The Phantom Staple Remover

Spring on Hampstead Heath

2011-02-08T23:14:00.008Z

Most Tuesdays I join the Marylebone Birdwatching Society for their birding walk over the Heath.

The weather forecast was good, so I arrived early on Hampstead Heath this morning. The mist was burning off in the heat from the sun. I only had my phone to take these pictures, but they came out pretty well I think.

There's something apocalyptic about the images.

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Domestic Goddess

2010-09-29T08:43:00.019+01:00

This post is a paen of praise for my wife Angela.

On Saturday I was with the Marylebone Birdwatching Society here...

There were 31 of us enjoying some beautiful weather and some beautiful birds, including Kingfishers and Peregrine Falcon.

The sun was dappling off the River Hamble near to Southampton Water...

I didn't get home until nearly 8p.m. By then Angela had got TWO machine-fulls of washing done and line dried, baked these...

Delicious shortbread biscuits, produced this....

Sponge Tray-bake, to be finished off with Raspberrry Jam and Desiccated Coconut.

And last but not least...

Beef Chilli!

I must go birding more often....

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Going The Whole Hog

2010-09-07T20:23:00.029+01:00

Angela and I were in the Welsh Marches this weekend. Specifically we were in Chirk.

We were in North Wales for a wedding with a difference. Our dear Nephew Stuart was marrying Ellen. The venue was a large field in Ellen's home village. A number of Yurts had been built especially for the occasion. Mobile loos had been hired, car parking arranged, and lighting had been laid on. Dozens of wedding guests would be camping in the field.

Bands had been hired, fire jugglers were on hand and workshops were taking place in drumming and willow weaving. This was no ordinary wedding - this was "Wedfest".

The trees were decorated...

Mountains of vegetarian food had been prepared; even better, as Stuart is a confirmed carnivore, there was a Hog Roast. A Hog Roast is a simple affair. You just get a couple of gullible friends to dig you a pit four feet long, four feet wide and two feet deep. Then you fill it with wood, allow the wood to burn to embers, then suspend an entire pig on a spit above it. Cover with corrugated iron to keep in the heat. Top up charcoal as it burns down. A fully grown pig will take about ten hours to cook... Oh, you will need to find someone to turn the spit continuously to guarantee even cooking and crackling which is simply cosmic.

The Hog roast shortly after cooking.

To make sure there would be enough food a couple of sheep had been keeping the pig company, stuffed with garlands of Rosemary and whole cloves of garlic. Awesome!

Dotted around the field were various sculptures by members of Ellen's family, such as this reclining bather...

The day went brilliantly, the couple were obviously madly in love, and facing the future together...

The wedding cake had been made by Jane, a family friend who now produces sculptures rather than cakes for a living.

The cake deserves a close-up of it's own - the happy couple...

The cider flagon is not just for decoration; Stuart had pressed three barrels of cider the previous Autumn in readiness for the day.

A few hours later this was all that was left of the hog roast and the two roast lambs..

The happy couple were spending their first night as man and wife in the Nuptial Yurt, set discretely apart at the far end of the field. The view was stunning as the sun fell behind it...

We wish Ellen and Stuart all the best for the future. We had a wonderful time, and we know they did too.

I will end this post with just a tiny peek into the nuptial yurt.

So Romantic...

.P.S. If you want to see all the photos I took at Wedfest, just click here to go to my Flickr account.

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This one is for you Amalee!

2010-08-31T18:02:00.019+01:00

Too many moons ago I set a competition. The prize (!) was a blog post of the winner's choice. Amalee won, and asked for photos of my fridge.....

I know.

I haven't a clue why either.

However, as Amalee is my most loyal follower I have felt twinges of guilt over the ensuing months (two and a half years actually)as my food chilling equipment has remained un-photographed.

The wait is now over.

The reduced photos are below. Click on the links marked [Expand this photo] below to be taken to my Flickr pages, where annotated boxes will explain the contents of my fridge....

The fridge door (outside view)

[Expand this photo]

The main compartment

[Expand this photo]

The door (inside view)

[Expand this photo]

Have Fun!!

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Just Do It

2010-08-19T16:58:00.013+01:00

Sometimes after an extended break the best thing to do is just get on with doing Something.

So here goes.......

It has been quite a while since I introduced Tigger and Fluffy to you all. They have grown in size and character. Over the last few months they have shared their interest in Nature with us.

They have brought us many frogs and toads (all bar one alive and well); they have brought a robin, sundry blackbirds, and on one occasion a fully grown and very-much-alive wood pigeon through the catflap!

Fluffy is a bit of an entomologist. When we hear him meowing after coming through the flap at night he usually has a moth or two to display, dropped at our feet proudly. Lime Tree hawk moths are his current favourite.

Here is Fluffy in our garden, taken at the end of April...

Tigger is pictured below, taken a couple of months ago...

Sometimes they will even sit still long enough to get both of them in the same picture. Sometimes when they are awake too!

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Flower Power - Greek Style

2010-04-27T23:00:00.012+01:00

We are back from Samos. I never did get to send any more posts from Greece - the internet connection was decidedly patchy!

We landed at Heathrow two days before the Icelandic volcano stopped all air traffic. Can't win 'em all!

Flowers were all around us on our walks. The countryside of England must have looked like this not so long ago, before agriculture became monoculture and "weeds" were banned...

On one walk we were kindly invited to look round a greenhouse where orchids were being grown for sale.

This is Angela checking out the fragrance...

They weren't the only orchids on the island though. This is a monkey orchid. I haven't identified the insect yet.

Some Recent photos

2010-04-03T17:26:00.008+01:00

The previous post was somewhat concerned with death.

Now at Easter the focus is on resurrection.

Very few places on Earth take Easter as seriously as in Greece, and Angela and I are luck enough to be in Samos, a beautiful verdant island in the North-Eastern Aegean.

We are on a walking holiday.

I'll be posting a few photos over the next week....

Here are some to start with...

The poppies are already in bloom in the hedges and fields...

And the churches are all looking their best. This is the newly renovated church in Paleocastro, above Vathy in Samos..

This was the view from our walk today. Absolutely stunning.

Happy Easter to All...

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A blog about death.

2010-01-31T17:20:00.007Z

I know the header of this blog says it is about “Life, I guess”. But it is only death that really gives life meaning. To define something as dead we really mean “not Living.”

We all know that death is all around us. Some of us live in much closer proximity to it. Think of almost anywhere in Africa… Some of us live close to start with then suddenly get closer; Haiti anyone? Bangladesh every other year?

Watching my kittens growing into young cats I admire their poise, their balance; the speed with which those razor sharp claws fly to catch a ball thrown - all practice for bringing about sudden (hopefully) death to small creatures…

I have seen death amongst humans. I used to work as a Warden in sheltered housing for “older people” [“elderly” is apparently a value judgement too far]. Death is rarely dignified. People just stop—in mid-step, mid-poo or whilst reaching into that corner of the cupboard where the last cob-web stays unreachable.

The saddest corpse I ever saw lay on his back in the middle of London’s City Road. Safe in motorbike leathers and helmet, invincible until Newton took his life, “every action has an equal but opposite reaction”, motorbike stopped, rider carrying on at 120 miles per hour until the tarmac deformed under the impact of his helmeted head. He lay, a policeman cradling his head and neck, waiting hopelessly for the ambulance to come; knowing death had arrived. The bike still, steaming, 80 yards away…

Why am I pondering so much on the end of life? It may be because (God Willing) I will be 50 myself in December.

I think not. I have learned that death is, essentially, random. A clot here, a dodgy cell-division there. Who knows?

But the randomness of life-threatening situations is not unbeatable. Age will take all of us lucky enough to make it; but some accidents, both physical and medical will be survivable, with the right, timely response.

In 2001, on the 21st January, my wife went upstairs for a shower. She came back down shortly after, complaining of a headache. I could see that she was not just in pain, but agony. I rang 999 and within 90 minutes she was having a CAT scan at the Whittington Hospital. She was diagnosed with a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage. For three long days she was stabilized and kept alive by the medical team. She was transferred to the National Hospital in Russell Square in an ambulance that never went faster than walking pace.

Thankfully she was operated on. She made a full recovery. Most people who have those bleeds die or have permanent loss of brain function.

My point? Death is random, but sometimes we can work against the odds. Sometimes lives can be saved….

The Whittington Hospital is in danger of having its Accident and Emergency unit closed down. Angela might well have died without the timely intervention she received.

To join your name onto the on-line petition to save the Whittington A&E, go to

http://www.savethewhittington.org.uk/petition/index.php

Keep up with the news at

http://www.savethewhittington.org.uk/

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MMX - So soon?

2010-01-06T15:56:00.017Z

Anyone holding their breath for Phantom posts in 2009 would be in dire need of medical assistance by now. I apologise. Three posts in one year is not poor, it is disgraceful. Mea culpa.

Things are a little different here at Phantom Towers. Angela's mum died in December 2008 after a long illness. My mum died in November just gone, so Christmas was a little bit strange this year. The Guardian published a nice piece in their Other Lives slot, click here to see it.

Just over a year ago, our dear visiting cats Tigger and Bernard moved house. They are residing with their "owner" in a large house in Ealing with a huge garden for them to explore. By all accounts they are loving the place and are very well.

Tigger and Bernard's departures left a pair of huge cat-shaped holes in our lives. We waited a few months before getting cats of our own. Their were three young foxes in our back gardens all of last spring and summer and we didn't want any confrontations.

At the end of August last year we saw an advert online, and two days later we had two adorable kittens in residence.

The Phantom is proud to introduce Tigger

And his brother Fluffy

The photo's above were taken on their first day with us. Their first photo shoot was a bit tiring, as Fluffy demonstrated...

Another first during last year was the first two walks I led for the Hampstead Ramblers. You can find blog entries here and here. I have been busy keeping the HR blog going, and at present I have a slight backlog of posts to be written; more distractions!

I have also joined the Marylebone Birdwatching Society, a group of Hampstead-centred birders, many of whom are also Ramblers. So far I have avoided being co-opted onto any committees, and I am absolutely not going to set up another blog!

I have had the opportunity to write this post thanks to the snow in London closing my college two hours early. I hope my reader Amalee is enjoying the snow too. I still owe you a blog post! Hello to Welsh Dog too.

More Soon!!

Somerset in the Spring

2009-04-08T17:46:00.007+01:00

I'm sitting in the sunshine of a glorious spring afternoon. Spread out before me are the Somerset Levels, Weston-Super-Mare in the distance. Angela and I have just come back from a glorious walk over chalk downland and through iron-age and Roman hill forts.

The damper, shadier lanes in this part of Somerset are lined with carpets of wild garlic, some stretching back eight to ten feet deep from the path. I picked a handful of the youngest, tenderest shoots this morning, and popped them into a bag. At the lunch stop they provided a delicate garlicky undernote in our cheese sandwiches.

Finely chopped, and added to cream cheese or a soft young goats cheese they would make a veritable challenger to Garlic Boursin.

Our organic veg box comes from Devon, an area richly endowed with the moist bosky lanes that wild garlic, or Ransoms, adore. Riverford sent all of their customers a gift a couple of weeks ago, a large bag full of the leaves. Unlike "normal" garlic, it is the leaves that are of use, deeply green, straplike, reminiscent in shape, (though not in perfume), of Lily-of-the-Valley.

