More sicily, why the gap and drinks

Feast or famine, after writing a bit this morning, I'm back, as it is too hot to sit outside.

Went shopping this morning, prawns for tonights pasta, bread to have with some if the gorgeous Sicilian sausage I cooked a couple of days ago reheated for breakfast and cherries - markets were great again - I often walk around markets in Spain, but rarely buy, feel too intimidated - here with zero language skills, bought a good few things, I will try when in Spain in August!  Caprese salad for lunch shortly

I was trying to think why I have let the blog wither over the lat year, I came up with a few reasons:

• Practice / habits - I only do things I do regularly, very much a man of habits, I go to the gym each working day or any day I'm in a hotel, but fear missing out for a week or so (like now, no gym) will I go back next week?
•  Not cooking as much, my partner took a year off work, I'm working longer hours in this job than I did in my last one and she can cook well, so I only cook at weekends doing a couple of main meals and a few things for lunch in the week - rice paper rolls and jeweled couscous need to be added here  - will do if I keep it up...
• Time - working long hours, passion for podcasts, primarily history also cooking and a bit of comedy and quizzes, reading, cooking and trying to learn Spanish - allotment gone and blog withered

Drinks
I was thinking about drinks today, I don't like black tea, generally not taken with any hot drink - I drink peppermint and camomile  teas, sometime summer fruit and roibus at work but happy to let them go cold, only started since I gave up squash and pop.
I have never been big on coffee, used to drink it at work, but stopped maybe 10 years ago, happy not to have much caffeine and much much better when I finally kicked Pepsi Max last year. I like the odd one for breakfast or after a meal in Spain or here in Italy, but only when out.  However there is a cafeteria and good ground coffee here in the apartment, so I've had it two or three mornings and really enjoyed it.  Don't think I will buy the paraphernalia but nice for a change, but as I said above I'm a bugger for habits and don't want to get back into caffeine :)

The other point on drink - beer - that I have far too much of, is so much improved.  I grew up with plenty of good local beers, these died out and I ended up with anodyne beers and lagers as I was in my early adulthood.  I always liked CAMERA and am so glad over the last decade real beer is back, Germany was always great, as was most of Eastern Europe, USA and Australia used to be dreadful, Spain and Italy weak, but with great wines. However USA turned the corner in the last 10 years, time before last I was in Oz, it was still mostly rubbish, but this year, complete turn around, as with UK and Ireland, never dies out completely in UK, but back with a vengeance.
I've had great craft beers in Spain and Italy in the last couple of years as well.

When I spend a few days in South Africa last year, only rubbish, but A tell me she has seen plenty on here frequent visits from Mozambique (too poor for a trendy micro beer scene, but 2 or 3 great local beers there already) 

I love strong beers, Dubel, Doble Malta, Imperial Stouts, most of all IPAs, but like to try lots - big shout out to Wetherspoons - while only a few in Ireland, following their tradition of cheap good beers for the masses - if shite food

sicily and a long time missing

So...
In Catania in Sicily, with a bit of time so I thought it was worth doing a bt.  No real reason for not, just busy and uninspired.

Since I last updated I've been to Boston, Madrid, Melbourne, Sydney and Cologne.  All good, from a food point of view Melbourne was the stand out especially Rice, Paper, Scissors

Sydney was a lot of cooking in for the family,  Madrid, Boston and Cologne are all places I've been a lot, so while we always find new places

Never been to Sicily before and not in Italy that often, so new adventure.  Weather in May / June is fantastic, Catania is a bit run down in places, but expected, as it is a large poor industrial city - my sort of place, staying in a lovely apartment, so eating in and out, which is always our favourite.

From the lovely doughnuts brought to us by the renter on the first morning, the huge arancini, perfect fried fish and the great produce from the market food is superb.

Plan on cooking prawns in tomato sauce and pasta tonight, will be going to fish market to look for some shortly.  Need a bit more fruit, cherries are particularly good, pears, apples, persimmons, strawberries.....

Might even try and update this now and again, when time permits.  Still working, going to gym and feeling great

Cooking weekend

Made really lovely beef and chorizo burgers, sweet paprika potato wedges and coleslaw. 
Blitzed soft chorizo , mixed with beef mince made 3 patties and rested.  Boiled wedges then put in oven with paprika, salt and pepper in garlic olive oil.  Split sliced cabbage and carrot on mandolin, added mayo for coleslaw.

On griddle, cooked one patty for San and put lime and chilli relish and mature cheddar between two patties for me.

Served in (shop bought) mini wholemeal pittas with sliced tomato and rocket from garden.

Best burgers I've made in ages and I thought the kitchen smelt like a bar in the States, so v happy.

Got up this morning, made a potato and leak soup for breakfast and tomorrow's lunch at work, a carrot cake, and cleaned house.

Made a chilli to go in freezer and just cooking roast chicken for tonight.  All smells good, just eating the bacon off the breast now :)

Another gap, Dusseldorf etc

Added nothing lately, went to Dusseldorf for long weekend, usual places and a few new new ones, nothing really to add, enjoyed as always, ate pig, drank Altbeer, really enjoyed it.

