Saturday Lunch - Cooking with tabbynera

Yesterday I was shopping in the local supermarket and they had a special offer on bacon. Now bacon is not just bacon as it can be smoked, dried or just salted. In Switzerland mainly smoked salted bacon is eaten, although just salted is can also be made, which I actually prefer. As usual I have to cater for the tastes of my masculine household, so bought a piece of smoked salted bacon. I decided as it was Saturday lunch, and I didn't particularly want to slave all morning in the kitchen preparing some sort of exotic vegetable with it I decided on frozen green beans (just boil, salt, flavour and serve) with potatoes. So here we go.

This is more or less what I need. From right to left - bacon, potatoes, frozen beans and a Waadländer Sauscisson - something Swiss. It is a large sausage filled with pork and spices packed in a skin. This matches well with the bacon. Actually there is a dish in Switzerland called a "Berner Platte" (Bern plate) where these ingredients form the basis, it is typically of the area around Bern and probably comes from the many farms there. A proper Berner Platte would have some bones, cooked ham, boiled beef and perhaps cabbage, but as I was only doing Saturday lunch and not a banquet I just left it as it was.

The next step was to boil some water in a pressure cooker and when boiling to put the bacon into it. Note I did not use my giant pressure cooker, but a flatter one, althugh it doesn't matter as long as it serves the purpose. Of course if you don't have a pressure cooker, then you can use a large saucepan filled with water, but the cooking time is longer. I have about 800 grammes of bacon and it will take around 30-40 minutes under pressure.

In the meanwhile, whilst the bacon is under pressure, I boil some water in a saucepan and put the sausage into the saucepan. My sausage was longer than the width of the saucepan, but with a bit of encouragement I managed to wedge it into the pan. I then put the lid on the saucepan. Cooking time also about 30-40 minutes, but not under pressure - otherwise the sausage would probably explode.

So now we have on the right the sausage and on the left the bacon left to cook on their own. Now we can take it easy, read a book, the newspaper or perhaps do some blogging. About 20 minutes later we have to think of our beans.

First of all I chop an onion in small pieces. My onion is a so-called echalotte, but the special long ones. I just have my own little gimmicks in the kitchen, but a plain ordinary onion does the trick just as well. I also chop up a garlic clove in small pieces. For those who do not like garlic, just leave it out. I find if everyone in the family eats garlic we don't annoy each other so much with the smell.

While I was cutting my onion & garlic I had started to boil some water in a large saucepan. When it boiled I added some salt and put the beans in to cook. I used a kilo of beans.

So now we have our beans (at the back) sausage (front right) and bacon (front left) cooking nicely.

Now to the potatoes. Peel them and put them in a dish. As always I cook them in the microwave, but you can cook potatoes according to your own system. Main thing is that you can eat them afterwards. I sprinkled them with salt and put them in the microwave for about 10 minutes. I did not cut them but left them in one piece - this is the custom in Switzerland when making a Berner Platte.

In the meanwhile the beans are cooked so I drain them off in a sieve or colander or whatever it's called.

I then melt some butter in a saucepan and put the chopped onion and garlic in the pan to fry until they are more or less transparent.

Then put the beans in the saucepan and mix with the onion and garlic. The strange container next to the pan is a Swiss spice called Aromat which no real Swiss can live without. I mean you don't have to use it, but I sprinkled it over the beans just to keep my Swiss men happy. I quite like it myself, althugh perhaps not so healthy. For those with glutamin allergies I would avoid it.

So the beans are now ready, the bacon is cooked and the sausage as well. I cut the rind off the bacon and slice it.

This is the bit where it could be that I lose my temper, but not always. The sausage should be peeled. Either you don't peel it, cut it in slices and everyone peels their slices at the table or you prepare it before. I prefer to prepare it before, as it can be that a few negative remarks are heard when eating. The sausage is hot, really hot, and when you prod it or cut it to take the peel off it can be that you burn your fingers with the hot juice that escapes. Nevertheless, as can be seen, I did manage to do the job.

The potatoes are then also ready and here is the finished meal. Tradition is to put the beans at the bottom, the bacon and sausage and potatoes on top.

Just a few words to myself. I am not a professional cook, but have been married nearly 40 years, brought up 4 children (2 arrived with husband, and the other two are mine). During the years when the family was younger I cooked for all to survive. I was even a cook for 3 years before I had my job that I have now. I was employed in a Kinderkrippe (a place where children stay during the day when their mothers go to work). I was then cooking for 30-40 children and 12 adults every day - breakfast, lunch with tea and coffee break, but that cannot be compared. It is a different system.