When the bag came I added some to sandwiches like today. Others delicately perfumed a salad of home-grown japanese salad leaves.

I used the majority of the leaves (it was a big bag) in a stir-fry of chicken, par-cooking the chicken first, then removing it from the wok, stir frying some spring onions, then adding the wild garlic leaves to the pan to wilt with a splash of chicken stock and some rice wine. I returned the chicken to the wok to finish off, and added some pre-toasted cashew nuts for extra crunch. A handful of beansprouts and the dish was finished. The garlic had reduced down and was sticky and richly savoury, yet didn't dominate.

If you happen to be out and about in the next few days, keep a look out. Wild Garlic is free, it's seasonal, and most of all, it's delicious!

EDIT: Good Friday, April 10th. I realised a post like this needed a photo. I took one yesterday:

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I am Honoured.

2009-01-29T22:42:00.008Z

It is a small world. The Blogosphere is even smaller.

I noticed an article on Slow Blogging a few months ago. I intended to blog about it then. I didnt. I figured it would be in keeping with the Slow ethos to let it wait for a while...

I finally got back into blogging and after one post I have been given an award. My fellow blogger Amalee Issa has awarded me this sparkling prize...

Amalee has passed this on to me for services rendered. In particular, for introducing her (via Russell Davies' blog, Egg Bacon Chips and Beans) to greasy spoon cafe breakfasts. My pleasure.

Anyone checking out the Slow Blogging article should read all the way down. They will find a photo of none other than Mr Davies himself. He has created a slow alternative to Twitter, Dawdler. I think Amalee should send him a postcard!

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-27T22:31:00.004Z

Ok, Ok. I know I didn't wish anyone Merry Christmas either. Sorry.

My new job has kept me busier than I could have imagined. Added to that, I have got involved with the local branch of the Ramblers' Association. It seemed natural to start up a blog about that, so I did.

The blog is called "Rambling On..." and can be found here.

For my sins, I have just been nominated as the group Secretary, so I guess I will just end up even more distracted!

At least I have got back in the metaphorical saddle of Phantom bloggery after falling off last November.

I am still cooking, and under-gardener to Angela. It's Chinese New year soon, and I will make a resolution to post at least once a week over in this corner of cyberspace.

More soon. (and Amalee- I haven't forgotten I owe you a post...)

Hampstead Rambling in the Snow

2008-10-29T22:00:00.007Z

Angela and I are off work this week, as it is half-term here in London.
Half-terms come around every few months, but it was 1937 when it last snowed in London in October.

We put on our walking boots and walked a circular trip around Hampstead Heath via Kenwood, the Old Bull and Bush, West Heath, the Vale of Health and Parliament Hill, finishing with lunch in the Italian Cafe at Parli Hill.

It was amazing how few people we encountered.

The sun sent halos of light through the autumn sky

You could see that in snow, shadows are actually blue

And it seemed almost as if we had come upon the spirit of the Heath itself, energy writhing in tree form

All in all, a stunning day.

Be Prepared!

2008-10-26T03:07:00.009Z

The old Boy Scout motto is always worth heeding when it comes to planning for a day's hillwalking.

Torrential rain and viscious winds struck in the Lake District today, with rivers in the Buttermere area bursting their banks after the heavy rains of the last few days.

It is precisely this area that Angela and I were walking in only two months ago. It is an area of great beauty, but when the weather turns it becomes hazardous in the extreme. Hundreds of people were competing in the Original Mountain Marathon (OMM) when the weather broke. Conditions have been so bad organisers have been forced to cancel the event.

Luckily the OMM is an event for runners in pairs, and competitors have to camp out overnight, so all those caught on the hills should be suitably equipped.

We remember the steep descent down Scarth Gap to Gatesgarth Farm. Even in good conditions it requires care and concentration. I hate to imagine what coming down in a gale and torrential rain must be like.

During our stay we had an evening with a member of Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team. He gave us a slide show and explained the work his team of unpaid volunters did. I'm glad to say that our party gave generously when the collection tin went out. Those volunteers have been busy today, and will no doubt still be on the hills tomorrow mopping-up those who were benighted.

If You Want Something Done...

2008-10-08T22:48:00.002+01:00

Ask a busy man...

Over the last few months Angela and I have attended a gardening course and a basic botany course. We have joined the Ramblers Association, and I am currently working with the local group the Hampstead Ramblers, to launch a blog attached to their website.

On top of this, I have started doing a GCSE Mathematics course, tutorials for which are clashing with the second gardening course we are currently doing.

Last Friday I had a job interview at my college, and on Monday I was told that I had got the job. So from the first of November I can effectively call myself a Librarian. I will be choosing and ordering books, liaising with teaching staff, cataloguing, managing a subject area collection and putting information up on the online Virtual Learning Environment.

Before I start learning how to do all of this, I have just over two weeks to tie up all the loose ends in my old job. So many things to try and pass on....

I would have written this on Monday evening but overnight a. the power transformer to the wireless router burnt out and b. the hard drive in my main PC died.

All this is a roundabout way of explaining why things have been quiet around here recently. Let's see if busy people really can do more....

Hassness, or Heaven?

2008-09-13T21:48:00.008+01:00

As usual, "a couple of days" has turned into three weeks. It is a mark of how great a time we had in the Lakes that we are still enjoying the memories.

The light dappling on Buttermere...

The contours of Ullswater...

A Himalayan Balsam in the sunlight...

But there are things you can't capture with a camera. Things like the way strangers become companions; the way a strange room rapidly feels like home. The comforting knowledge that there will be home made cake waiting for you when you get back from your walk.

We booked our walking holiday with Rambler's Holidays. You can find a review of Mickey and Paula's hospitality here.

If you ever get a chance to stay at Hassness, take it.

Hello, Hello, It's Good to Be Back!

2008-08-26T22:49:00.007+01:00

After 50 odd miles of walking Angela and I are back, glowing with health and with only the occasional twinge in our calf muscles.

I will post some more about our stay, with relevant links, in a couple of days.

But as a taster, this was the view....

Buttermere from our bedroom window...

The rest of the photos are on my Flickr Photostream.

Walkies!!!

2008-08-15T22:56:00.003+01:00

Apologies for the paucity of posts recently. Things aren't going to get better in the next few days. My wife and I are off to the Lake District for a walking holiday, though if the rain that is forecast arrives, we may be swimming most of the time.

I leave you with this piece of stencil art we found near the Thames a few days ago...

How NOT to walk..., concept by John Cleese, Artwork by Diva.

A Bit of a Ramble

2008-08-04T17:50:00.008+01:00

As regular readers will know, we are off to the Lakes in a couple of weeks. We have been doing some walks at the weekend to get a bit of distance under our belts.

We have met Isambard Kingdom Brunel

And an Inquisitive Paddington Bear...

We have been obstructed by Nettle-Infested Kissing Gates

And Prickly Railway Staff who shove Customer Service leaflets under blinds when you complain about them...

Seen Vistas Watery...

And Timelessly English...

We have seen posters outside toilets to raise our hackles...

And to raise a Chuckle...

We have seen nature, improved by the cast-off spray of an aerosol paint can...

And in the unimprovable beauty of a Peacock butterfly on a waterside head of Teasel...

It might be exercise, but by God it's enjoyable!

A Long Weekend

2008-07-20T22:42:00.016+01:00

All the staff at my college were given this Friday off; a thank-you from the Principal and the Board of Governors for our "Outstanding" OFSTED inspection of a few weeks ago.Given an unexpected day off, a Phantom will often head for the challenges of The Great Outdoors.

I've been trying to lose a bit of weight and get a little fitter over the last few months. In only four weeks my wife and I will be going on a walking holiday in the Lake District, so any energy spent now can only be in a good cause...

Friday morning found me pitching up in the wilds of

This is yours truly trying to find the new Wembley Stadium.... It's around somewhere..

I managed to cover about 14 miles on Friday, overcoming guideposts knocked down

Bridges so narrow they had pedestrian-controlled traffic lights

And sometimes I just had to ignore all the warning signs and just keep ahead anyway...

I walked along some beautiful winding paths...

And scenes that had an almost Japanese-style beauty...

Today, my wife and I took another stroll, following the New River around Finsbury Park and round to Clissold Park. We finished by wandering through Gillespie Park Nature Reserve. Monet would have been happy gazing at the water lillies...

Just when I thought it was safe to relax and hang up the old Phantom Cape and Undies, our neighbour's kitten got stuck 15 foot up a tree at the end of our garden...

With a little help from some children in the adjacent garden we rescued the little bundle of fluff. Angela took it back to it's grateful owners.

A happy ending to a great weekend. What more could a Phantom want?

And The Rain....

2008-07-10T19:24:00.005+01:00

It Raineth!!
I was hoping to entertain and amuse my loyal readers with many a digital snap of Hampton Court Flower Show. As the legal Eagle and her Beau can attest (and affirm too probably), HCFS can be the most relaxed, sprawling and enjoyable excuse for an Horticultural Picnic one can imagine.

It can also resemble the last push for the Somme.

When my wife and I arrived it had been raining all night.The arrival of daylight did nothing to change this. It didn't rain constantly, it poured constantly.

Sadly, after a while it became more of an endurance test than an enjoyable day.

We brought back a Dahlia, a beautiful Fuchsia hanging basket, and half a ton of mud. Thank heavens we were wearing our new waterproof walking boots...

I only took one photograph....

This is the garden designed by Richard, the chap behind the Guerrilla Gardening website. We met and had a chat, and I got him to sign a copy of his book. There is a fascinating account of how this garden came about here. All the plants in this garden are reclaimed or unwanted, and at the end of the show they will all be going to good homes.

I'm off to clean the mud off our boots!!

Just Desserts

2008-07-03T22:40:00.009+01:00

You've heard of death by chocolate....
now prepare for Mortality by Meringue! But what a way to go....

Last Saturday found us both in the nest of the Legal Eagle and her Beau.
A delicious sherried chicken took care of the protein intake, but the Eagle is famous for her puds.This meal had one which approached perfection in its simplicity...

First take a Snowdon-sized mountain of fresh summer fruits

Then produce a veritable home made Mount Fuji of meringues, light, crunchy and irresistibly chewy in the middle...

Serve in good sized bowls, with cream or ice-cream (or Both!)

After dinner and its badinage, there was nothing else to do but indulge in a little light ~~bondage~~ bandage. Mrs P had an exam coming up and needed some willing victims for First Aid practice.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Sadly this is the only photo I managed to take that wasn't too blurred by the laughter-shake.

We leave you with

"Beau Brummel, or Pudsey's Revenge"...

Mrs Phantom's Garden Corner...

2008-06-13T19:20:00.017+01:00

Good evening, and welcome to the first in an occasional series. I've left the Phantom in the kitchen, and have come into my domain.

I won't pretend to be an exceptional gardener; our garden is still very much a work in progress. But it is a place of sanctuary, a place to lose oneself mentally, if not physically...

Our great friend the Legal Eagle asked what she could do to counter the slugs and snails that have been happily munching through her Lupins.

As usual in life, there are no perfect solutions to the problems these irritating molluscs create. (The slugs I mean, not the Legal Eagle and her Beau). But at Phantom Towers we have come up with a couple of good techniques for reducing the damage they cause.

