food patrol – sillysocksonfriday

Intermittent feasting

It is a sad thing that we always try to fool ourselves. Long ago, I accepted that I was hopelessly self-indulgent and because I loved eating and drinking, there would be some corporeal consequences.

Daily exercise was my penance and thus I felt that I prevented indulgences from becoming overwhelming. I knew my form as overweight; what a tailor called rather inelegantly, portly short. (My ego inserted ‘slightly’ to mollify my dignity).

I had long ago accepted that I was not as trim as I was when I played rugby (not quite 50 years ago), but that the next step, overweight, was acceptable. I mean Shakespeare’s Falstaff was a knight at arms, even though somewhat portly!

However, I was recently labelled as obese!!

I was also told the risks that my obesity fostered: diabetes, higher blood pressure, dementia, high cholesterol; but to be honest, I think it was my vanity that was most bruised. I can not allow myself to be obese!

It was my chiropractor who labelled me – a good man (he talks rugby between slaps and stretches).

I had gone to him for various aches and pains and the obvious conclusion we drew, was that they too may well diminish if my poor skeleton was not dragging around almost 20kg of unnecessary weight.

He suggested that losing weight was a mental challenge. Diets were about changing what was eaten; changing when I ate, may outfox my procrastinations and lapses when confronted by Black Forest Cake or Sherry Trifle.

So now I may eat them between 10h00 and 18h00, admittedly with some moderation …. but I am a reasonable man.

In this way, I protect my vanity by reducing my obesity and virtuously discipline my habits and lose wight which will make me healthy.

It’s what I call a win, win, win solution!

(I might live forever! That might be taking things a step too far. Nobody would tolerate me at 90!!)

I promise to keep you informed on progress … or otherwise! Scout’s Honour.

Starting weight, fully dressed was (?) 105kg.

One of my all time favourites

Nothing surprising here – I love food.

I thought it may be fun to list the foods I especially like. Anything is less depressing than forecasing our future or avoiding functions which start with a welcome to country.

Don’t worry I am not on Death Row and facing execution, so this is not a forced choice, its just an idle thought, an escape from melancholy stuff like world politics, climate change and woke mania.

This is easy: design a meal – you don’t buy it, pay for it, prepare it, cook it or do the washing up. And you can invite a guest or two, who must attend, (anyone alive or dead). You may dine anywhere you want.

It’s a fantasy – just do it!

My guests are my Dad and my Uncle Steve – he was a soldier so eats and drinks everything with relish and great joy. He was great fun.

We will dine on our patio at Bahr Palace in the Redlands Shire of Queensland

Let’s have a drink !

Waiter, may I have a Pimms Royal Cup

Cashew nuts and olives stuffed with anchovies and some asparagus in vinaigrette sauce are on the table.

It’s a hot day – perhaps a schooner of Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

Now for some hors douevres:

We’ll start with Figs with Bacon and Chili, Stuffed mushrooms, grilled sardines and Carrot, Onion and Spinach Bhajias with Mango Chutney.

A fish course is difficult, so I’ll have two – grilled sole on the bone followed by a dozen grilled peri peri tiger prawns.

Land of the Giants Sauvignon Blanc with the fish, thank you

Yes, please bring some bowls of warm water with lemon slices for cleaning fingers. Maybe we can get an unsuspecting guest to drink one…

Just as well we started early and have most of the day for this feast because I can’t pass fish by without some paella. It is a fish dish but has chorizo sausage too, which goes well with the calamari, mussels and prawns

Hmmm perhaps another bottle of the Land of the Giants...

Now for the first main course. Difficult to choose but I have narrowed it down to two:

Lamb Tikka Masala curry with leg chops so I can suck the marrow out of the bones, accompanied by pilau rice, grated coconut, Mrs Balls Peach Chutney, sliced bananas and tomato and onion sambal.

Nothing better than a schooner of ice cold Kingfisher beer to soothe the flames.

I hope you don’t mind but I selected a red for the main, main course and had it opened to breathe. I am largely ignorant as a gout avoidance measure, but I have heard good things about Pepperjack Shiraz and have enjoyed a glass or two.

The main main course is not fancy – Rosie’s oxtail stew, with baby potatoes, and some broccolini (an acquired taste)

We will have a little rest to let our tummies settle. Try a little dish of lemon sorbet to cleanse the plate.

Pudding is difficult, but I have limited the choice to three. Of course there’s the Irish option: we could try a little of all three.

