Coronavirus Stories - Reaching Out From Isolation

Edited BY G P Kennedy     Chicken Roast Dinner by Simon   Hey all looks like its food week, which is my favorite subject at the best of times!   Last Sunday in Oz was Fathers Day so we went out for lunch, which meant that I didn’t get to cook. To compensate for this I am cooking Roast Chicken last night, which is one of my favorite meals and one that I have cooked so many times, I do it on autopilot while listening to music and having a few beers. No flash recipe here but here is what we had and I’ll explain how I did it-   Roast Chicken. Pigs in blankets. Roast potatoes and carrots. Cauliflower, parsnip and roast garlic puree. Brussels sprouts, broccoli and green beans. Home made gravy.   First thing is to work out the finish time and count back.   2.2 kg whole chicken so say 2 hours cook time. This was roasted with garlic, rosemary and lemon placed inside. Lay this on a bed of garlic and rosemary and drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil and then se...

Edited BY G P Kennedy Coffee by Ellie    If you have been following these stories for a while, dear reader, you already know that I have mentioned coffee in several of my coronavirus reports. That is because coffee  is not just an important drink or ritual in Italy but an essential item, too. A marker of life, social standing and measure of sophistication even.    Since coffee shops were closed during the lockdown, coffee was necessary sustenance that often went unfulfilled. Since we didn't make coffee at home (long story), we resorted to tea. And you might remember that once the prohibition was lifted, coffee shop bonanza opened and we could flock to the so called "bars" (that is, coffee shops), we were utterly disappointed to discover that coffee was now served in reusable cups. Blame it on the prohibition to stay inside. Luckily, it was only temporary.    So, the irony is, once the clouds of the lockdown were lifted, we actu...

Edited BY G P Kennedy            AŞURE, NOAH ’s ARK TO SHARE                                 from Gul   This month you see an odd food traffic around, a dessert swapped continuously between neighbors. It’s called aşure (pronounced as aah-shoor-ey) ,   or Noah’s Pudding in English. Every year, Turkish women compete each other to create the best aşure while I wait fo r my neighbors whose names I don’t even know to bring one to me .    Luckily, our summer neighbors are more generous than the winter ones. I have already received three different aşure so far. The other day one of our neighbors dropped a tray in his hand as he was walking 20 bowls on it. Luckily my share was in his wife’s hand. Yummy...   ONE FOR ALL AND ALL FOR ONE  Aşure means one for all and all for one. It’s cooked in appreciation to God and the celebration of diversity and equal...

 Edited BY G P Kennedy Qeema Matar by Tassy  It's food week, so I am very happy to share a recipe of one of my go-to comfort foods. It is hearty, wholesome, and hugely satisfying. Not surprisingly, one of my favorite foods to cook while we live in uncertain times.    The dish is called Qeema Matar in Urdu, roughly translated to mince with peas. It is a rich and aromatic dish that is cooked with a lot of spices. The dish originated at the time the Mughal dynasty of Turkic and Mongol origin ruled the vast Indian subcontinent from the 16th to mid 18th century. On average we have Qeema Matar at least once a week, usually with a "chapatti", flat bread made with unleavened wheat flour.    It is pretty much a staple dish for us and also for a vast majority of Pakistanis. The dish is so popular that it is often prepared even as a festive dish on special occasions or at weddings. When I first learnt how to cook, this was probably one of the first recipes I wanted to...

 Edited BY G P Kennedy Karaage by Ian and Minako   “What’s this? Japanese fried chicken! I thought these guys were vegan!” we hear you say. Don't worry; this is the soy meat version.    Karaage actually means something that's coated in flour and deep-fried. Chicken is by far the most popular karaage but it could be any meat or even fish. It's a fast food that you’ll find everywhere in Japan at home, in lunch boxes, in restaurants, bars, convenient stores and festival stalls.  The “meat” is marinated and lightly coated in flour or potato starch before deep-frying in oil. It's common to use the twice-fry method to make it extra crispy on the outside but we don't normally bother. It's typically served on a bed of shredded cabbage or salad along with with rice.    We always make enough to use on a second day, it's great in a sweet and sour sauce or stir-fry.   Ingredients For about 20 bite size pieces Dried soy meat chunks   For marinade: 50 ml s...