The stuff in the box is something we have tried for the first time this year. It's an absorbent ceramic in a gravel-like form.

[CUE PACK SHOT]

[No, This blog is not being sponsored]

It works by the fact that it is both very rough and highly absorbent. It doesn't kill the critturs, but they sure as heck don't like going over it. I guess it's a sort of commercial version of the old idea of putting down crushed eggshells.

You simply surround you vulnerable seedlings and plants...

In this case Mangetout Peas. So far we haven't lost one..

And here it's protecting a young Hosta...

The other weapon in our war was also featured in the photo above. Let's zoom in..

Yup! It's the trowel. If you look carefully you will see the lower edge is serrated. That's for cutting the slugs in half... Snails can be picked up by hand, or you can use the extra leverage provided by flipping the snails on the trowel to make sure they travel into the next garden but one. Or you can just smash the little B****RS with the flat bit.

I'm afraid I didn't get the name "She Who Gardens At Night" by pruning in the dark. You go out with a torch and a trowel, and exact pro-active revenge on the slugs and snails who would turn your Hostas into lacework and your salads into breakfast.

Sorry for any sensitive folk, but the Gardening Phantom has her priorities worked out....

Barbecue 2 - Putting my blog where my mouth is!

2008-06-10T22:26:00.020+01:00

Many apologies to everyone out there muttering "he's gone walkabout again"! Especial apologies to Welsh Dog, the Legal Eagle (and Beau), the Erdington Lurker, and most of all, to Amalee.

In case you haven't read her comment below, Amalee was facing going "to a barbeque party where the food will be kinda ok and the drinks a bit ropey". She was looking to me for inspiration, and I let her down...

I have been mad busy; happy and healthy, but busy.

There will be more of what I have been up to later, but, with no more ado, to the food.

The hot weather of the last few days has indeed found me re-acquiring the title I earned some years ago from a neighbour - The Man Who Cooks In the Garden. ***

Last Autumn we bought a lovely gas fired barbie. (Not having to wait 45 minutes to get to cooking heat makes a huge difference.)

A few of our recent dishes...

Pork Spare Ribs, Chinese Style

Chicken Kebabs (a working afternoon in my Mum's garden)

I have developed an all-purpose basic marinade that I can put together in two minutes flat. I shall demonstrate with this handy boned shoulder of lamb I have adjacent to the keyboard...

Get your friendly butcher to bone a shoulder of lamb for you. If you don't have a friendly butcher, find a butcher and smile. It may work. A whole shoulder of lamb will do kebabs for six people easily. I froze half the shoulder for later.

Ingredients for the marinade : two or three tablespoons plain yoghourt, the same of curry paste (Pataks are good), two crushed cloves of garlic, some lemon juice, and some fresh mint.
Dice your lamb into cubes a bit bigger than an inch square.

Chop mint and put in a large bowl with the paste, yoghourt and crushed garlic.

Add meat and marinate for a couple of hours, stirring when you remember to.

Finally skewer up, with onion, peppers courgettes or mushrooms to taste...

The finished kebabs, with red cabbage coleslaw and tomato and basil couscous.

I do hope I have made you all hungry again, even if it is late.

FOOTNOTE *** My wife's nocturnal slug hunting by torchlight led her to be called The Woman Who Gardens At Night. Very sultry and mysterious!

More Soon....

Statuesque

2008-06-05T09:48:00.002+01:00

Hi! I'm Bernard, and on my right, The Phantom!!!

Why Cats Have 9 Lives - Parts 3 and 4

2008-05-16T12:06:00.004+01:00

3. They Sunbathe On The Second Step Down:

4. They Do Impersonations Of Drunken Draught Excluders:

The More Things Change.....

2008-05-12T22:08:00.003+01:00

A few days ago Gordon Ramsay proposed making it illegal to serve food that was out of season. The video can be found on the BBC.

I am a great fan of Mr Ramsay, but I think jailing chefs for serving frozen peas may be a little bit extreme....

By coincidence,I found this passage in a cookbook yesterday....

My object in writing this book....[is to emphasize]...two aspects of cookery which are increasingly disregarded: the suitability of certain foods to certain times of year, and the pleasure of eating vegetables, fruits, poultry, meat or fish which is in season, therefore at its best, most plentiful and cheapest.

The writer was Elizabeth David, the book Summer Cooking.

The book was first published 53 years ago, way before Gordon Ramsay was even born.

Some things never change in the world of food, it seems...

It's Barbie Time!

2008-05-11T21:09:00.000+01:00

Like most men, I normally hate shopping. Like the SAS, it’s in and out as quickly as possible for me! (Note to Wife – Don’t you dare…)
There is one exception however. Food shopping.

To get the best from real food shopping, as opposed to Supermarket Shopping (which is best done using the SAS tactics above), one has to approach the task with love, and a healthy sense of curiosity.

Considerable amounts of video tape, ink, and hot air have been expended recently by foodies and chefs alike promoting seasonal eating. It has become one of the mantras of the switched-on, footprint-reducing kitchen trendy.

I am afraid the Phantom will never be totally at ease with the “no more than 30 food miles” brigade. I would love to buy nothing but locally produced food. But take my shopping yesterday as an example… I bought pita breads from Cyprus, Baked Yigantes beans from Greece (Palirria, by far the best brand) and parsley and coriander from Cyprus too.

It’s hot, it’s sunny. I made my own Hummus (with Italian chickpeas) and an aubergine puree with eggplants from Turkey. My chicken (for kebabs) was from Ireland. And guess what? It all tasted devine. And that is what counts for me. I don’t live on the Mediterranean, but when it’s hot and sunny, Greek and Turkish cuisine does the job for me. All I ask is that my ingredients are fresh and tasty, and I will check out three or four grocers for the best….

If I was to make a salad out of this weeks veg box, I would be eating spring cabbage and beetroot, with carrots and broccoli on the side. Good for a stir fry, but I want to be outside in weather like this…

Why Cats Have 9 Lives - Parts 1 and 2

2008-04-22T22:12:00.010+01:00

1. They think "If I can't see them - they can't see me..."

2. They sit in your recycling bag - on collection day...

What We Did During Half Term, By The Phantom, Aged 47 and 1/3

2008-04-20T12:16:00.013+01:00

The Spring weather led us to a picnic at Kew. Foodwise, the highlight was the homemade bread rolls stuffed with char siu pork and piccalilli, all home produced. (Photo's promised next time I make the char siu (barbecued) pork).

We lost ourselves in the green jungles of the Temperate House

And enjoyed the Green Fugue of the Hemorocallis

Later in the week we went to the RHS spring show in Vincent Square.

This English Elm bonsai is less than six inches tall, pot included.

And back home Tigger did his impersonation of Ming the Merciless, quietly plotting world domination from the safety of our sofa...

Wombling Free.....

2008-04-18T22:37:00.015+01:00

Our part of North London is well served by public transport. We have buses running past either end of our road, a tube station ten minutes away, and Camden Road railway station a five minute bus ride away.

Camden Road is still a bit of a secret. It helps that it isn't in Camden Town. It's not even very close to Camden Town.

The train line that runs through it runs from grotty Stratford in the east to the splendours of Richmond in the west. In just over half an hour we can get from the grime of Islington to the rolling acres of our second garden, Kew.

I guess the Olympic sites now under construction in Stratford will produced more passengers in a few years time, but for now, even at half-term, you can still find a seat without elbowing your way onto the carriage.

The London Mayor, Cuddly Ken Livingstone, has recently added this line to his ever expanding empire. It used to be run by Silverlink, but is now part of "London Overground" The changeover only happened a few weeks ago, but some things are changing already. The stations on the line have all had a lick of paint, and the benches on the platforms have all been replaced.

Not for the better. Most of the standard benches have been replaced with these monstrosities...

Don't try and lean back.

What's even more annoying are the arm rests. They are far too low to lean on, even if you can avoid toppling over backwards. They seem to be placed there purely to stop anyone from stretching out along the bench. If the stations have a problem with people kipping on the benches maybe they should employ a few more staff.

A design blogger by the name of Dan Lockton has deemed these manipulative design concepts "Architectures of Control"... His article on benches is worth a look.

One redeeming feature (about the only one) is that the benches incorporate the London Transport logo stylishly at the ends...

Now if only Ken could turn his attentions to the Plastic Flowers in the station hanging baskets....

Silent Morning

2008-04-06T10:04:00.013+01:00

I woke up early this morning. There was a stillness in the air, a pervading quietude.

I just knew it was snowing, without even needing to peek through the condensation on the window.

It was silent, and beautiful in our garden this morning...

An ornamental Chilli got Chilly...

Forsythia burned green and yellow through the snow...

The Daffodils bowed under the weight...

And Muscaria glowed...

I was up before any other humans. But I was not alone. Bernard was warm in our kitchen, Tigger was with me in the garden. Wondering, perhaps, where the funny fluffy cold stuff had come from...

Solitary Indulgence

2008-03-28T20:12:00.003Z

Tonight my Good Lady is on a course. She will be out all evening, and I will be dining alone.

At times like this the temptation is to say "Sod It!" and either stop off in the ready meal section of your nearest supermarket, or reach for a tin of soup or beans from the cupboard.

However, I often indulge myself on nights like these, taking advantage of the chance to have liver or kidneys, pinky brown and eaten with too much mustard and bread to mop up the savoury juices.

Tonight I will make something I have been fancying quietly but would never make dining a deux, mussels with chilli, garlic and ginger.

The dish is simplicity itself:

Take Half a kilo or so of spanking fresh mussels, washed and picked over:

For the veg, chop a bunch of spring onions, an inch of ginger, two chillis and some garlic:

Quickly stir fry the veg in a wok in a tablespoonful of oil, cook for a minute or so, then add the mussels. Cook, stirring for a couple of minutes over a high heat. Add some water, white wine, fish stock, or cider, about two good glasses full. Cook, stirring every so often to move the open mussels to the top. Add a handful of beansprouts, and a sprinkling of sesame oil just to round out the oriental flavours:

Serve simply in a generous, heated bowl, with the deeply savoury juices mingling with the luscious mussels. If you have any booze left, enjoy a glass with your meal. As Saint Delia said, "One is Fun"!

Slowly But Surely

2008-03-10T22:18:00.009Z

Since I bought the new scales and instantly gained half a stone, I have been actively trying to eat a little bit healthier and get some exercise.

Chinese style eating seems to suit me best, small amounts of meat, stir-fried with plenty of vegetables. Stir-fries always seem to pack plenty of flavour, and the mixture of textures from the softness of mushrooms to the crunch of water chestnuts satisfies the taste-buds.

I've actually lost ten pounds in the last few weeks, without really feeling that I am on a diet.

Our weekly veg box hasn't varied as much as my diet however, and potatoes and parsnips have started to mount up.

The potatoes I have tended to curry, making Aloo Ghobi with the excellent cauliflowers that have been arriving. The parsnips have had me puzzling though.

A few have been turned into soup, especially with globe artichokes or winter squashes. But I have been struggling to incorporate them into the light, oriental style dishes which have been our staple.

Yesterday, I finally worked out how to fit the parsnips in.

Honey-Glazed Parsnips with Lemon.

