Day 31, Level 1: Crumpets, photos, pronunciation, poi, pasta, rose and no meat!

Whoever invented the recipe for crumpets is a genius! They are a totally yummy food item and more versatile than one might think. This morning I had crumpets with fresh avocado, balsamic, Swiss cheese and cherry tomatoes. I also like them with butter and salt & pepper (my dad's favourite way of eating them). And of course there's the old staple with golden syrup. Any topping is good on a crumpet! I tried to make them once - it was a disaster!

The drivewaymen were here at 8am and worked all day, till well after 5pm. They got more railings up but boy is it a slow process. There is much more to go. 

I did a bit of sorting of my office, and also sorted some photos which were in albums that were falling to bits (as they do when they're 30+ years old! Some weren't even in albums, just in a box. I had some spare albums so I spent some time putting photos into those albums. I had a bit of a reminisce along the way. 

A lot of the photos were of the boys when they were little - birthday parties, holidays, rugby games, school days, friends, family occasions etc etc. 

At Omaha, circa 1999

 

Sam as captain of a restored scow

Michael - on the Gold Coast, 2003, aged 7

Michael was a very photogenic kid and would have no problem with me clicking away. But these days he loathes having his photo taken and runs a mile! Sam has never much liked having his photo taken. Fair enough, neither do I!

Even post-op Mike is photogenic, it's those eyes!

Here he is recovering from surgery to correct an ear deformity that he was born with - the top part of his ear wasn't defined - wouldn't be able to hook glasses over it when older etc. So we opted for surgery (he was about 7) so that this wouldn't be a problem for him as an adult. Good job, as he needs glasses/contacts for eyesight - and of course sunglasses are a necessity. Without this surgery he wouldn't have been able to wear any glasses. The surgeon did the most amazing job and created a perfect ear for Michael. Brett has similarly ill-defined tops of both ears, but he does have a lip that enables glasses to hook over. One of those genetic things that day surgery these days can fix. Today - can't even tell which ear it was - this photo reminded me otherwise it's irrelevant!

In my photo session I came across photos of the flat Chris and I bought in London in the mid-1980s - and our cats. I was 24 and he was 26. We bought (his parents helped us with the deposit), renovated and enjoyed. Our flat cost four times my salary. Chris was studying. We renovated and everything in it was new. It had a conservatory and large garden. We had great holidays, went out, dined out. It was London in the mid-1980s. It was do-able.

I pity the 24/26yo couple in NZ today with a dream of buying a house. Property prices here are ridiculous. NZ in general is so extortionately expensive, with a low wage economy, and it just keeps getting dearer. Where will this nonsense end? It's out of hand.

I also came across photos of Regent's Park, where I worked - swans and flowers and colour - it was a gorgeous workplace. We were either working in that lovely park or in some exotic part of the world, or partying it up in central London - or recovering from all the above!

Regent's Park really is the most beautiful city centre park and it was a peaceful privilege to work there.

Having got into photo-mode, it was a bit of an unproductive day all in all - although I still view nostalgia and reminiscing and sorting as highly valuable. 

I also had my eye on the races of course - it's quite easy to watch races while sorting photos, but it is not when you are working! I should probably have been working as I have so much writing and editing to do - but I preferred the photo/races combo!

Oh it does irk me when the presenters don't know how to pronounce the names of horses with somewhat foreign names. 

A horse called Chamonix ran today - it was pronounced various ways, none of them remotely correct. Tchaminicks. Shamineee (with NZ accent!). It was where the first Winter Olympics were held in 1924. I skied there Xmas 1988 (wildest whackiest ski holiday ever!), and so did Sam this past winter.

Leiter was pronounced Leeter. (Should be said "lighter" - it means manager or proprietor in German). I have a story around this very word when I did a stint as a ski rep in Austria - I may have shared it already on this blog, can't recall. OMG, that's a story and a half!

There are loads of names with foreign influence that are often said wrong. The actual race-caller does try to check with the owners as to the correct pronunciation, but the presenters just wing it - and often wrongly!

At least here in NZ people are making an effort to pronounce Maori words correctly. Since Maori Language week - held in September and initiated in 2017 - TV presenters use a lot of Maori words - for introductions, city names, common phrases. The weather readers use it a lot, especially for place names. It's brilliant! Pakeha (non-Maori) are getting better and better at learning, understanding and pronouncing Maori words. I think it's a lovely language, always have. 