Today I have a full time job, Mr. Swiss looks after himself at home and I eat in a restaurant in the local supermarket. In the evening Mr. Swiss looks after food - usually something cold, meat and cheese and salad. I am "allowed" to cook at the week-ends, so it is more a pleasure these days than a job or work and I have more time to sort out what and how. The idea is mainly that everyone wants to eat what you cook. I would of course mention that sometimes things do not turn out as they should - but nobodys perfect.

How to mill steel and cats that smell

You have a block of steel and the idea is to make something as in the picture. A request from a customer probably to be used as a form for something. Then you have to decide how to mill the material that the milling tool produces a perfect result, doesn't break or burn etc. etc. I have been working for a company making milling tools for the last 28 years, in the export department, but over the years you do learn a bit about milling tools, even the company trains you from time to time.

This morning I had an invitation. We had our Bavarian salesmen in the office for the past week training with our milling tools. Today each gave a small talk on the best way to mill steel with our milling tools. I was invited along with others, as I am the key person that organises the shipment of their orders to Bavaria, Thuringia and Saxonia. A sort of new system in the company where instead of delivering to the agents you deliver direct to the customers. It started last year and believe me I now know every village from Münich to parts of Saxonia (one time East German sort of Dresden and area) and Thuringia (area around Erfurt, also one time East Germany). Well, at least my geographical knowledge has expanded in the last few months. All I need now is an invite for a trip to Bavaria, although I would rather pay a visit to King Ludwigs various castles and München than engineering factories. I have been working in the milling business for so many years that you do gather a bit of knowledge about these things. When someone has to use an application on Inconel or Titan my ears pick up, although all I know about that sort of metal is that it is used in the aircraft and rocket industry. Sounds exotic in any case.

Meanwhile back at home there was a little bit of cat trouble. My big black fat cat called Nera has problems with her long fur sometimes after a visit to the litter box, or in some secret place in the garden. She was quite annoyed. Her sister Tabby and adopted brother Fluffy were talking to her.

Tabby: Nera, what’s the problem?
Nera: Don’t ask me, hisssss
Fluffy: I think she is annoyed with Mr. Human
Nera: I am not annoyed with Mr. Human, I have a distinct dislike towards Mr. Human at the moment.
Tabby: It can’t be that bad. Tell us about it.
Nera: No, it is too personal
Fluffy: Well I did notice that Nera was smelling a bit this morning, but now it’s better.
Tabby: Nera is it time to cut your fur again?
Fluffy: I think it is, it will soon be Summer and you know what happens in her long fur when Summer comes.
Tabby: You mean the dried up snails and other creepy things she has.
Fluffy: Yes, and now and again things sort of stick to her fur under her tail
Nera: SO THAT IS ENOUGH. It’s me you two happen to be talking about. I do not stink and I have nothing in my fur.
Tabby: Well, not now, but I did see that Mr. Human was annoyed when he was trying to clean you up.
Nera: He grabbed hold of me and started, well he started to – oh you know what I mean
Fluffy: He cut some of your fur off because he couldn’t clean it and you started to scratch him.
Tabby: Looks like it is time for another haircut Nera
Nera: No, it doesn’t come into the question. Anyhow I heard that Mrs. Human said she wouldn’t have me put to sleep again for a haircut. Even she respects me and my wishes.
Fluffy: I heard that she said it was too expensive to have your hair cut at the vets.
Nera: Fluffy, mind your own business. Anyhow I am nice and clean now and my wonderful silky fur looks as beautiful as ever.
Tabby: Oh dear, just listen to madame. Better be careful tomorrow Nera. Take your time in the litter box and don’t rush.
Fluffy: Yes, otherwise you might drag something with you to make your wonderful fur not so shiny and sweet smelling.
Nera: I think it would be a good idea if you two housecats disappear in a quiet corner otherwise we might have a cat fight.

When I got home things had quietened down in the cat world, each cat in his own place, distributed through 3 rooms. My husband said he only got glares from Nera all day and she just ignored him. Cats just have their own way of dealing with problems.