Peel the parsnips, core them, and cut into batons of finger width and length.
Steam for five or six minutes, until soft.
Heat a tiny amount of oil in a frying pan or wok, add the batons and allow to colour.
Toss them occasionally to colour lightly on all sides.
Add a couple of teaspoons of honey, toss to coat.
Grate over the zest of a fresh lemon, mix and serve.

Lemon-Glazed Parsnips, with Char Siu Pork Stir-Fry and Purple Sprouting Broccoli. Lovely.

Nine Out of Ten Cats Agree!

Four Legs Good, Two Legs Bad.

2008-02-25T23:04:00.004Z

After the shock of the weekend's sudden weight gain I decided I had better get back to doing some exercising. Bernard the visiting cat was in this morning, and joined me upstairs where I was doing my calisthenics.

I was doing some bicep curls when he arrived. He hopped up onto the press bench I have set up and sat there, just watching.

By the time I moved on to press-ups, he was lying on his back, wriggling on the bench. I swear he was laughing at me.

I had my revenge when he wriggled so much he fell off the bench.

He was not going to be outsmarted though.

I proceeded to do some sit-ups. I struggled, I must admit.

Bernard sat up, leant forward effortlessly, and started to lick his bottom.

Checkmate.

Weighty Matters

2008-02-25T19:16:00.000Z

I have just discovered how to gain 10 pounds in weight in less than 24 hours.

Anyone who has met me knows that I am not exactly in need of help in the weight-gaining department.

So why is it, when you buy a new set of bathroom scales, you discover your old set were underweighing?

I would go off to Boot's and check on the scales there. But I don't think the Angel, Islington, is the best place to make a stand on naturism, and I don't know my weight with my clothes on.

Besides, the spare tyre I have gained in the last few months tells me the scales might just be right!

The Bear Facts

2008-02-22T23:11:00.000Z

As correctly guessed by Amalee, this lorry from London Zoo was at Kew to collect fresh Bamboo to feed the Giant Pandas!

Kew and A

2008-02-21T23:05:00.000Z

Shadowy People: The Phantom and his Lady, plus crocuses. Kew Gardens. Monday.

Feeling Griddy: Low spring sunshine turns a bench into an op-art abstract.

Irridescence: Who needs a partridge up a tree, when you can have a Peacock.

Why Were They Here? Answer tomorrow...

Edible Proof

2008-02-21T21:33:00.004Z

Up early this morning. It's half-term this week. My good lady had her birthday on Monday, and most of this week has been very laid back and indulgent. Late nights, waking up late, leisurely steaming bowls of porridge for breakfast.

But this morning I was up early. The cats were let in, their ears freezing, pads icy as they each stood up and rubbed a goodmorning scenting cheek up to my outstretched hands.

I read some blogs, then took up a morning cuppa to the birthday girl. I needed to feel that I was going to do something constructive with the day. That something was baking bread.

By Midday the loaves were cooling, and Bernard had warmed up next to the oven. The mists were clearing, and I had edible proof of my morning's work.

Kitchen Tip

2008-02-10T13:51:00.000Z

As you may have guessed, the kitchen is rather central to the Phantom's existence. Thanks to my Mum's generosity a few years back I am the proud owner of a steel and brass Lacanche cooker, the Cluny

(No relation to George, but just as good looking).

However, the stainless steel extractor hood does tend to get grubby looking very quickly. We have searched the stores over quite a few years now, trying out different stainless steel cleaners and polishers on the market. None ever worked really well and they all tend to be expensive.

A few months back we were giving the ceiling a scrub (Yup!) when we dripped some of the Sugar Soap solution onto the hood. Hey presto, the grease and grime just lifted off. It left Cillitt Bang behind in the starting blocks!

We still had the problem of keeping the hood polished and clean looking. Then I was given a tip by one of our college cleaners. Spray WD40 onto a cloth and just wipe down the steel with that. It works a treat, removes finger marks and leaves everything lustrous.

It doesn't take long to do, both items can be bought in any hardware shop, and they leave enough money in your pocket for a bottle of something afterwards.

Cheers!

Flipping Amazing

2008-02-08T19:15:00.000Z

Like every year, Pancake Day fell on a Tuesday this year. That probably accounts for why I so rarely make pancakes on the traditional day.

Working and pancakes just don't mix. When you get home from work you want to eat dinner, plain and simple. Eat. Dinner.

In Phantom Towers, most of the time I cook, and if I've just got through the door, cooking the main course is just about my limit. Most years, therefore, my good lady misses out. This year she had a plan....

Our good friend Battey Moo has had a rough time of late, so my wife invited her round for a meal, on Tuesday. Cunning. I suspect she felt the social pressure of having another mouth to feed would ensure she got an evening of batter delights, lifted with the scent of citrus, and frosted with caster sugar like snow on a winter's morn.

I really didn't know what I was going to cook until I got to Mr Waite and Mr Rose's grocers. Knowing that Battey is allergic to nuts ruled out the pasta options on an evening when I felt like pesto. I had a look in the fish section and spotted some lovely looking cod, sustainably caught and the best thing to come out of Iceland since Benni, Bjorn, Agnetha, and ...... Um, ABBA.

Armed with my cod, I made haste to the Seven Sisters Road and bought a bunch each of basil, mint, dill and flat leaf parsley. Whizzed in the food processor with fresh but tiring bread and a sploosh of olive oil I soon had a herb crust to top the cod with. (I started this off in a frying pan, finishing it off in the oven and then flashing it under the grill to brown the crust. It's always worth having a metal-handled frying pan, both for this and Tarte Tatin.)

The cod was accompanied by boiled potatoes, fennel, braised and browned, and steamed sugar snap peas with garlic and oyster sauce. The meal was delicious, and afterwards I stretched out on the sofa next door to regather my strength for making the pancakes to come.

I stretched out, and Tigger hopped up next to me. We both stretched out.

You can guess what happened next....

Me Too!

They woke me up just as our Battey Moo was leaving.

Maybe pancakes for Sunday lunch instead?

ttttttgggggggggggggyyyyyyyyyyy

(You may find this difficult to believe but Tigger climbed up on my lap whilst I was writing the post above, then he stood with one paw on the keyboard and wrote his name? I know the letters are next to each other on the keyboard, but WEIRD. I think he wants his own blog....)

2008 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch

2008-01-25T20:08:00.000Z

Now is the time for the Phantom to don his wooly hat and do his Bill Oddie impersonation. (Actually not that difficult, apart from the height difference (approximately one foot, before you ask.)).

Tomorrow sees the start of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, the 29th. Anyone, not just RSPB members, is invited to spend one hour sometime this weekend, logging the maximum number of birds in their garden, by species.

There is an identification chart on the website if you are not too good on telling a grebe from a goldfinch. Final species totals need to be recorded on the Birdwatch website. Don't feel worried if you only see common birds, or none at all. All the information gathered is of use.

Pasta Perfect

2008-01-22T23:33:00.000Z

After the headlong rush towards Christmas, late December and early January can be difficult times to find motivation in the kitchen.

Work days seem to get longer and evenings shorter, leaving work in the dark and arriving home cold, wet and uninspired.

It is the weekends that offer a chance to take time and pains over a meal. A few weekends ago we invited the Legal Eagle and her Beau for supper. My wife and I discussed menu options the night before. I started off suggesting a casserole; she fancied something more individual, maybe fish. I dismissed this as too fiddly and being too 'last minute'. She suggested lasagna - now I was beginning to get enthusiastic. I saw her lasagne and raised it to cannelloni.

Even better, though, would be cannelloni with home made fresh pasta! I went to sleep happy,thinking of the day to come, and getting out the pasta machine...

I don't make pasta very often, but I always enjoy the process.

THERE IS A MAGIC IN MAKING PASTA FROM SUCH SIMPLE INGREDIENTS.

3 EGGS, 10oz OF FLOUR, NO NEED TO USE A BOWL.

MIX TO A DOUGH WITH A FORK,KNEAD FOR 10 MINUTES AND REST IN CLINGFILM

ROLL THE DOUGH THROUGH THE PASTA MACHINE, GETTING THINNER EACH TIME

REST THE PASTA ON TEA TOWELS WHILST WAITING TO BE ROLLED

THIS IS NOT A GOOD TIME FOR YOUR VISITING CATS TO JOIN IN - HARDEN YOUR HEART!

WHEN THE PASTA IS AS THIN AS YOU CAN GET IT - DROP 3 OR 4 AT A TIME INTO BOILING WATER

BLANCH FOR 1 MINUTE

AND DROP INTO COLD WATER

GENTLY RINSE UNDER THE COLD TAP TO REMOVE EXCESS STARCH- YOUR PASTA IS NOW READY TO USE!

THE FINISHED DISH OF CANNELLONI BEFORE FINAL COOKING

AND AFTER!!

I have to say it tasted great too. And we had enough pasta left over (uncooked) to make lasagna the day after.

Once Again, The Phantom Has Piles

2008-01-20T21:47:00.001Z

I'm afraid they just keep on coming back. This is a photo of my post-Christmas bedside bookpile. I always know it's getting a bit out of hand when I can't see the bedside table anymore and start using the books instead.

Some of these will be bookcrossed. In fact the Bill Bryson on the right was released and caught earlier on today. Check the link here to my BookCrossing Journal entry.

If I was the type for resolutions I'd try and keep the bedside clear. I know it will never happen though. I'll check again at Easter and post a photo.

Christmas Cooking

2008-01-10T21:22:00.004Z

My old friend Welsh Dog asks (in his comment on my post below) about our Christmas dinner. I have to confess that no boats were rocked this year. There was prawn cocktail to start, gravy accompanied the turkey, and Christmas pudding was served at the conclusion, duly flamed in brandy. (The presence of my Mother at the Christmas board is now conditional on all three, after the infamous "No Gravy?" complaint of 2005)

My country cousin Stewart made the prawn cocktail dressing, mixing worcestershire, sweet chilli sauce and nutmeg into a chiffonade of lettuce and fennel in a style which was casual but dedicated. I have to say that prawn cocktail is practically the only dish that I ever allow the dreaded Iceberg lettuce anywhere near. (Apart, maybe, from in tortillas with chilli, cheese and guacamole.)

Our turkey, a free-range bronze, was supplied by Godfrey's of Highbury. Reared in Berkshire by Copas, it was delicious. Once again the highlight was the leg meat; rich, gamey, moist, almost like duck. If Copas could breed an octopod turkey with breasts like Twiggy I for one would be well happy.

A quick mention for the pudding is also deserved. It came from Duchy Originals, and was quite simply the best any of the eight of us had ever tasted. It was light, fruitfull, and moreish. At least half of us had seconds. The homemade rum and raisin ice cream never made a return journey to the freezer either.

All in all, a lovely meal. No photos though, just warm memories of a job well done.

Twelfth (or Thirteenth) Night

2008-01-07T16:08:00.002Z

Tired out by the season of non-stop partying and overeating,Tigger is here to remind you all that it was Twelfth Night on Sunday, and all of your Christmas decorations should have been taken down last night (Or even the day before, if that's the way you count. See the discussion on Wikipedia.) Of course, it's Fourteenth Night in Australia by now. Hello folks and Happy New Year.

New Year, New Age.

