UKCruiseJeff

I know, I said that I was only getting my horse cut not my horses ! 😄 Thankfully I avoided saying that I was getting my goat cut! 👍 My French has always been appalling. Jeff

Cheval? 😀

I also remember telling my aunt that I thought the castle on her head was very pretty.

My worst faux pas was when I visited my relations in Paris and stated in “French” that I needed to go out and get my hair cut and they all roared out laughing and told me that I had said I was going out to get my horse cut. 🙂

As no-one could pronounce it I simply pragmatically did as commanded by the Christmas Carol. Noel Noel. Now it is pronounceable. Jeff

They all had something in common. They were all Prats. 👍 Jeff

In that case ….. 😊 I really have something to be happy about today …. apart from being praised by The Boss for my potatoes. My coffee blend was roasted and delivered today by Peaberry who is just a a couple of miles away and I so love the smell - and taste - of freshly roasted coffee. This is how much extremely fresh coffee affects crema … I FILMED IT! Sadly we lost Gerald a few months ago and the last time we spoke we’d agreed a summer Pizza with us with some cheap red wine and him bringing some of his experimental blends, but sadly now not. Here’s a lovely picture of Gerald doing his stuff and a feature film of my Crema. I will miss him and would like to think of him roasting for those he is with. Jeff IMG_5497.mov

Very Dry Dr Ron! 😄

Hi, I'm afraid I'm a bloke with very little imagination and apart from stuff like bernaise, hollondaise, green peppercorn sauce etc etc which I make quite a lot, then the two sauces I make most starts with either Noily (you're right - it's vermouth ...) or Rosso. I'm surprised I don't see any or many others use it. I drink neither but use both all the time for sauces. Noily for fish and chicken sauces and Rosso for meat gravy and sauces. I also use a small splash in the previously mentioned dressings. They have such complex aromatics they are wonderful and really give a lift. Other vermouths don't seem as good. In terms of other meanings, when I make a sauce with Noily the tradition is for me to tell her "I've made you some oily prat". Try it. 🙂 Jeff edited! My boss has corrected me and reminded me I do drink it as I always specify Noily rather than Dry Martini Vermouth when I have a dry martini because it is great in one - but to be honest I like my dry martinis so dry if you get my drift - it's just really a whiff! In fact in the bar at the Negresco in Nice the Barman use to greet me with "Hello Mr Noily" because evidently I was the only one he said that insisted on it!

Fletch, Your blog has been absorbing, captivating and certainly great fun to read .. so thanks for taking the trouble! 🙂 And they were “right justified”! Us ex-Times / Thomsons’ people understand and appreciate these things! 😉 Have a sweet journey home. Jeff

Good Afternoon Coolers from an overcast dining table. Luckily I received my instructions early in the day which was predominantly to provide some decent comforting carbs with the roast chicken I planned. So it was Boulanger potatoes and onions made with some decent chicken and vegetable stock with a slug of house white and that cooked slowly for a couple of hours and served with some nice chicken with a Noily and Dijon mustard buttery sauce and PEAS! There was supposed to be some Boulanger to be warmed slowly tomorrow but she was quite enthusiastic and told me I’d done well and scoffed most of it. Later will be the Espresso and Orange and Almond cake. We’re not bored with it yet! Have a great afternoon Coolers. Jeff

The officer may have simply made a mistake. But he did try to be helpful and may not be a liar. And what of the new neighbours of where you would have liked them moved to? They would now have your noisy neighbour. Is that fair? The officer’s offer was sensible and helpful and would have left your room empty and thus avoid annoying anyone else. I fear that you might have simply done much better if you had simply shrugged, had a glass of wine, and perhaps been a touch more pragmatic and moved suite when you were offered. Your suite would then have been empty and no one else suffers. You would also now be a happier bunny. All the best Jeff

An unintended consequence of mass computerisation is that humans have become increasingly emasculated and their genuine value reduced because increasingly they told exactly what to do because the “computer says no”. How often do you now have to listen to humans reading what is on the screen to you. How often do they say “no” rather than “yes”. In this scenario when humans are adding decreasing levels of value you might be surprised to find how rapidly virtually all of these jobs in the call centers will be replaced by AI and they will probably do a much better job most of the time and answer the phone more quickly without you waiting and listening to all of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. This will “release” humans in smaller numbers to only being used where flexibility trumps algorithms. The rest will have to think of something new to do. The consequences of these changes for many will be tough.

J.! Thanks for your nice words about my cake! But no butter or even flour! Just oranges, almonds, sugar, eggs Cointreau and Amaretto.. And I used the microwave for the oranges. 😧 So it really is very simple. I have always believed in letting the ingredients speak for themselves so I have no idea about or have any interest in presentation. I just like white plate simplicity. I only make cake because I just don’t ever find adequate quality in bought stuff. I can taste what I want in my head and simply try and make it. The profit motive for bought in always compromises the ingredients etc so needs - must! 😊 It’s lovely that you are in Gelatoland for a few weeks, I’m envious. Do enjoy what you have left. Jeff

Good Afternoon Coolers on a gorgeous day! Three Orange and Almond cakes made today … as we’re hoping to decamp to Balcony@Seaside sometime in the next week or so and they will go well down there. But don’t know when! Have a really great afternoon all. 👍 Jeff