Nothing new planned for a few weeks, couple of meals out, might report on.

Gym (Flyfit.ie) going great 4 or 5 times a  week, mostly Baggot St, Swords occasionally at weekends.  Only issue is I am not only not losing weight, am putting it on.  About half a stone since back from Mozambique, but do seem to have lost a bit of belly, so not too down.

No big plans for weekend, got some runner beans to harvest and need to think up some structured lunch plans.  Cous cous and rice as often as possible, not bored yet.

Gym, food etc

New job going great, joined a new gym as old one was not near job. Very cost effective, great equipment and half way between bus sop and work. Really enjoying it.

Standard roast beef yesterday, not brilliant, but good enough.  Made salmon, whiting and chive ravioli with a pinot grigo, chicken stock and finely diced vegetable sauce.  Best pasta I've made in ages, made some pesto tagliatelle for lunch with the remainder of the pasta and some frozen pesto I'd made ages ago.

Recipe.

Pasta:
3 eggs
salt
olive oil
water
'00' flour

Not really measured, just thrown into mixer with dough hook, added flour and water as required, rested for 40 minutes.

Blitzed salmon, whiting and cream cheese in blender added chopped chives from garden.

Made 2 dozen ravioli,  half went into freezer

Fried garlic and shallots, added large glass of pinot grigio, reduced then added chicken stock, very finely diced carrots, celery, peppers reduced further. 
When water came to boil dropped to low simmer and added pasta, then added finely sliced courgettes to sauce.  3 minutes, pasta was cooked - into sauce, added fresh basil and parmesan - very good

Madrid, new job, lack of exercise

Finished up in my old job at the airport, week off, so went for a 3 day break in Madrid, as usual perfect, weather great, sweating on my morning runs, visited all the usual bars and found a couple of new ones.

New job is in town, so no cycling, too far and too dangerous, also need to get a new gym, as the old one was at airport.  Got one sussed out, will aim for mid-next week.

Keeping up food diary, doing reasonable on the meat and a little better on the beer, weight doing OK, Malaga piled it on, but back down to lowest I can remember.

Malaga

So Malaga again, landed early on Sunday, dropped into La Cuevo 1900 for beers and their really lovely pate / bologna / ham with bread free tapas.  Dropped bags at apartment, headed for La Taberna de Faille, cos MES said it was great, but jammers, so went 2 doors down to Restaurante de Sancha, very, very good mixed salad, gambas al pil-pil and calamari, excellent digestifs to finish for free!  Went to a favorite Cortijo de Pete for dinner, San and Jack gushed over the avocado salad and I love the kefta sandwich.  Met owner of Tapeo de Cervantes on way past and booked for Friday.

Monday and Tuesday ate in ham, cheese sandwiches for breakfast, Salad Nicosia for lunch, Monday I fried prawns with tomato and onion salad, Tuesday chicken fajitas with guacamole.  Couple of tapas in dive bars thrown in - all grand.  Heading for Nerja, Thursday, happy!

Exercise going great, running each morning and using the free open air free gyms and a tiny bit of sea swimming

Progress

Made a great keema curry yesterday with potato and lamb patties, road shoulder of lamb on Saturday, ate out at Sagamartha kitchen again on Friday, OK.  Really enjoying running at weekends, going to Malaga for a week on Sunday, so hopefully will be running in the heat, will have to get up early.  New job starting in two weeks so will have to see how I can fit a new gym into that routine, would hate to skip daily cycle, but too far away, so need a new plan.

On course

Boring update, going well
Exercise - Bike every day except one when I had an offsite meeting, also the only day I didn't go to gym after work, run on weekend days.  Sugar going really well, one muffins and a couple of slices of cake in three weeks!  Beer not so well, averaging 2 dry days a week instead of the 4 or 5 that was my target.  Not really feeling any different, always hungry, fruit, nuts and meat snacks, so not great on the meat reduction, but about have my lunches are meat free, so that is good.  No wiedth change, but maybe a little less tubby and chin-y.

Good weather certainly helping on the exercise front and more likely to go for salads and light food.  Then again, planning on Cologne and Dusseldorf next weekend, so pig on pig action

Health and excercise

So all going quite well, have a food / exercise diary, since last Monday cycled each day to work went to the gym after work each day last week.  Cycled today, no gym, as it was raining.  Ran for the first time in year Saturday and Sunday (15 & 25 minutes respectively).
Had 2 can of pop in the fridge at work, finished them and only had water, peppermint and redbush teas at work since.  At home had 2 pints of squash in a week, rest either redbush or water.  Except Friday, Saturday and Sunday (beer and wine).
Would have run tonight, but really raining hard and wet enough from cycle, aim to not drink until Thursday - social event in Town, but in the medium term only Friday, Sat & Sun.  One bar of chocolate in the week as well.

Pleased with myself, but it is tough and making work even more miserable, as I've no sugar / caffeine hits to get me through the bad bits, but I guess that means I need to put more effort into finding a new job.

Made hummus, butter bean and spinach stew and salads for lunch, trying to stay meat free in the day time, but have a leftover from Saturday and Sunday that need to be eaten and will not waste