2008-01-02T22:02:00.000Z

Yes, I am back from my Christmas retreat. It is amazing what a diet of freshly-pressed wheatgrass and spring water does for the inner man. I was lucky to have made friends with the Native American in the Teepee next to ours. He plaited me a smaller belt (made from discarded dream-catcher twine) to keep my now far-too-large trousers up.

The days since I last posted have been dedicated to nurturing the Inner Phantom. Three hours a day in the lotus position contemplating the eternal questions such as “Why is Christopher Biggins?” and “What sex are Turkeys?” has honed my spiritual acuity whilst still leaving me time to practice my yoga, especially the Cleaning Dog position. (The first few days are the worst, until the tendons loosen enough to get both legs behind your neck at the same time.)

Only time will tell whether I will be able to keep my New Year resolutions of blogging at least every other day and always telling the truth.

OM.

The Staple Remover Is Unwell

2007-12-20T20:50:00.000Z

Over the last three weeks the Phantom has been ducking and diving to avoid the cold bug which has floated around my library since the start of December. Of course, as it was my birthday last Saturday, I came down with it on Friday morning.

Like most men, when I get a cold I go down with all the unexpected swiftness of the Hindenburg having a bad landing. I have spent most of this past week with my eyes streaming, my nose running, lungs struggling to pass oxygen through mucus-filled sludge. Get the idea? ILL.

Having set the scene, I bring you, gentle reader, to the marital bedroom.

INT. BEDROOM. 4.30 A.M. DARKNESS.

THE PHANTOM is sitting on the edge of the bed, having woken up, yet again, coughing.

HIS BETTER HALF rouses from the depths of her slumber...

BETTER HALF: You alright?

PHANTOM: Yeah, I just woke up again, I woke myself up coughing...

BETTER HALF: No you didn't...

PHANTOM: Yes, I woke up choking and coughing...

(PAUSE)

BETTER HALF: No you didn't...

Yes, it had to happen. After twenty years of being married, my wife has got to the point where she can argue with me in her sleep!

Catty Christmas

2007-12-06T19:19:00.000Z

We started writing our Christmas cards a couple of nights ago.

Its the sort of job that needs all hands on deck...

Though I think that Tigger has already decided on his favourite card...

An Advent Calendar

2007-12-02T12:13:00.000Z

This is a site set up by Westminster Libraries. Festive information and tips. Best of all you can't cheat - you can only open each window on the day itself or after.

200 Not Out

2007-12-01T16:30:00.000Z

It is, undeniably, December.

The last three and a bit weeks passed too quickly to capture in this blog.

Highlights?

Seeing Arcade Fire live at Alexandra Palace
Cooking curries for our friends Eze and Jackie's new son. We did (by special request) veggie curries as part of a bring-and-share at our church. These events are beginning to get a reputation and the queue for food stretched right out of the building. Edible Love in generous portions at the baptism of Onyedikachi Sean Ugoala.
Doing a really good interview for an internal vacancy at my college.

Low Points?

After standing all night for Arcade Fire my Sciatica is killing me.
I couldn't hang around at the feast as I had to go shopping for my mum, and then work on my job application.
There were only two vacancies. I came third...

Nevermind. It's only 24 days now 'til Christmas. This is the 200th post on this blog, and the 100th post was about things I learned over Christmas. If you fancy a reminder, just click here.

And As The Sun Sinks Slowly In The West...

2007-11-08T21:40:00.000Z

We say goodbye to Kerry, with a view of the sunset over Cromane bay.

... We say goodbye to Kerry, But We'll Be Back...

None Fresher Than This...

2007-11-08T19:54:00.000Z

After two days on Valencia, we moved to Cromane (pronounced "Crumb-orn".) This is where my wife's father was born and bred. It's an unspoilt fishing village, where my wife's cousin John Joe still makes a living from the sea.

This photo shows The Phantom looking rather nervous. I'm not a great lover of boats, and had just been handed a set of waders to put on which looked like they had come straight out of the costume locker for the film "The Perfect Storm".

This is JJ's oyster barge, with my better half looking cool for'ard.

Early morning light over the oyster beds...

This is John Joe, hefting a sack of oysters. We were standing way out at sea. The oyster beds are only uncovered at low tide, for a couple of hours morning and evening, two weeks out of four.

We were out to do some quality control. This is the contents of one bag...

I soon started to relax when I realised that we had an oyster knife on board. After all, there's only one real way to do quality control on an oyster. Eating it. I will never eat an oyster any fresher than those I ate, standing in the Atlantic that morning.

And this is A Happy Phantom, with two kilos of mussels and two dozen spanking fresh oysters for that night's supper. I'm afraid I didn't get any photographs that night, we were too busy eating!

The Top Shelf...

2007-11-07T19:06:00.000Z

...Of the newsagents in Caherciveen, Co Kerry.

Only in Ireland, tractor porn...

We're On The One Road

2007-11-06T18:05:00.000Z

We spent a couple of days just chilling out on Valencia Island. It's only a couple of miles across and 2 or 3 long. It has some superb views...

And some very idiosyncratic road markings on the more quiet lanes...

In best Irish style it has turned a disused slate quarry into a tourist attraction by transforming it into a religious grotto, with statues of the Virgin and St. Bernadette...

And if you ever wondered where Kerrygold butter comes from, we met a couple who know...

Fuchsia

2007-10-28T11:31:00.000Z

The Southwestern area of Ireland around Kerry is blessed with an unusually mild climate. We have both been to Ireland several times, but never to this corner. In the hedgerows the most dominant plant is the Fuchsia of all things!

Whole banks of delicate nodding heads, some robust, others more delicate, line the roadsides.

It is such a feature of the area that in Chapeltown, the northernmost village on the island, they even have a restaurant named after them, with this particularly fetching sign:

If you are in the area, pay a visit to Glanleam. It is a hotel with a sloping series of gardens working down a sheltered slope which actually boasts a sub-tropical climate. There are tree ferns abounding, glades of bamboo, and a fine walled vegetable garden.

This magnificent Ram's head decorates one of the iron gates which protect it. It has a pagan look to it, suggesting virility and strong growth. Maybe it is a reference to Puck Fair, celebrated in the nearby town of Killorglin.

Ireland Past and Present

2007-10-26T11:34:00.000+01:00

Caherciveen is the nearest big town to our first stop, Valencia Island.

This is the civil war memorial there. The soldier has a soviet-era look to him. A little bit cuddly and rounded.

The strangest things can give you culture shock. We are so used to seeing Pound Shops in the inner cities, but over in Ireland they have...

Look carefully, and you can see what the Euro Shop was in a previous life.

How many people went into banking for job security, and were overtaken by technology?

There and Back Again

2007-10-25T17:42:00.000+01:00

Curses, foiled again! I took my card reader with me, and then ended up without a fast internet link to send the photos through.

I can't complain though. The countryside is simply stunning...

I was taking photos before I had even arrived at the terminal building. I couldn't resist this sign...

There is something "Twin Peaks" about it.

Autumn Vine Leaves

2007-10-19T20:30:00.000+01:00

Our grape vine, Vitis Brandt, is not really designed for it's harvest of grapes. They are tiny, pea-sized. But at this time of year, the rich colours just demand a post all of their own...

I'm off to the West of Ireland soon, to meet my better half. This time I will take my card reader with me. Valentia here I come! More soon, with photos hopefully.

The Season of Mist and Mellow Chutney-ness

2007-10-19T20:09:00.002+01:00

There really is something in the air. Just as I was posting my paean to all things pickly, Amalee came up with her own post. I feel a cheese and chutney sandwich coming on...

Chutney

2007-10-18T22:55:00.000+01:00

As the evenings get longer and cooler, the Phantom's thoughts are of capturing the summer in preserves. Last Sunday was devoted to our annual chutney making session. The tomatoes, some barely bigger than peas, were from our garden, mostly from window boxes in fact. The apples were from my Mum's neighbour. The tree is more in my mum's garden than it's owner's!

There is something magical about chutney, such uninspiring ingredients brought together with breath-taking amounts of vinegar, producing something so rich and complex...

The finished result, dark, mysterious. Just three months till we can open it!

Autumn Sunshine

2007-10-13T23:10:00.000+01:00

Today was one of those fine Autumn days which start off misty and then burst through into a crisp sunny celebration of life. In our garden the mild weather means we still have perfumed roses scenting the air.

Our pelargoniums are still glowing red in the sunshine.

And in the shade at the end of the garden the last of the wild foxgloves keep their secrets, hoods bobbing gently in the freshening evening breezes.

A Treat For The Welsh Dog

2007-10-12T22:24:00.000+01:00

After his comments on my previous post I can't resist posting this for Sky / Welsh Dog, now in Sydney. A reminder of the valleys he left behind...

St. John Street, Islington, Lunch Time

2007-10-08T21:46:00.000+01:00

An offer I can refuse!

Shortcut Pastry

2007-10-06T23:38:00.000+01:00

I love flans and quiches, but too often resort to buying ready-made pastry cases. It's just inertia, as I know I can make pastry in five minutes flat with a little help from my 20 year old food processor (a wedding present, thank you Mum!).

I favour a really rich pastry, say 14 oz flour, 7 oz butter, 3 egg yolks and iced water. Pastry this rich can be very crumbly, difficult to roll out and bake blind. A couple of weeks ago I tried out a couple of tips which I am pleased to pass on.

First, don't even try to roll out the pastry to fit the flan tin. Instead, roll the dough into a sausage shape when you make it (wrap it in cling film while you rest it). Then, to make the pastry case, just cut pound-coin thickness slices off the roll, and push them into the tin.

Just fill up any gaps as you go. It's so much easier than having the dough tear or stretch, and you don't waste any as off-cuts either.

The second tip is about baking blind. Usually the books tell you to line the pastry case with foil, then add baking beans to weigh down the pastry. I always find that the tinfoil sticks to the pastry, and it rarely shapes itself properly to the pastry case. So, don't use tinfoil, use clingfilm!

Don't worry, it won't melt at the heat used do bake pastry. It conforms perfectly to the shape of the pastry case, and never sticks.

The finished cheese and vegetable flan in all its glory...

Strike While the Oven is Hot

2007-10-05T21:34:00.000+01:00

One of the ways of coping with after-work exhaustion is to cook some of your meals in advance. A couple of Sundays ago thats exactly what I did...

Saving time like this can only work if you have been shopping with cooking-ahead in mind. I had bought a piece of boned, stuffed shoulder of pork and some minced beef. I also checked that I had flour, butter and eggs in the store cupboards.The night before I made a batch of rich (2:1 flour to butter) shortcrust pastry. In the food processor this took 5 minutes,no more. I rolled the pastry in cling film, and left it in the fridge to rest overnight.
The pastry went to line two flan tins, was baked blind and turned into vegetable and cheese flans (or quiches, for the more pretentious of us.)
The flans were baked at gas 4, which was also the temperature I roasted the pork at. Whilst these were in the oven I made a beef chilli. Somehow adding the chilli heat and some(tinned)kidney beans makes mince-for-two go twice as far.

All in, I spent about two hours actually cooking, and by the time I finished we had the main ingredients for our dinners for the rest of the week.

I was particularly pleased with a couple of neat bits of technique with the flan cases which I tried for the first time...

More Tomorrow....

