Povey Prattle

  From "Twelve Months of Monastery Soups" Mine was the version with Chorizo; but a  Vegetarian version - could be made - using Vegetable Stock  (not beef or chicken); and without Chorizo.

  You may remember that Zion and I were at Sarasota High School last December for a couple of hours of canine therapy.  We were there because a young SHS student (a member of the baseball team) had been killed in a dreadful road accident. Zion worked his charm at SHS, especially with some of the young men. It turns out that the young men we met are members of the SHS swim team who train at Arlington Parks Olympic sized pool three or four afternoons a week. Some times Z and I meet these young athletes in the parking lot as they wait for training to begin.  Z loves to trot over and greet the lads (especially if they are munching on fries or chips!) We did so on Thursday last.  One swim team member made a huge fuss over my dog and said "this is the high point of my day" But of course! D'ya understand why?

  The England of my youth was still culturally Protestant.  So we had no truck with the French Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) , or the Spanish Carnival (Farewell to Meat). None of that Catholic stuff! But we knew about Shrove Tuesday and the custom of eating pancakes on that day. Mum would make a huge number of pancakes -  just once a year. But it was not until I came to live in the U.S.A. that I realised that our U.K. Pancakes were in fact CREPES . I learned it the hard way as I attended Church sponsored Pancake Dinners on Shrove Tuesday; then and there to eat the ghastly mess which Americans call Pancakes.  It's like eating a kitchen sponge drowned in Maple Syrup! I wanted Crepes today. With that in mind I stopped at the French owned and operated "C'est la Vie", on Main Street, SRQ. on my way home from my morning walk with Zion at Bayfront Park. I knew enough to honour the French custom of  greeting the owner/waiter with "Bonjour, comment ca vas" befo...

Sarasota, Fl. is in "Trump Country"  thanks (no thanks) to our Florida Trumpite Governor, Ron De ath Santis. This sits well with the 3,000 or more Amish who come to SRQ from Ohio and Pennsylvania in the winter. The "plain people" (Amish) have little to no truck with social distancing. They do not wear masks.  As one Amish woman said to the press "we believe that God can cure all our diseases".   My take is that G-d (he/she) does a pretty poor job of healing. This is what I saw in Pinecraft, the Amish/Mennonite district this afternoon(2/15/2021)   Chairs set out for an SRQ Amish gathering. No social distancing/   But not to pick on the Amish. "The English" (as Amish people call us) also fall into line with Governor De ath Santis. In a picture which will shock folks in other American States (and in other Countries) here is a photo' of  the scene in the parking lot of a gym a mile away from my home.

Aldi   is now in Sarasota.  If you know anything about this German owned Supermarket chain you will know of its strengths and its weaknesses. Of course we also have Trader Joes  which, as it happens, is owned by Aldi. My lunch today was a German cooperative. Wonderful German sourced Brats from Trader Joes; with stuffed mushrooms ( Spinach, Artichoke and Cheese) from Aldi . Not bad at all.  In fact very good . So good that I'll have the same for lunch on Shrove Tuesday. Looks pretty good eh?

  I've had this can of Kipper Filets in my pantry for a year or two -  waiting for the dystopian days, when I might have to live on a wee bit of Kipper each day, Today I saw the funny side of the label. 1.  There is no such thing as a " farm raised" (as opposed to a wild caught) kipper" 2.  There is not a fisherman/woman in the world who has ever caught a "wild kipper". Or any other kipper. What was caught would have been a herring,   then to be smoked into a kipper. Brits and Newfoundlers will know what I mean!

  Lunch today:  Leftover mashed potatoes and mashed parsnips; fried in lemon and herb butter. Served with a wee bit of cold leftover braised steak ( no photo')  Waste not want not!   And enjoy.