Pizza and today

Made pizzas (3 x 9") last night pictures below:

I had a tomato sauce I made for a sausage pasta dish in freezer to go on the bases I'd made, recipe somewhere above. for both sauce and bases.  Chilli beef, always do that, make two or three at a time of the mixes, basically a standard chilli con carne, without the beans and quite dry., full recipe is probably here somewhere above.  Tuna, sweetcorn and roast red peppers (small tin in packs of three from any supermarket in Spain - large jar go off).  I usually do those, then the third is generally a new one:
Waxy potatoes sliced on the finest mandolin setting,  baby asparagus (cheap in SuperValu), sliced, microwaved for about 2 minutes and into cold water, sliced red onion and peppers, mixture of mozzarella and emmental.

Really liked them, but I think a little under-seasoned, which is odd, as I'm not a salt fan


Today off to Dun Laorgharie to stay in Royal Marine and and dinner in Rasam, that we love and a few pints - Beer Traders / Forty Foot or 64Wine in Glasthule for a nice glass of wine.  Day off tomorrow, to make up for a couple of Sundays, bit of shopping and cooking.

Thoughts on lunches

Over the years, lots of jobs, lots of different workplaces and lunch possibilities, at the moment a break room, fridge, couple of microwaves, George Foreman, toaster so OK.  Had everything from proper kitchens to nothings and a huge range of canteens in between. Whee I currently work, there are load of great (expensive and large portion) places to get takeaways and plenty of eat-ins as well.

Part of being old and on a strict plan to not spend money, makes me aghast at spending a tenner, or more, on lunch, food looks and smells lovely, but I don't need that much (though am a terrible snacker, but that's why I have apples, yogurt bars, peanuts in my desk) I do think that lunch can be good and cheap.

I plan to do a few recipes to expound on this, but just wanted to put down a few words about leftovers, especially ignoring using everything the next day and jazzing up simple staples.

Part of the problem here is I am impervious to any gutrot, so I would say food never goes off (within a week), so I can use Saturday's leftovers on Wednesday, but even if you are more delicate, most food from supermarkets traveled from the other side of the world, it will last another day.  It's is also part of the plan, not to waste anything, I feel sadder about throwing food out than Trump, May, Corbyn, God(s) and / or any other ridiculous politician or the imaginary pantheon.  So will try and post some recipes of use of leftovers, five days a week for years, so I think am OK at it.


Staples - rice, pasta, chick-peas, noodles, pulses, potatoes, can be all great, some take a bit longer to cook and / or prep, but cheap as fuck and can be lovely, especially if, as I do, you love spices

I plan to put a selection of my lunches down to help anyone else with a similar plan

Quiet weekend

Made a lovely risotto with chicken supreme yesterday, chorizo, peeled broad beans etc

Quite faffy but lovely.  San brought home some coffee beans from work, so had to buy a grinder - I already have one but only used for spices, so couldn't use it for coffee, bought a couple of little coffee cups from Vincent de Paul's in Swords and made a cup before work (Sunday) this morning.  So San cooking dinner today, her parents coming, a beef strew and hopefully brownies.

Will have to make some lunches and ironing when I get home from work.

Rice paper rolls

Made rice paper rolls with fish dipping sauce again for a couple of lunches, mentioned it before, I thought it was time to add the recipe:


Bought the rice paper rolls in the wonderful Spice Bazaar in Swords - I love this shop, like a real old skool Indian shop when I lived in Rusholme in the 80's and 90's.

It is all about prep, anything can go into to them, noodles, bean sprouts, veg, meat, fish

Soak a handful of glass noodles in boiling water, then drain, handful of bean sprout (I blanch and freeze then as I never use a whole tray and they don't last long).  Peel carrots with a potato peeler, then thinly slice for very fine batons, thinly sliced spring onions and mange touts.  I had half a dozen small crayfish tails in the freeze, they went in, we had roast pork yesterday, so sliced up a bit of the leftovers.  Into a mixing bowl with a couple sliced fresh chillies, lemon juice (ginger and garlic optional - not this time), a splash of soy sauce and mixed it.

Assembling is a process (and San is way better then me, so I outsourced the hard bit) - YouTube has plenty of examples to watch.