Apologies for Absence

2007-10-05T20:57:00.000+01:00

Apologies all round for the lack of posts here. For those who have been feeling "sad and pathetic checking your blog for the latest news", can I recommend subscribing to this blog via a blog aggregator, such as Bloglines. You can then just go to one home page and see which blogs have been updated. :-)

What have I been up to?

I have the pleasure of working in one of London's best Sixth Form Colleges. However, anyone who has ever worked in education will tell you the same thing - the first part of the autumn term is exhausting.

No matter how well prepared you may be, when term starts everything needs to be done now, or preferably yesterday.

Most evenings recently have found my lovely wife and I crashed out in the sitting room, with just enough energy left to stroke our visiting cats. Most nights have found us too knackered to even try and find something decent on tv. The energy used up in hunting is rarely rewarded by finding anything watchable.

Even our diet has suffered, with that nice Croatian who delivers the Chinese takeaway becoming a regular visitor.

Things are easing off now though, and I have some posts ready to go.

The Phantom is Back!

Free Burma!

2007-10-04T21:17:00.001+01:00

Link here

Thanks to Amalee.

The Phantom will be back tomorrow.

A pizza cake!

2007-09-17T22:52:00.001+01:00

Pardon the bad pun, but this tip will make handling homemade pizzas a piece of cake.

I have always found that getting a home-made pizza into a hot oven and onto a hot pizza stone is a bit of a struggle.

Simply get yourself a box of baking parchment, also known as silicone paper. Cut a piece a few inches larger than your proposed pizza, and simply roll the dough out on top of the paper. When you have finished adding the toppings, simply slide the entire thing, paper and all, onto your pizza stone or baking sheet. Lifting it out is also a doddle.

Pizza dough.
(This will make enough dough for two pizzas. If you only want one, freeze half for next time...)

12oz strong bread flour
7.5fl oz tepid water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon easy blend dried yeast.

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients together well.

Add the olive oil to the water, then pour half into a well in the centre of the flour.Stir to incorporate, adding more liquid until the mixture coheres. (You may need to add more liquid, depending on your flour, but try not to get it over wet and sticky.)

Knead to a ball in the bowl, then drop it onto a clean worktop. Knead by stretching the dough away from you with the heel of your hand, then gather back in, turn by a quarter and repeat. Do this for 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough is elastic, and bounces back when pressed.

Cover the dough with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise until doubled in size, probably an hour or so.

When nearly doubled, put oven on to pre-heat at gas 8, 230C.

When doubled in size, knead gently for a minute to flatten the dough.

Cut in half, and roll each piece out into a circle about 10 or 12 inches across. Do this directly onto the baking parchment.

All that remains then is to spread the dough with a smear of good quality tomato puree or well-reduced homemade tomato sauce, then add your favourite toppings. Yesterday's was halved cherry tomatoes, chorizo sausage and mozzarella.

Slide your pizza onto a baking stone or oven tray, and bake towards the top of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Lovely.

P.S. The idea for the parchment paper came from a most excellent book by Tom Norrington-Davies, Cupboard Love. It's full of good ideas, and realistic suggestions for after-work cooking.

You say Tomayto, I Say Tomarto

2007-09-16T22:21:00.001+01:00

Although our tomato crops are not as impressive as some, we are approaching a modest glut at the moment. We have only grown tumbling tomatoes this year, but we have plenty of plants. Tomatoes are peeking out from all corners.

I have to confess that we are not the world's greatest salad eaters, and I always think that toms taste better cooked, even baby ones.

One of the nicest ways of making a star out of them is on top of a freshly baked pizza base, with some basil torn over just before serving...

I'll post the recipe tomorrow, along with a tip that made my day when I read it!

The Battle of The Bulge

2007-09-13T17:41:00.001+01:00

Two glorious weeks of sitting by the sea or the pool with a cold drink in hand are taking their toll. My waistline has started to take full advantage of my "Comfort Fit" jeans.

Work is still exhausting, and we are chasing our tails doing umpteen things at the same time.

I know I should be getting more exercise, but at the moment the 45 minute walk to work is about my limit, and I'm not doing that every day either...

My Learned friend Welsh Dog has decided to start a new blog which may serve as a shining beacon of inspiration to us all. I suggest you point your browser over to Fat man On A Diet.

After a hard days work there is nothing better than relaxing and reading about someone else literally slogging away on a treadmill.

As Mark Twain said, "I love hard work... I could watch people do it all day long!"

What A Gray Day!

2007-09-09T20:41:00.000+01:00

My "last Published" column when I log-in says August 26th. It seems like even longer.

Culture shock seems to be the best explanation. Seasonal Affective Disorder struck as soon as our plane opened its doors at Gatwick Airport. Everything and every place seemed so gray. And Dreary. And Tiring.

No energy to blog. Sorry!

As usual at this time of year, my working days over the last two weeks have been filled with getting our library ready to go for this year's intake of students. Tomorrow is when it all kicks off.

We are going to be short staffed, and at half-four on Friday afternoon we heard that our IT department had ~~shafted us big time~~ had last minute problems which mean all our plans for inductions etc will need to be re-drawn.

Problem solving is what we do best. Probably because we get lots of practice.

Go To Work On An Egg! *

2007-08-26T10:51:00.002+01:00

* (Something in my memory tells me this slogan was invented by the novelist Fay Wheldon, when she worked in advertising. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.)

And, now, by special request, Breakfast Porn!

In a comment a few days ago Amalee mentioned that she loved "holiday breakfasts". I think I know exactly what she means.

Most working days for me start with a cuppa, and some cereal or an apple, eaten in a rush and leaving me feeling slightly icky afterwards. Holidays are one of the few times when we can just take our time, warm up slowly, and, if we feel like it, we can indulge.

Breakfast ingredients on Crete are of variable quality. The "bacon" is usually streaky, cut far too thin and industrially packed. despite this, it cooks quite well, producing a decent amount of fat, and you can get it crispy if you wish. (Most Greeks don't seem to.) "Sausages" on a Cretan menu are normally frankfurters, and undistinguished. However, the star of the morning repast in Crete, and indeed anywhere in Greece, is the egg.

Greek eggs are what they used to be like in the U.K. They are always golden, perky and rich. They always have a luxurious freshness about them, wherever you buy them.

To enjoy them at their best, try scrambling them. Most self-catering apartments just have a two ring electric stove top, so if you want bacon, fry that first. Then just scramble a box of eggs and anoint your plate with golden creaminess. If you like (We Liked) You can fry some bread in the bacon fat...

Breakfast #1. Scrambled egg, bacon, fried bread.

Adding some of the cooked new potatoes from your previous lunch and some peppers and fried onion gives you a beautiful base for a substantial "Spanish" omelette...

(We were too busy eating to photograph the finished Omelette).

And a special shout out to the "Irish Taverna" (Which also does Thai food in the evening, very Irish). This place produced a "Full Irish" breakfast which was notable for including fried potatoes, mushrooms that weren't from a tin, and sausages that were "Almost home-made". I questioned the Irishman about that. The sausages (95% pork) were homemade, but by a Greek lady in the village. She should open a place of her own. They were delicious...

"The Full Irish" In All It's Glory...

I am aware that, to some, breakfast is an opportunity to leave healthy offerings at the door of the Temple that is their bodies.

Even we feel like that sometimes. So, take rich, 10% greek yogurt, ripe nectarines and peaches, grown up the road, and add these babies...

...Which were growing over our patio...

And you have...

...The Healthy Option.

Enjoy, and Have A Nice Day Now!

Bring Me Sunshine

2007-08-25T08:01:00.001+01:00

Those of us old enough to remember Morecambe and Wise will know that the song was only performed at the end of the show. My wife and I were certainly singing it when we got back from holiday last Sunday.

We got in to Gatwick airport at around 7pm and everywhere was cold, overcast and dreary. A fine drizzle completed the re-acclimatization and reminded us that Greece wasn't just 3 1/2 hours away, it was gone for another year.

We instantly started suffering from SAD, and it has been too depressing to post for the last few days.

We have been surrounded by damp piles of washing, and the house and garden alike smell of Autumn, musty, damp and cool.

This morning though, I woke at 7 to see the sun sneaking through the window blinds. Tigger was calling for his breakfast, and everything looked brighter again.

It is good to be back, after all.

And remember, One Person's Sunset is Someone Else's Morning.

It Could Be Worse..

2007-08-15T20:19:00.000+01:00

We were relaxing yesterday morning in the local pool. Our rooms are directly on the beach, but sometimes the sand becomes a bit much, and the 100 metre walk to the bar is too stressful, so we go to the local pool. (The bar is only 20 metres away.)

I noticed the Blonde Guy first. He was reclining on a sun lounger. Like a corpse reclines. He was wearing shorts. Nothing else.

Now Blonde Guys are not unusual round these parts. There is a Swedish Complex very close. (Hotel is too small a word. This place looks like one of those big sets from a James Bond movie. I swear I saw a man in a leather armchair cuddling a Persian cat.)

It is just up the hill. 700 Swedes, all looking for alcohol and entertainment. (Well, actually to the Swedes they seem to be the same thing.)

This chap was notable for two things. He looked like Martin Clunes, and he was sleeping the sleep of the heavily Hung-Over. I.E. Nearly Dead.

We had a certain amount of fun watching his pale Nordic skin slowly turn to crackling in front of us. I actually, (only briefly) considered either spraying him with water or squirting him with sun lotion. I did neither, naturally.

Then he woke up. He spoke perfect, polite English, with a hangover.

"Hello!. How long have you been here?"

Not as long as you.

"I work here, at the S*****G" (Swedish place.)"

"We had a staff party last night. This is as far as I got on the way back. We went to the Rock Bar..."

" I Think..."

"It has been 45 degrees Centigrade here for the last three weeks."

" I work in the entertainment section at the complex."

We felt he was being chatty, but also needed to unburden himself of some terrible secret...

"It is not a bad job. I work with the children. Four hours a day. Not bad."

"Sometimes I dress up as a giant Giraffe..."

"That is not too bad."

...

"On other days I dress up in the bear costume. I was in the bear costume all last week. 45 Degrees. "

"It was not good."

With that he stood up without looking. And walked into the pool....

Sun, Sand, Sea And...?

2007-08-15T19:54:00.000+01:00

Well actually it's Surfing!!

Despite the fact that the Phantom can only execute a doggy paddle that would embarass a baby Pekinese, he has discovered something he can do better than his wife. (Yup, the qualified swimming instructor).

She is qualified to teach in the U.K. of course, and despite the large number of "fun" poools with all sorts of flumes and slides, surfing is not big in your average municipal pool.

I had seen her eyeing the body boards for the last few days. She bought one, and we strode, (or in my case manfully crept, sideways), into the sea. Breakers erupting to head height all around.*

She jumped on, head-butted the polystyrene board, and fell off.

This happened again. Twice.

Being male, I genetically knew what needed to be done.

"You need to leap on the crest of the wave, just as it breaks.... Keep the nose down, you need a shallow angle of attack."

After I had emptied my ears and eyes from the torrent of warm, salty water she had expertly sent in my direction, I realised what I had done. Like a London Gangster in the East End opening a Kray-free nightclub I had committed the ultimate sin. I was moving-in on my wife's Territory.

I would Have To Pay...

The next wave was looking vaguely like a tower block as it insinuated its way towards us. I prepared my self, said a prayer, waited until just the moment....

