – and ahead of her time and she didn’t know it.” – Ella Fitzgerald

A touch of serendipity, after my nod to a legend last week!

Closest I’ll get now! RIP Marilyn.

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Fennel au gratin

Posted in Food, other sides to this life, Recipes, tagged , on November 26, 2012| 13 Comments »

I bought some impressive looking fennel at the organic market.

It sat on the kitchen island demanding attention.

I sliced one to eat raw at lunch after pasta–with a piece of parmesan or pecorino and some of the new olive oil. We had enjoyed doing this in Tuscany–cleanses the palate (and helps avoid flatulance, according to my researcher–aka Meredith!)

It was tenderly crunchy–not in the least stringy.

Fennel gratin I thought–supper with a sweet potato and tarator sauce.

I’d never cooked it before and my search for guidance led me to the Riverford Farm Cookbook.

Rosemary and garlic was suggested with cream and parmesan.

I have substituted coconut cream (see below if you are unfamiliar with this ingredient) and added more parmesan.

Serves 2 as a main course–4 as an accompanying vegetable.

4 largish fennel bulbs–cleaned, cored and sliced vertically in half inch pieces

1 pint/450ml stock to blanch the fennel–I use organic vegetable stock cubes

3 garlic cloves–peeled and crushed with a knife

1 teaspoon rosemary needles–chopped fine

160ml coconut cream—the difference between coconut milk/cream and cream of coconut is fully explained here: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-coconut-m-75446/. It looks like milk, it is NOT sweetened and it does NOT taste of coconut!

1/2 tablespoon parmesan to mix in with the cream+ more for the topping–a tablespoon perhaps.

(The version below is fat free.)

salt and pepper

  • Bring the stock to the boil in a wide shallow pan.
  • Add the fennel and cook for about 5 minutes–until it’s beginning to soften.

  • Remove it to a bowl with a draining spoon and let it cool a little.

This looks uncooked–but it is!

  • Combine the coconut cream with the garlic and rosemary in a small pan and gently bring to the boil.
  • Turn off the heat.

  • Season this mix and add half the cheese.
  • Pour it on the fennel and turn it all over thoroughly.
  • Put the gratin mix in an oven proof dish–it is oven-ready now.
  • This can be prepared beforehand and set aside, covered with foil.
  • An hour or so before you are planning to eat…
  • Heat the oven to 180C/360F
  • Cook it in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Take it out and lift off the foil.
  • Sprinkle over parmesan to cover and put it back uncovered in the oven for a further 15 minutes.
  • It will have browned nicely on top.

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