My all time favourite, is maybe , creme brulee but I am also very taken by a good trifle with lots of sherry (no jelly). A recent competitor is malva pudding with cream.

A drop of Delheim Edelspatz Botrytis Riesling 2020 to go with the pud.

Honeysuckle and honey, apricots and peaches, lime lime lime, guava peels, orange peel and sticky marmalade, dried pineapple, sultanas, and all the baking spices.

Lusciously sweet, high acidity, full bodied, and with a loooong finish

Yeah – I thought it might appeal …

Finally some cheese and maybe a liqueur? I can recommend Drambuie or perhaps a Pere Magloire Calvados.

We have some Stilton and I can recommend a slice of a ripe pear with a bit of Roquefort. The brie goes well with a bit of quince paste or there is some Camembert or that lovely sheep’s cheese I had the other day…

Dear me! I am quite replete. I could almost smoke a cigar..

Perhaps a nap..?

Bubbles and veg

I will confess it now – I am beginning to feel guilty about eating meat. My daughter has become a vegetarian over the last few years, for taste not ideological reasons. My guilt arises from ideological, specifically environmental reasons. I still love eating meat except for the inner organs like liver and tripe.

I guess my brothers and most of my African friends will stop reading this in disgust….

One Wednesday MC offered to make lunch for me – I rarely refuse such offers and sat down to a vegetarian meal, feeling slightly challenged. To give me a little impetus in order to meet this challenge without flinching, I cracked a bottle of bubbly after a pre-prandial lager.

With wide-eyes and a faint air of forlorn hope, she presented a very daunting veggie looking meal – I felt my teeth growing longer by the minute!

Couscous with spiced eggplant and lemony yoghurt – how greenie, hippy can you get? I girded my loins with a second glass of fizz and tried to smile as I had my first tentative nibble …. Sapristi!! It was bloody marvellous!!

I finished all there was and licked my plate clean.

Somewhere in my post prandial euphoria I was dared to eat one vegetarian meal a week. I accepted with the boast that I would cook the next one and the Wednesday Lunch Club came into being. We present a meal alternately.

Herself declined to be drawn in – she has had some experience of my culinary skills. Some of my faithful blog followers may recall this culinary foray: https://sillysocksonfriday.com/2017/02/17/fishcakes/

I have not been known to avoid any opportunity to indulge my self – so my vegetarian offering was a seafood paella, cooked on the braai. If I say so myself it was pretty toothsome – my guest agreed, although this may have something to do with the bottle of her fav strawberry fizz.

Week 3 was cunningly designed by MC to indulge my longstanding craving for a burger: Lentil-Chickpea Veggie Burgers with Avocado Green Harissa

Bubbles were now mandatory and afternoon appointments were cancelled.

On Week 4, I indulged a hankering to try a platter of Tomato slices with Mozzarella Cheese and a Balsamic Vinegar dressing. Not bad …

If my brothers are still reading their eyes will be bulging.

MC was feeling the pressure, so she tried to sway me by unorthodox tactics in week 5. Veggie Wraps: Pumpkin, rocket, beetroot, capsicum, feta (plus marinated beef strips for some). One has to keep an eye on these vegetarians – they will go to extraordinary lengths to further their cause. We committed to become purists – no meat henceforth. Sheer love kept me from declining the offering, which was yummy.

I felt that a strong response was called for in week 6 and I was feeling nostalgic, so went for a double whammy: Pasta salad with peanut butter sauce followed by tapioca pudding with coconut and mango. (I couldn’t source sago – beloved frogs eggs of childhood). MC was highly complimentary

Week 7 was different: Miso soup, Edamame, Okonomiyaki (vegetable pancake) with Soba noodle salad and light cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries. Ah so desu ka! Domo arigato! おいしい Well done MC!

Week 8 was today and I fretted all week. Fortunately, Herself was in charge of the Commissariat and found all the ingredients for Green pesto minestrone soup followed by gingered Junket (more nostalgia). Declared to be even better than my last effort.

I freely confess that I have enjoyed every one of these meals and I now spend more time reading vegetarian recipes than following Donald Trump in the news!!

Wednesday has become a gleaming beacon day – the food and the company are excellent. Time with my daughter is gold.

I urge you all to consider vegetarianism … in moderation, perhaps.

Should you care for the recipes I am quite happy to include them in my next publication which will be an omnibus of short stories, rants, poems and recipes from sillysocksonfriday – I bet you can’t wait, y’all!