Leapt onto the board.

And coasted, literally riding along on the crest of the wave, right on to the beach.

Best of all:

My wife was watching

And I kept my hat and sunglasses on throughout.

Colonel Kilgore surfing off the beach under rocket fire in Apocalypse Now wasn't in it.

I swear I could hear Wagner...

* (I may be exaggerating. Maybe)

Take My Hand, I'm A Phantom In Paradise!

2007-08-07T10:46:00.000+01:00

Apologies for any sprelling mistakes, I'm using a dual language keyboard, with the English as the small options.

Well folks, some people (like my wife) think I am deeply sad to be blogging on holiday. Myself, I just like to think I am keeping the faith, and thinking of my loyal readership.

(Excuse me while I take a gulp of my ice cold Mythos beer.......

Ah! That's better. Beer mug just out of the freezer, rime of frost around the jug. Lovely.)

My lovely other half is down on the beach, all of 30 seconds away from here. I'm in the bar of our apartments, and being civilised they have 2 internet computers set up, just a few paces from the drinks and food.

It's a long journey down from London to Crete, and another couple of hours by coach to get here, which is Macrigyalos, give or take a letter or two.

We are in rooms literally overlooking the sea, with palm trees filling in the gap between our patio and the sea.

We have managed to leave the worst of the stresses of London behind already. The quiet beauty of this area does that. This resort is still relatively undeveloped. We haven't been back here for at least 7 years, but yesterday when we walked down the main (only) street, two of the shopkeepers came and greeted us, welcoming us back.

Bougainvillea (I think, one for Amalee to rule on when I get photos up) blooms are intertwining, grapes hanging in bunches above our heads wherever we go.

The sun is fierce at this time of day, so in a while I will go back to our room and fix some lunch, local Louganiga (sausages) in fresh baps with feta and sun-ripe tomatoes.

The restaurants are decent, but none really shine. Fortunately we have a brand new butchers (kreatopoleion) and a fishmonger (psaro something or other) since our last visit, and I love cooking on holiday. (more Madness?)

I will take plenty of photos (I will make sure to get some brakfast porn for A.I.) but I didn't bring my card reader so will have to upload back in the U.K.

Thanks to all for the kind wishes.

More in a few sun-drenched days.

Tomorrow, Chrissy Island, Today, the beach!!

Love from the Phantom and his sun bronzed lady.

I Must Go Down To The Sea Again...

2007-08-04T23:51:00.000+01:00

My good lady and myself are off to Greece for a fortnight.

Lots of pictures and the odd recipe will surely follow.

I may even blog while on holiday, if I can find an Internet Taverna!

Wish Us Well,

Back Soon,

The Phantom.

Guilty Pleasures

2007-08-01T21:47:00.001+01:00

There is something about having friends gathering for lunch during the week that always makes me feel guilty. Irrational, I know, but it does.

Today my wife and the Legal Eagle were joined by our old friend "Battey Moo". (Just don't ask).

Another reason for me feeling guilty was that I didn't do any cooking for our feast. I was working a half-day, so I thought I would relax and let someone else put in the effort. I popped into Olga Stores, a long-established Italian Deli in Penton Street, just around the corner from Chapel Market.

For a sunny day lunch an Italian Deli is very hard to beat. In quick order I had secured ham with rosemary, some pastrami, peppers (stuffed with tuna and capers), artichokes and anchovies, both marinated in oil and of course olives. I added some mushrooms a la Greque and a buffalo mozzarella, milky and soft. The cheese would be sliced and added to tomatoes and home-grown basil, the only work I had in the whole meal. Oh, and I washed some lettuce leaves. That was it.

Ripe peaches and cherries dipped in creamy yogurt provided dessert. It was a most satisfying afternoon.

I think I can live with the Guilt.

Rainy Days and Mondays…

2007-07-29T21:47:00.000+01:00

It would be churlish to complain about the rain. Here in London we have escaped the worst of the flooding that has caused so much damage further north.

By and large, the flooding that has occurred here has been in low-lying sites such as tube stations. An inconvenience at worst, but nothing disastrous. Two Fridays ago central London had more rain in two hours than it normally gets in the entire month of July. But things carried on pretty much as normal. We had our college end of year party that day, complete with (indoor) barbecue. It was a wonder that we weren’t prosecuted under the new Anti-smoking legislation.

In our little part of the world the only real problem caused by the rain is that the slugs and snails have been busier than normal, shredding everything within reach and even climbing up walls the better to feast on our window boxes.

My good lady wife is back to her nocturnal slug hunting, torch in one hand, slug squishing trowel in the other. Some of the neighbours think we are a little strange.

It entertains the cats too.

Now if only snails moved fast enough to tempt the cats, our problems would be solved….

Making The Most Of It

2007-07-26T21:47:00.000+01:00

Our garden is feeling somewhat neglected of late. My Mother-In-Law's illness has meant that the Head Gardener has been spending a lot of time visiting her Mum at the hospital. When she has been at home, the rain has kept her inside for far too long.

Meanwhile, at my college, whilst the teachers are relaxing, we few (Very Few!) in the Library are stocktaking, preparing new books, and re-arranging the shelves. We have over 21,000 books and DVDs at the moment, and by the time September arrives we will have moved every single one eight feet sideways and put them back on the shelves! It's tiring, and when I get home gardening is far from my mind.

However, we managed to get outside this evening, in one of those magical periods when the weather suddenly clears and the blue of the sky looks as if it has been scrubbed clean.

The Fuchsias and Montbretia may be drooping, but the colours set each other off beautifully.

The Agapanthus have been waiting for ages to bloom, and finally found the courage to do so.

My better half stopped to have a chat with our next-door-neighbour. Our gardens are slightly sloping, so she knelt on a garden chair to have a proper over-the-fence chat.

Regular readers will know that our cats are firm believers in only sitting on humans under certain conditions, namely

If They Haven't Asked Them To
When They Least Expect It
And Preferably When It Causes Them Most Inconvenience.

Bernard saw his opportunity and seized it with all four paws!

Instantly relaxing himself, my wife was rendered helpless. Another Success for the Feline Takeover of the World.

Job Done.

The Power of Wine and Cheese

2007-07-14T16:44:00.000+01:00

It could be argued that this story should be filed under "Only In America". However, I think this news item about the redemptive power of a good red wine and a piece of cheese holds out hope for us all!

One Man's Meat...

2007-07-11T21:52:00.001+01:00

Sometimes a particular second-hand bookshop will call out to me. Maybe I haven’t been there for a while. Sometimes I just get a feeling...

I was in the Traid shop in Holloway Road when I found this…

I get the feeling that Welsh Dog already has a copy, but if you don’t, you can find it on Amazon here.

It has somewhat mixed reviews…

“I've sent copies to several of my friends as Christmas presents and I'm sure they will find it just as funny as I do.”

Contrasting with…

“Never before have I waited with breath so baited, only to have every dream, hope and wish crushed. This book is nothing of what I had heard. The prose is uninspired, and lend the book a pompous and smug air, not unlike that Jamiroquai Rowling what writes kids books except treats the kids like idiots incapable of keeping a single thoughts in their head. Except this is worse; the witless and insipid text positively inspires vomiting (projectile) from every reader, sucking out the very essence of what makes a good read and replacing your heart with a heavy grey twilight. I do not recommend buying this.”…

One may guess which review, if any, was written by the author:-)

.

Ever Get The Feeling Someone Is Looking Over Your Shoulder?

2007-07-11T19:26:00.000+01:00

I was trying to finish my book yesterday, stretched out in the garden in one of the rare dry spells of the last two months.

Then I became aware....

I was not alone...

Man at Work!

2007-07-10T23:24:00.000+01:00

Apologies for the lack of new writing. I am still at work behind the scenes!

Coming tomorrow - An Interesting find in a charity shop, and a new take on reading over someone's shoulder...

Tinkering Under The Hood

2007-07-04T22:18:00.000+01:00

I'll be upgrading the Template for this blog in a minute. So, just in case all goes horribly quiet here, at least you will know why!

UPDATE 23:00

Mmm. Not bad if I say so myself. Getting There!

Just About Dried Out.

2007-07-04T22:00:00.000+01:00

Yesterday's trip to Hampton Court Flower Show was as rain-soaked as we had feared. Large area of the showgrounds were already looking like the Somme and this was only the first day of the show!

Highlights in the show gardens were this, inspired by the idea of a Miller's plot

And this garden, where the designers actually got right to the construction stage before someone said "'ere, It looks like the bleedin' Tellytubbies"

And, at the end of the day, as we trudged muddy and weary through the sodden fields that form the car parks, the sun came out, and we all looked for the plant pot of gold...

And The Rain It Raineth Every Day.

2007-07-02T22:00:00.000+01:00

The photo above was taken on our trip to the South Bank on Saturday. As you can see it rained somewhat.

(It wasn't really that bad, my better half was actually standing inside a water sculpture).

We found the book exchange hut, took a couple and left a book of our own. I ended up being interviewed on video for a film project on Bookcrossing. I guess they were probably on the lookout for someone suitably eccentric looking, then I turned up, wearing the T-shirt.

We finished the afternoon with an excellent lunch at the OXO Tower Brasserie. After the last few days it was lovely just to slip into the world of the beautiful people, the ladies who lunch, and just indulge ourselves and be somewhere else for a while.

I'm writing this on the laptop, slowly getting a crick in the neck, and cramp in my typing finger. I would sit properly and type with both hands, but Visiting Cat Bernard has me pinned to the sofa by using the simple feline tactic of lying on his back, paws up in the air, whilst lying along my legs.

The look of sublime joy on his face would not look out of place on a ceiling angel in the Sistine Chapel.

Tomorrow we are off to Hampton Court For the Flower Show. Normally one of the highlights here are the water gardens. I wonder if we will be able to tell one from the other. The forecast is for heavy, thundery showers. In defiance, the Legal Eagle and her Beau are going to be taking us there in the convertible. I hope they have been practising getting the roof up quickly. I fear they may end up with the only Volvo to boast an in-car swimming pool.

News and photos soon!

Life Goes On

2007-06-27T13:49:00.000+01:00

Things are pretty grim at home. My Mother-in-law has not responded much to the treatment she has had so far. Repeated trips up to the hospital are wearing my wife out. At home there is always an anxiety. Always the phone going. Always the doorbell ringing.

Friends and relations mean well, but they don't appreciate the collective drain they impose upon the immediate family.

We need to get out and away for a bit, time to refresh our batteries.

My wife and I will be attending what is billed as the biggest Bookcrossing event ever held in the U.K. It's part of a literature festival on London's South Bank (Or Southbank, as I believe we are expected to call it). It's this Saturday, details here.

Even if we don't find any books (I fancy the Blake) It will be good to be in the fresh air. We'll probably go for a walk, and see if we can spot any metal men.

How Quickly Life Changes

2007-06-21T22:31:00.000+01:00

On Wednesday afternoon, during my lunch break, I booked our summer holiday. We could both do with one. It has been a tough spring. My wife and I were planning a lovely meal for the evening, and everything was good.

Then my wife got a phone call. Her mum (who lives with us) had collapsed in the street, and was in the local hospital Accident and Emergency unit. We were not too worried. They said she was OK. We figured it would be three for dinner while we pampered her a little.