When I lived in London I would get out my poi (which I'd taken over specially) - at work, at home, for friends, whenever, wherever. I could do the long poi transfer to one hand pretty competently and people had never seen anything like it. When they tried, it didn't go so well, despite my best efforts! I also used to yo-yo. I wonder how my one-handed poi or yo-yoing would go these days!?!?

I also introduced them to Poi E and Pokarekare ana, told stories of Maui and Hinemoa/Tutanekai, talked of boiling mud pools and bursting geysers, luscious native trees and unique birds, showed them beautiful Maori designs, moko etc. All this was a way for me to connect with home - and introduce some Brits to a bit of NZ/Maori culture in a very basic way! I've always loved the essence of Maori culture and, to me, it was just a part of who I was - even though I was on the other side of the world and had grown up in a Pakeha family in a time when Maori culture wasn't fully embraced. People would engage with the comedy of Billy T James and like, but for me it was the spirituality and creativity that always resonated.

When I finally tore myself away from photos and office sorting, I made my dinner. It's Saturday night and I thought maybe I should do something more exciting than dinner at home for one - but I could think of nothing better than just that! I enjoy solitude and my own company - and the older I get the more I relish it.

I'm in an eggplant-loving phase and so I roasted a whole eggplant, mixed the flesh with some crushed tomatoes, onions, garlic, a dash of red curry paste, some spices, some mango chutney and a bit of cream, added some gently blanched some broccoli and served it on fresh pasta. 

Now - the pasta ...

I had some fresh lasagne sheets and decided I would slice those into fettucine style pasta. It was the perfect amount and I gave it 3 minutes to cook. 

Brought everything together, added some parmesan, black pepper and balsamic glaze and ... in all honesty, I have to report that it is possibly the very best pasta dish I've ever had anywhere at any time on this planet! I'll be making that again asap. No meat required!

Fresh Lasagne sheets became fettucine ...

... Cooked up beautifully ...

... and became a home-made pasta dish of such exquisite taste I can hardly describe it!

Fresh blanched broccoli is yummier than it's given credit for - I ate more of it raw than went in the pasta dish!

In my pursuit to traverse the world through food and wine - I enjoyed some rose tonight - Pays D'Oc - Chapoutier. This was actually the rose wine we had at our wedding (although not this 2019 vintage!). It was on special at the supermarket last week so I thought I'd get a bottle. It is rather nice.

 

 

After dinner the rains came - it rained so hard and loud I couldn't hear the TV and had to turn it up the loudest volume. There was a hint of rumbling thunder and the temperature dropped. I'm sure it hailed for a bit it was so loud - I didn't go out to check.

Anyone who had been saving their fireworks tonight was out of luck. It's safe to say this year's Guy Fawkes was a total fizzer. 

And then, much later in the night, the rain was gone and all was calm ...

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
No Meat ...

As a child, I didn't like meat that much - but I also didn't like veges that much either. I was a picky eater!

With Brett and the boys growing up (yes, all three!), it was always about cooking meat. I'm not really a big meat fan - I like it but I don't have to have it in a meal. Having flatted with two different friends in London, both vegetarians, no-meat dinners were the norm for much of my life. I didn't miss meat. I'd order it when dining out, but growing up I'd never been a fan of fat and gristle and skin and whatnot associated with meat, so it was easy to be vegetarian.  Chris and I alternated, but whether meat or veg based, the emphasis was always on healthy food. We were very into Asian food. And liked a good pizza too!

In fact while I never considered myself vegetarian in the 1980s, I pretty much ate that way for an entire decade. When I came home for holidays it became a meat fest - and I'd get involved as I'm not averse to a juicy steak or decent chicken dish. 

And when I came home for good - there seemed to be no avoiding meat - and I got involved. 

Meeting Brett and having kids meant that meat pervaded my life from thereon. Meat, meat, meat. I didn't really know how to cook it and had to teach myself! I learnt quick enough - although I do still leave bbqs to others. 

Now the boys have left home, I cook less and less meat. Even Brett is seeing the merits of non-meat dishes. It's great. Bring it on! When Michael comes for dinner, meat is generally on the menu - but if it's not, he'll  cope. Even Sam in London is semi-vegetarian - his girlfriend Anna has some influence there, and it seems the whole flat is into plant-based and healthy eating. Great!