Pour slightly cooled boiled water ( or add cold to boiled water) into a shallow bowl, immerse a sheet (they start like brittle plastic) for about 30 seconds, then do a second, overlap them by an 20%, like a Venn diagram, put a cabbage / lettuce / Chinese leaf / pak choy onto it, add filling, not too much.  Fold one end over and then roll into a cigar - as I said YouTube is your man.  I wrap then in greaseproof paper to stop them sticking

For the sauce, sugar, chilli, fish sauce (I have always used Squid brand), lemon juice, spring onions, basil, mint, coriander leaves, garlic, ginger.... whatever you have and like - mine has a lot of birds-eye chillies in it.  I have a dinky little screw top plastic container that is great for dipping sauce / salad dressing / parmesan for lunches at work - that will do for today and tomorrow

Town, Art, food and drink

Went in to the Dublin yesterday - there again today at work :(
It was People's Art day on Stephen's Green, saw some great picture, we already have pieces by most of the artists we really liked!  We went to the National Gallery, first time since it re-opened, fantastic new space, loads of great pictures (the Caravaggio is out on loan).  It was also Gay Pride day in Dublin, so loads of stuff going on and full of people in rainbow colours.

Had a few nice pints in Porter House Temple Bar and then to the Liquor Rooms, great little underground bar.  Had dinner in Cleaver East  - excellent value, if not spectacular, bit hit and miss on the temperature, but for the price well worth it. 

Need to cook a few lunch this afternoon, maybe rice paper rolls, as I should have a bit of roast pork left over from today's dinner

Fennel, Sunday and lunches

Went to Fennel in Drumcondra for dinner last night, been 4 or 5 times before, service was sometimes a bit hit and miss, but food always been excellent - unfortunately not this time, service again was iffy, food was no more than average, if it was a new place we hadn't been before, we might of been happy enough, but  such a let down after previously raving about the place.

Family dinner today 12 - 15, lasagne, chicken pasta, banoffee, we made the ragu Friday night, will roast veg for chicken pasta and make bechamel this morning, chairs out of attic and table from spare room.  Everyone here to see C on her flying visit and San's birthday.

Need to make some lunches for the week - I have some chilli in freezer, but had that twice last week - will have a root around and a think

Lunches and things to do

Made a very hot minced beef, lentil and sweetcorn chili yesterday, baked in a couple of tortillas - will do for a few lunches, weather not salad-y enough!

We were in Fennel a few times during my hiatus, back there on Saturday, so hopefully will put something here - as good as Vintage Kitchen, been there another couple of times, Kajal also this week

Need to update recipes, got a couple more, so will try and do that this week amongst all the other stuff am trying to do / catchup on this week or so.  Hopefully will not leave too big a gap

Back in Dublin

Of all the lovely food I had in Catania the standout was the sardina a beccafico in the Sicilian Fish Lab - fresh sardines stuffed with a breadcrumb, pine nut, capers and maybe raisin, crumbed and deep fried.

Home late, weather rubbish, cool and raining, greenhouse plants stayed wet enough, took triffid like tomatoes out of green house and pruned them, changed the bamboo sticks.  Hopefully the won't get as drowned as last year, but too big to stay in greenhouse.  Courgette plants doing OK, herbs fantastic, raspberries and onions only starting.  Might plant some garlic today, got some cloves over from Sicily

At a family birthday yesterday, pub platters, not my sort of thing, but OK, homemade cakes, very good, but sweeeeet.  I was asked by a niece about cooking, so I was going to dredge up my recipe book I'd done for step-monster years ago.  Looking at it I should really update it.  But not today.

Make some lunches for week and a roast chicken tonight - all back to normal

2 months until next holiday - got to set something up in between.  Lots on the next couple of weeks, some good food out planned

Last day in Catania

Great meal out in Restaurante Royal Ceres, food and wine excellent - fried fish, gnochi.  Had some nice beers and wines beforehand, had an ice cream later and went back home.

Last trip to bakers for bread for brunch, last of the ham, bresola and cheese for brunch.  Flying late tonight - cannot recommend Sicily high enough :)

Friday morning

Sitting on the balcony having a lovely coffee after a big bowl of cherries (my life!), noise from alley below of a very fucking loud radio - sort of an ice cream van, he stopped every 20 or so yards and rang a hand bell, people came out to buy granita (local specialty), ice cream or cake - those on second or third floor lower a bucket down on a rope with a order and money, he puts food and change back into bucket - everybody shouting a each other, it is a very noisy place, but fun.  Apartment have very heavy french windows, so probably went past each day, but didn't hear him. 

We have prawns from market with pasta and sauce I made earlier in week last night, eating out tonight, leftovers or breakfast and lunch today, last meal at teatime tomorrow then late flight back to Mordor