The Red Church, Bethnal Green, London

Although the church still looks the same, naturally the surroundings have changed over the years. Horsedrawn carriages have been replaced by the No. 8 London bus and the small businesses, although still there, have been altered and changed hands and you are today more likely to find an Indian restaurant or clothing shops selling the latest fashion in saris than a printers. Also the street gas lighting is full modern electricity and the people dress differently. The stallholders are still there and Bethnal Green market still exists, selling fruit and vegetables.

Why the red church? Well if you just walk down the street next to the church and make a turn to the left you come to a small park, which once contained about 70 houses, each with their own small garden and each attached to the next, which was where I grew up. Quite a modern thing actually, as there was no through traffic so we kids had a choice of playing on the debris from the bombed out houses left after the war (sort of adventure playground) or playing down the street. According if mum had a eye on what you were doing, you played in the street. If she was indoors with the door shut, then a risky visit to the bombed out houses was quite fun.

Back to the Red Church. It is called red church, because it was built of red bricks some time in the 19th century, its official name being St. James the Great. When I was a kid, my parents found a bit of religion did no harm so I was sent to Sunday school at this church with some street colleagues. They even had a group of nuns attached to the church and they were our Sunday school teachers. One would play piano and we all sang our hymns. It is so-called Church of England, but actually in England known as "high-church" sort of catholic without the Roman bit, although for my mum and dad church was just church (as long as the name of England stood there). I remember the services had a bit of incense thrown in and around Easter we did a big thing every evening for a week in the church with the nuns. They showed us around and each evening was a picture of the Easter story and they explained everything. Today I havn't got a clue what the explanations were, but it kept us youngsters off the streets and it was our sort of "youth club". We had a card, and each time we went the nuns would stamp the card with a star.

It was in this Red Church that my mum was christened, as well as her brother and two sisters, and also got married there when my dad came home from the war. It is a natural conclusion that I was also christened in the church. When I first arrived in Switzerland I would go back for a couple of weeks each year to see my parents who still lived in our house in Bethnal Green. The church was the first homecoming building I saw as I walked down the road from Bethnal Green Tube Station where I arrived from London Airport. There was no train connection from London Heathrow at that time, and I had to take the airport bus to Victoria where I could get on the train.

After many years my parents moved out to Dagenham, my mother died and my visits were fewer to London as I had a growing family to look after. When my family at last were standing on their own feet (although I am still not sure today if they are), I visited London a bit more and now and again made a visit to the East End, Bethnal Green. Imagine my surprise when I saw the Red Church again after many years. In the meanwhile the church was no longer a church. I found this little bit of information on Rootsweb

"St James The Great was known locally as the "Red Church" because it
was built with red bricks. In 1997, the building is still standing in
Bethnal Green Road, but has now been converted into Flats.
It's once famous Reverend E.F.Coke married couples without fees.
'Penny Weddings' were common in the East End of London during the
19th and early 20th century. He married approx 1500 couples per year,
for a total of 23,500 in his lifetime. This in a parish that only had
about 5000 people, paying lip service to the residential requirement
for calling the Banns. People came from miles away to get married
here."

By the way the explaination about the penny weddings in the text was a true historical fact. People couldn't really afford a wedding in the earlier days so a kind priest made it financially easier for the population. So the church had its religion taken away and had been transformed into flats. Instead of stained glass windows there were curtains on the windows. It looks quite strange. Perhaps in a way a landmark has been preserved. The nuns went a long time ago. There was even a new extension built onto the church for youngsters - table tennis and meeting room. This new extension only survived a few years. I remember seeing the windows broken after a few years so this idea was also given up.

My mother was quite a church goer in earlier years, but she told me there was nothing else. You had your social life at the church as a youngster. All her friends in the neighbourhood would meet there before the war. The church survived the second world war, but I think it was no longer the centre that it was before the war. Here is a photo of the church today

I found the Moon at last

After my attempt to take a photo of an enormous moon yesterday, which failed, I more or less forgot about all. Today the day started with a nip in the air, but not so frozen on the roads, so I arrived ok at work. It was a clear day and I was sitting at my desk sort of wondering why am I here, what shall I do next and I think I would like a cup of coffee, when I looked out of the window and there she was, my moon. The office window looks out onto the first chain of the Jura mountains, there being 7 in all and the last ending somewhere on the Swiss borders to France/Germany. I got my camera prepared and opened the window to take my last chance. I had to hurry as temperatures were around 0°C so early in the morning and my colleagues had started to tremble with cold. Here is the result.

