Preparing for Take Off

Beef, Egg and Potato Curry with Organic Wholewheat Chapati

One good thing about making an effort is when you get appreciated for it. Which doesn't happen often in this family. One gets taken for granted so often one needs to run off somewhere from time to time pour changer les idées. Anyway, many mothers from the Middle Years have been writing/calling to tell me how much their children have enjoyed the birthday party last Friday. The boy didn't get stung for nothing.

Actually I'm going to London again because I like being in a big city once in a while. Do not get me wrong. I am really making the most of my stay here in Modena, I've even told Hub a few times in the past 2 years that we should try harder to be part of the village. Twice we've attended Maranello's Community Fair and once Castelnuovo-Rangone's and all 3 times Hub insisted that we leave after just 10 minutes. He may be a little snobbish about it, but it is true that the quality of these fairs usually leaves much to be desired. Quite a waste of the pretty flyers and even more so the fireworks that often come after. This winter, on our way to France, we may visit the Weihnachtsmarkt in Stuttgart. As I remember it, it was beautiful and professional - from its installation to the things they sell.

I've been busy packing for Friday's trip and will have to miss the school's special Open Day on Saturday. Yes, there will be school for the children this Saturday as the ISM would like to present a normal school day to visiting families. Thought it would be a good time to leave the kids with the Hub as they would be at school on this day and he could go do his own thing. Even when I go away I have to try and make things easy for the man. Not that he would even realise it.

Sweet pancakes made from improved Lapis Sagu batter

And the days leading to my trip saw me making the family's favourite dishes to make up for all the Cantonese Roast Duck and Chicken Tikka Masala that they would be missing. I added flour and double action baking powder to the leftover batter for the Lapis Sagu and made sweet 3-flour pancakes. Quite yummy.

Then last night we had Beef and Egg Curry that I served with Chapatis made of organic wholewheat flour. This evening we will have a Chunky Pasta and Vegetable Soup with a stock made from boiling Piemontese beef for 2 hours. I have decided to only cook "branded" beef from now on. For info, the mg of cholesterol in a 100g piece of Piemontese beef is just 48.5mg compared with other beef (73mg), pork (79mg), roast chicken (76mg) and sole (52mg). And the meat is very tasty and tender, makes it worth the higher cost.

Chunky Pasta, Quail Eggs and Vegetable Soup

Tomorrow evening, eve of my departure, I will make a Risotto ai Funghi Porcini. I've managed to buy more of the fresh mushrooms this morning (current price : 26 euros per Kg) and am dying to cook them.

I heard that it is very cold in London now, which makes the packing a little difficult. Am hoping to bring less there so that I could come back with more. Will be meeting 2 friends sur place, including my dear long-time friend Van who has realised her ambition to marry another Jew a few years ago and who has been keeping a beautiful Kosher household since. If I had started blogging then I could have written a piece on her lovely wedding in London.