When my wife got to the hospital it turned out that my mother-in-law had had a "massive" stroke, was paralysed down her right side, and had lost the power to speak.

We have since learned that she has developed a chest infection. The next few days will be critical. She is in her eighties, and things could easily get worse quickly.

But in the middle of this there are still moments that bring a smile to our lips.

Tigger, one of our visiting cats, has good reason to like the old human with the white hair. She opens the patio doors for him most mornings and gives him his breakfast long before my wife and I are up and about.

Yesterday, I let him in. He wandered around the kitchen, sniffing. Then he strolled off very casually and went upstairs.

After ten minutes or so I went up to check where he was, but couldn't see him anywhere.

Then I looked in my mother-in-law's bedroom.

No sign of Tigger anywhere...

Then I saw the duvet on the bed moving ever so slightly, rising up and down with the breathing of a very contented Tigger, under the covers, fast asleep in my wife's mothers bed....

Safety First

2007-06-20T07:15:00.000+01:00

After my problems with the main PC at the beginning of the week, I have decided to take some preventative action. I have just bought a 120 Gigabyte portable hard drive. It comes with software to automate a back-up procedure whenever the user specifies. At least this way, should the main hard drive fail, I will always have a back-up ready to copy over. The thought of all my music and pictures just disappearing due to component failure is horrendous.

If we are to live in cyberspace, we always need to keep a spare!

Technical Problems Update

2007-06-19T18:35:00.000+01:00

And the hot news is that the techies could find nothing wrong, I took the PC home and now everything is hunky dory!!

One can only assume there was a loose component somewhere in the PC. They took it apart, dusted it, and put it back. I am writing this on the very machine.

All-in-all the £15.00 minimum fee seems very reasonable as long as the problem doesn't return.

Of course, the moral of this tale is

***Always Back Up Your Data!!! ***

I had all my music safe on my Ipod, and all of my photos are on CD or still on the digital camera. After dinner though, I am going to go through the files on this PC and see what else I need to copy. Before it is too late!

Isn’t Technology Wonderful?

2007-06-19T16:28:00.000+01:00

Just heard from the computer technicians who have had my ailing PC since yesterday morning. They have checked it over, but can find nothing wrong at all. The finger of suspicion now points to my LCD flat screen monitor. (Which I did not take to the tecchies). If I was Welsh Dog, I would just reach into my pile of old monitors and plug one in. Me, I don’t have any spares.

So, I will have to collect the main PC unit and then plug it all back together again, plug in the screen, and switch on. If it still doesn’t come on, it’s probably the monitor.

I’ll be hoping it is. The alternative, an intermittent fault, is too wearisome to contemplate.

Excuses, Excuses.

2007-06-16T20:58:00.000+01:00

I was going to title this blog "The Rumours of my Death have been Greatly Exaggerated".
I googled the phrase just to check that it was Mark Twain that said it. Google produced 2,020,000 hits. They confirmed two things.

It was Mark Twain.
Practically every blogger under the sun has used it as a blog title, usually when returning to the blogosphere after an extended absence.

I've not posted in about three weeks, for which I offer my apologies. My period of silence was mostly caused by going back to work. I've only been doing half days, but it has taken it out of me. (Other things that were taken out of me can be discussed with the consultant who did my hernia repair at the beginning of May).

Work hasn't got any easier either. A couple of work colleagues are moving on to new posts and that means I'm having to take on new responsibilities. It's been busy to say the least.

It hasn't all been hard slog though. I've released a few books in the last few days as part of my drive to promote Bookcrossing. While I was off-air I found my first wild release, and had one of my wild releases journalled. Do check the site out, it's a great idea with over half a million members.

I have plans to add a few widgets onto the blog, such as a link to my Bookcrossing home page and my Librarything catalogue. However, I think my antipodean friend Welsh Dog has spread his technical curse over on this side of the planet. My main PC has gone on the fritz (technical term) and the screen is dead. Well, that's tomorrow morning gone already whilst I try and work out if it's the monitor, the graphics card or, (God forbid), the hard drive that has failed. We had a power cut a few days ago - lets hope it wasn't a power surge or the whole kit and caboodle could be fried!!

More soon.

Boy Do I Know The Feeling!

2007-05-27T12:24:00.001+01:00

After the last few weeks of recovery I had to include this link. Many thanks to my Best Man, Welsh Dog, who is very big Down Under!

Feeling Lonely (2)

2007-05-25T19:37:00.000+01:00

My wife and I go back a long way. God Willing we will celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary in less than four months time.

One of our little traditions is to wish each other happy anniversary every Friday evening at around 8.20. This goes back to our first date, which was at this time and on that day.

This Friday my better half is on a training course which won't finish until nine this evening.

I know it's not long, but I miss having her to say "Happy Anniversary" to.

It makes some people cringe, others rush to throw up. We think it is a lovely reminder. Relationships change over the years, no one is identical to themselves twenty years before. This is our way of reminding ourselves about the passion, the excitement and the strength of the feelings we had all those years ago.

Feeling Lonely

2007-05-25T18:55:00.001+01:00

It's not often that I get to feel lonely. I'm a pretty self-contained individual. I guess it's the legacy of being an only child. But the last few days I have felt something or someone was missing. I'm afraid to say it is this book:

Regular readers may have noticed that it appeared as my "On The Bus Book" for quite a while. This was because Quicksilver, by Neal Stephenson, is a book and a half. Actually it's three books. And even then it's only the first part of a trilogy! (The Baroque Cycle).

It's a historical epic anchored around real people such as Isaac Newton and King Louis 14th of France. It's a Fantasy, a philosophical work-out, a primer in Cartesian geometry, a pirate story. I could go on. It even had a Wiki devoted to it.

In short, it's a brilliant book, which I feel bereft of now I have finished it. To actually get 900 pages through and feel sad that it has ended says something for the quality of the experience that Neal Stephenson provides.

I already have the second volume of the trilogy sitting in the bedroom, but I'm making myself wait a while before I dive in. I'm like a smoker in a non-smoking area, glancing at my fag-packet every now-and-then for reassurance that I can get a hit later.

Veg Box Day Soup

2007-05-11T16:37:00.000+01:00

Today I found tired spring onions and some lackluster carrots glaring at me resentfully from the veg rack.Friday is the day of the Phantom's Veg Box delivery. A day of "out with the old, in with the new". So it was use it or lose it time.

I had some stock left over from last night's supper, so soup seemed to be the natural thing to make. I made this today while my wife was in the garden cutting the grass and generally daring the rain to start.The recipe below doesn't take long to make or cook, and is ideal for lunch.

I refer to a "seed-toasting pan". This isn't some special gadget. If you ever have a small old saucepan that has lost its non-stick, or seen better days, don't throw it. Use it for dry toasting seeds such as coriander and cumin for curries, or pine nuts for salads and pesto.

I also refer to a mortar and pestle. Obviously not everyone will have one. I didn't feel up to rummaging for ours. As I am still taking things very easy I just used the end of my rolling pin and a large bowl!

Carrot and Coriander Soup.

10 small carrots, 5 medium or 2 or 3 monsters
3 small or 2 medium onions, or 2 large bunches of spring onions
2 heaped tablespoons of split red lentils
2 pints chicken stock
2 level tablespoons of whole coriander seeds.
2 cloves garlic
Olive oil

Peel carrots and onions. Chop both roughly to the size of Dolly Mixtures.

Wet the bottom of a medium saucepan with olive oil. When hot add onions, and let soften for 5 minutes or so. Then add carrots, stir, and continue to cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Try not to burn any of the onion.

Meanwhile, put the coriander seeds into the dry seed-toasting pan and heat over a medium gas, shaking the pan every so often. The seeds will darken slightly and give off a nutty smell. This should only take a minute or two. Pour the seeds into the mortar to cool, then grind with the pestle until fairly fine.

Chop the garlic coarsely, and add it and the split red lentils to the veg pan and cook for a further couple of minutes.

Add the crushed coriander to the veg pan, stir, and cook for a minute.

Add the stock, stir, bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop the lentils from catching.

Cool slightly, then whiz in small batches in the liquidizer or pass through a Mouli.

Red and Blues (Part 2)

2007-05-10T22:06:00.000+01:00

I have to confess that I had never been to the Albert Hall until this week. It seemed strange actually being inside an auditorium that I have seen so often on television, and “heard” so often on the radio, crackling over the ether on the shortwave, whilst sitting in the moonlight in Greece listening to the last night of the Proms on holiday.

We had excellent seats for the concert, just to the side of the stage and only about three rows back. Ms. Armatrading played with a trio of bass, drums and keyboard in support. There was a well-judged mixture of classics and new stuff, with a distinct bluesy feel to the new album (hardly a surprise as it is called Into The Blues).

She played for a solid hour and forty minutes and I am pleased to say that her voice is as strong and clear as it was back in the ‘Eighties. An excellent evening all round. For a sample of her new stuff, click here.

Red and Blues, (Part 1)

2007-05-10T09:11:00.000+01:00

Being a boring, stay-at-home sort of guy, the Phantom always finds going out in the evening slightly problematic. Most public entertainments, be they on the stage or the cinema screen, tend to start around eight in the evening and finish a couple of hours later. The quandary is always the same – when do we eat, and where?

At home we naturally gravitate to eating at seven-thirty or eight. This is, of course, the time when most shows start. Factoring in travelling time means that eating at home before the show is rarely a realistic option when you are heading out for your entertainment.

I find it difficult to enjoy a meal out if I am more than a few minutes away from my ultimate destination. Seeing a show in the West End therefore tends to mean dining in Chinatown beforehand. A gig at the Hammersmith Apollo will probably mean a cheap and cheerful burger and chips at the local Wetherspoon pub.

Tuesday presented new challenges. We were headed for the Royal Albert Hall. The area around South Kensington is very much Terra Incognita for my wife and I. Our forays into Hooray Henry land tend to be limited to visits to the Victoria and Albert Museum or Chelsea Flower Show. I find the wide, embassy-ridden streets somewhat intimidating. You can walk for miles without seeing anything but grand houses and 4x4’s, people in pearl twinsets, au pairs, and poodles. Corner shops are rare, there are few pubs, and absolutely no kebab shops. Bereft of the familiar sights and smells, a north London lad can feel quite unsettled.

I had done some research the day before. I used the Time Out restaurant guide to give me a rough idea of what was on offer, then checked out reviews of a shortlist of places from there.

The winner, and our culinary oasis for the night was Moroccan restaurant Pasha.

The restaurant was enchanting, glowing with rich ochre and dark carved wood, burnished brass and copper, twinkling lamps, the floors and tables strewn with fresh rose petals.

The food was finely flavoured, scented with cumin, coriander and saffron. From the starters of smoky aubergine puree and home pickled-vegetables right through to the dessert of fresh fruits and pastries, nuts and sweetmeats the food was full of flavour and generous in quantity.

We had allowed ourselves a couple of hours from arriving at the restaurant to taking our seats at the concert. Another half an hour would have been good, to nibble on Turkish delight and drink some more hot, sweet mint tea, (poured in Moroccan Style from over the waiter’s head, like a spin bowler delivering a googly).

Five minutes walk away lay our main destination for the night. The Royal Hat Box, where Joan Armatrading was to perform. Of that, more later…