Well, I mean it is not every day you see it like that. Afterwards I went back to work. Actually not a lot to report today, everything took its normal course. I did notice that my younger female colleagues had discovered a new sweet to much in between. I noticed yesterday a plate full of something brown, resembling worms (or something even worse) with sugar crystals on it. The brown substance had disappeared overnight and was replaced by the same in green.

I am actually diabetic, so reduce such stuff to a minimum. However, I am lucky that I just have to take my 3 tablets a day and can go into the risk of trying something out now and again. By the time the evening came I decided I must find out what it so wonderful on this sugar coated spaghetti similar invention of the sweet producers. I pulled out a "string" but broke only a small piece off and risked it. It was awful, terrible, horrible - I don't think I have ever eaten anything as sour as that was. My colleague found that is the nice thing about it - it is so nice a sour. For me the two words "nice" and "sour" just don't match. I even had a taste left afterwards which told me quite plainly that the substance had been made from boiled up bones (well, that is where gelatine comes from and it was for me just coloured gelatine with a shot of acid for the taste). I only hope that my young female colleagues won't feed their kids on anything like that if they ever decided to have families. Although when I think back on it, I think one of my favourite sweets as a child was sherbert lemons. A sort of sugar lemon thing filled with sherbert. When the sherbert got wet it just evolved into a fizzy mass. I loved them.

Well, fancy that, the things still exist - found a photo on good old aunty Internet. Now that is definitely more healthy than sour sugar spaghetti.

Full Moon and other things

This photo doesn't really do it credit. I was driving home from work and suddenly saw what I thought was a big balloon in the sky. As there were no reports of UFO's in the newspaper I realised it must be full moon. At the next best opportunity, which was again in the grounds of the local castle, I stopped the car and took a couple of photos. This was the only one worth showing. The others looked a bit shaky. I had never seen the moon so clearly, but my other half, Mr. Swiss, told me when I got home that it was supposed to be a very clear night, temperatures below zero, and coupled with the rainy day we had today, tomorrow morning will be fun on the roads.

I eventually arrived home to be greeted by 3 cats having a "chase me if you can" game at home, and generally making a lot of noise. I was met by a tabby cat that was doing about 100 mph and overtaking any other cat that might be in her way. Big fat Nera talk a walk past Fluffy, my blind cat and gave him a blow on the nose, which annoyed Fluffy, so he decided to take a leap at Tabby. Eventually they all quietened down. Fluffy took up a sedate pose on the carpet

In Fluffy's words: "I was just worn out with the mad antics of the two cats that live with me. Nera was showing off again, playing the boss lady and pushing me around. I did my best to ignore her and eventually found that Tabby fancied a chasing game through our home, but he was faster than me. Eventually I just pulled myself out of the action and relaxed in a quiet corner of the carpet. Naturally that stupid human had to get her camera out and take a photo of me."

But Nera was not at all the same opinion as Fluffy: "I am the most beautiful, powerful and cleverest cat around here. Those curly cats just get in my way sometimes when I want to show everyone how fantastic I look when I walk around. Tabby might be my litter sister, but I arrived first of all and I am sure her dad was not mine. I eventually got tired of playing those childish games with the other two and retired to my favourite place on top of the cupboard. After all my human put a nice cushion for me up there, so I might as well use it and I have such a good view of my home from up here. Stupid Mrs. Human decided to take another photo of me - I wouldn't mind but she could have told me, then I would have had a quick lick first of all. After all you never know who is looking at my studio photos."

And what did Tabby think of all this: "Well to be quite honest they just all got on my nerves. First of all I wanted to take a walk outside and found that the new stupid smelly cat in the neighbourhood was waiting for me outside, so I turned round and speeded back in through the cat flap as fast as possible. Then stupid Fluffy was waiting for me on the other side and wanted to play a chasing game with me, so I dodged past him and ended up walking into Fat Nera's paws, although she is all show, no real intelligence. After I managed to escape from the noise I found a nice quite place in the bathroom. You know, protected on all sides, floor heating, a nice comfortable carpet, so I decided to get some sleep. Well I did have one eye open just to make sure. Basically I was in cat nirvana, having a dream about fields of catnip with a dish of tuna fish in the middle. Then Mrs. Human decided to take a photo for the family album. So now time for a sleep, I have only slept 12 hours today so have another 8 to do."

So tell me, was it the full moon that influenced my cats, or do they enter into a conspiracy against the human race. At the moment it is peaceful, Nera is still on top of the cupboard and is sleeping (with one eye open of course), Fluffy has retired to the armchair, naturally laying on a red silk cushion, and Tabby - well she is still in the bathroom and as I know her will remain until late in the evening when she will probably go out. - Did I say it - yes at our place it's a cat's life.

