Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
710
It is. I remember going to one bistro type place a couplek of years back where every main course dish on the menu (about ten) came with mashed potato. Yes, they’d given them all different names - potato puree, colcannon etc - but they were all mash!
As for today, we’ve had our first snow and, for this area, it’s a heavy fall of easily 7cm. The mother in law was having a minor operation today and Mrs H was up early to get her to the hospital by 7.30. The roads were awful - only the main ones had been gritted. And, then, after a couple of hours waiting, the operation was cancelled as the surgeon and half of her/his nursing team hadnt been able to get in to work. And Mrs H has suggested that we don’t do our planned supermarket shopping today and eat what’s in.
That’s going to be “rag pudding”, chips and peas. Everything from the freezer. Now, I doubt whether foreigners will have heard of rag pudding and I’d bet that there’s not too many Britons have either. It’s a product (most people will buy it, rather than make it, these days) that’s very specific to the town of Oldham in northwest England - one of the ten boroughs in our metro area - and just needs heating through. It’s minced beef and onion wrapped in suet pastry and, originally, wrapped in cheesecloth (the “rag”) before being steamed to cook - like the much more well known steak and kidney suet pudding. Nowadays, there’s a more industrial factory production.
First snow for us too this year too. (Maybe it is the same storm?!) It has announced 15cm, instead only 2-3 cm here, but still chaotic for the cars here in Parisian region. In France, it is not obliged by the law to be equipped with special tyres here. I know Germany, the winter tyres are mandatory. Not sure about England, but I thought you need to be equipped with the colder temperature.
I hope your freezer still have enough food to feed you… without the need for to go for shopping with all the chaos.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
712
No special requirements here. And, for most areas of the country, heavy snow is such a comparitive rarity that there’s chaos whenever it happens. We are very fortunate where we are. We live near the edge of the metro area and snow is rare but even only a couple of kilometres further away from the city, it can be bad.
Stay warm, naf, and look forward to some comforting food.
Mussels Provincial
Shrimp with linguini with a PSTOG*
*(proverbial shit ton of garlic)
7 Likes
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
715
I officially have a cold which has settled in my eyes. While I’m happy to avoid the usual nose and chest issues I can’t comfortable look at any thing for more than a minute. Which throws off my cooking plans quite a bit!
Dinner tonight will probably be a scrambled egg sandwich. Been alternating between mugs of ginger tea with lemon and mugs of clear chicken broth while listening to podcasts.
I’m caring for a neighbors cat while they are away. This is the kitty that the circus cat is in love with. She returns his affection by hissing and whacking the glass door between them. I let her back into her house a bit ago. She was rubbing my legs very enthusiastically so I thought she must be missing her people. Sat down on the landing and extended my hand. She rubbed against it and then suddenly bit the holy shit out of me! Broke the skin in 4 spots, drawing blood in 3. Ungrateful wench. Jojo really needs to reconsider his criteria for a sweetheart.
oh jeez. from personal experience, that can lead to vicious infection - hope you’re ok!
2 Likes
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
718
I washed/flushed it with hot water and soap, then used peroxide. Applied antibiotic cream to the surface and bandaged it. Fortunately the punctures are not deep and there is not much pain. I’m keeping an eye on it since it can become a nasty infection.
I had planned on hanging out with her for a bit this evening but I’m too sluggish to deal with her if she gets aggressive. She has always been a bit wild. I might have to wear my snake proof boots for protection when I visit her!
I was bitten once lightly by my own cat (a few months ago). He got too excited and treated me like a prey.
@meatn3
Snake proof boots? You are really well equipped.
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
720
The meaner she is the more he seems to be attracted to her! Fortunately there has always been glass between them.
This is the cat that ran down the deck stairs and whacked a fox on the rump as it walked by. She is also the one who played catch and release with a 2’+ copperhead for over 20 minutes, repeatedly whacking it’s head with her paw. Letting it go and then re-catching it. She is fearless in a batshit crazy sort of way.
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
722
My county had the record in the entire country for poisonous snake bites a year ago.
When you try to spot the copperhead in this photo you’ll understand why I finally purchased the boots for hiking and gardening!
I haven’t kept up with my poisonous snake training in some years. Is Copperhead venom deadly?
meatn3
(equal opportunity eater in the NC Triangle)
725
Not usually but it is painful and can leave lasting neurological damage and cause secondary infections. Interestingly the poison isn’t as bad with dogs. Usually the vet treats it with massive dose of Benedryl and cleans the wound. I’ve only known one dog that had problems - she was bit on the tongue and ended up developing necrosis which required surgery.
Fortunately, they are not aggressive. They are so well camouflaged that they tend to just stay very still and hope you don’t notice them. Which makes them quite easy to step on.
I had a friend who went out for a smoke one evening. He saw his big round ashtray on the brick patio steps and sat down beside it. Eventually, he got up to go back indoors and saw his big round ashtray by the patio door and was confused. Turned on the light and saw a copperhead curled up next to where he had been sitting covered with ashes. I imagine he would have been bitten if he had put the cigarette out on the snake.
Edit: they are in the pit viper family. Bites from babys can be the worse since they tend to release more venom due to inexperience.
Sorry to hear - hope you feel better soon! I’ll repeat my turmeric suggestion - mix with some honey and a pinch of black pepper, and chase with warm water to get the taste out of your mouth! 2-3 times a day.