A Foggy Day (but not in London Town)

When I think back to my childhood in East London, there were many mornings where I had to walk through a sort of yellow wall called smog. If you blew your nose into the handkerchief when you finally arrived at school it was full of black soot. I suppose it was a wonder that we survived (naturally we also started smoking when we were 16 years old - after all in those days it wasn't so dangerous). However, I now lead a more or less healthy life - I can't afford to smoke any more and I moved over to Switzerland forty years ago to look around, met Mr. Swiss and am still here in a nice healthy country I thought.

I do not live in the mountains, do not have goats in the back yard - the nearest cows are around the corner in the Summer, but one thing we have and that is foggy mornings. I live near the River Aar and in Winter it tends to get a bit misty. I drove to work this morning through the mist - I work about 5 minutes drive from where I live in an industrial part and this was the view from the office window.

The weather forecast on the radio said it would be a misty morning but towards lunch time it would clear up and the sun would come through and it would get warmer. In the morning we had 2° C but by lunch time temperatures of 10°C were promised. We did not get our temperatures of 10°C and they remained low. At lunch time I drive up to the local supermarket which is in a village a bit higher up so expected to see at least the sun shining through. It was having a good try but didn't exactly make it.

Back in the office in the afternoon I overheard two colleagues talking about the weather and discussing how lovely it was now when the sun was shining. I showed them my photos, and they laughed and one said where she lives they have the most beautiful sunny weather. Where does she live - I think it is the last farm before you start climbing up the Jura mountains which are another 5 minutes drive from where I work. Some people have all the luck. Eventually I drove home - things were not much better.

But my husband did say that the weather forecast tomorrow was snow - big deal. I do not like snow, especially on the roads, then I prefer the fog. After all I grew up with fog and it didn't do me any harm then.

Sunday Lunch - Roast Shoulder of Port, Red Cabbage and Potatoes

Something I now and again cook on a Sunday. Red cabbage is something I knew in England, as it was always sold pickled in vineagar. In Switzerland I learnt that you can also cook it and it suits very well to pork or bacon.

Here are the ingredients. Some marrow bones, leek, seleriac, carrots and herbs which thanks to the mild Winter I still have in the garden - sage, thyme and rosemary. First of all I spice the pork shoulder by rubbing mustard into it and sprinkling with salt pepper, or whatever. I then melt some butter in a casserole and fry the pork on all sides to close the pores.

Then I put the bones, vegetables and herbs into the casserole with the meat and fry it up a bit.

Then add some white wine - any will do from a supermarket, doesn't have to be the most expensive, but not the cheapest.

Put the lid on the casserole and into the oven at a temperature of 180°C for about one and half to two hours depending on the size. My meat was about one kilo heavy.

And now for the red cabbage. I had half left over from the last time in the fridge, so I bought another and made one a half - just depends on how big they are.

I then take an apple to cook with the red cabbage. It can be a sour apple - just enhances the taste.

Peel the apple, take out the stalks and the core and chop into small pieces. Cut the cabbage into slices.

Take a pressure cooker and melt some butter in it.

Put the red cabbage in the pressure cooker with the chopped apple and mix to fry. Season with salt and pepper and add some red wine.

Put the lid on the pressure cooker and cook for about thirty minutes under pressure.

And now for the potatoes. Peel them and cut into pieces.

I like to preserve as much vitamin as I can when I cook vegetable and that is one of the reasons why I actually cook my potatoes in the micro wave. I just put them in a microwave dish, put some salt over them and put the lid on. I don't need to add water as the potatoes have enough water themselves.

While I have been preparing the vegetables, the roast pork has been cooking in the oven for about one and a half hours, so it is time to see how it is getting on.

I now take the meat and veg out of the casserole and put it on a plate that I have warmed in the oven. I drain the sauce into a small saucepan and thicken it with a special thickening sauce mixture for meat. Something like cornflour but with a brown colour.

Now I take the lid off the pressure cooker with the red cabbage and add some vineager - about 1-2 tablespoons.

I put the meat and vegetable in a warmed dish and pour the sauce over it and the red cabbage in a separate dish - otherwise the meat and veg will pick up too much of the red colour from the cabbage.

And all that it left to say is Enjoy your meal - en guete