Edited BY G P Kennedy From Tuesday – Sunday we will bring you delicious recipes from around the world.    Tuesday to Friday we serve up a three-course menu and coffee.   Appetizer Soy Karaage (Ian and Minako)   Entrée Qeema Matar with Chapati (Tassy)   Dessert Aşure or Noah’s Pudding (Gul)   Coffee Italy’s Finest (Ellie)    The weekend is taken over by some man-sized cooking. Longtime cooking brothers, Graeme and Simon, present two of the finest take your time, it’s worth it dishes.   All the way from Texas we feature Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder Lasagne.   While from Down Under we round off the week in the best tradition possible with Simon’s Chicken Roast Dinner.    Pick out your best pair of elasticated waist trousers and dig in.

 Our Deepest Sympathies are with Sally and her family  I won’t be writing a proper entry this week just a brief note to let you know what’s happened.  The last few weeks have been pretty hectic for me and my family. My dad had a heart attack which was very serious but surprisingly he was out of hospital 3 days later.   I got some work which meant leaving London and staying in my parents' house, who I haven't seen for 6 months which was an exciting but very nervous time.   Then on Sunday we got told that my uncle had had a fit in his nursing home and had been rushed to hospital.   Due to Covid no one could visit him but we were told they didn’t think it was anything too serious and my mum was planning for him going back to his home in a few days time then at 3am on Tuesday morning the house phone rang and my mum and dad were asked to get to hospital ASAP.   Unfortunately my uncle had had another fit in his sleep and the doctors ...

 Edited BY G P Kennedy Graeme - The Metro-perplexed, Texas   This week has been one of twisting in the wind, somewhat. With the start to my teaching semester put back two weeks there has been a lot of hurry up and wait, in the time spent at my desk. Classes have filled with students then emptied or been given away. I think my teaching schedule is now set…but I have said that more than once before now.    The week after teaching starts I begin the final year of my terminal degree. The goal is to immerse myself in teaching, reading and writing for the remainder of 2020 – whatever the vicissitudes of these strange times offer externally. After three solid months of work I will take a breath then gear up for the final push. Instead of going over the top into a hail of bullets and whizz-bangs I will be gleefully facing a torrent of ideas and unremitting showers of words.   Ziggy being good - for now  For now – the rest of this week – I am wrestling the pup into ...

Edited BY G P Kennedy Ian and Minako - Tokyo, Japan  Hello again from scorching Tokyo, we are both well, surviving the maximum temperatures of 35+ degrees in the last fortnight and looking forward to a slightly milder September, though it could also bring some typhoons!    The big news here is that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced his resignation due to health reasons. He has seemed pretty inactive for a long time, his popularity rating is very low and elections are due next year. We will have to wait and see whether his successor will be any better or worse.    Abe hasn't gone yet though. On Friday he announced that vaccinations for the coronavirus would be available for all citizens by the first half of next year. Testing is to be improved and increased and the Health ministry is considering down-grading the disease to a lower ranking as hospitals and health professionals are more experienced and better prepared for dealing with it thus freeing up resou...

Edited BY G P Kennedy Ellie - Milan, Italy   In the land of coffee and good food, things are getting back to normal in terms of human activity. It is increasingly difficult to find free spots in coffee shops on a whim. But we were lucky here to find a table facing the lake this past week    The social changes of social comity design have had their visual impact, too. Besides the utilitarian signage, it's mostly on the vernacular level.    That is, non-professionals determine it. I was struck how this bar has set apart its welcome disinfectant gel on such a dainty handmade lace tablecloth on it's own table, greeting customers at the door.    A combination of vernacular taste and utilitarian necessity has happened here to ward off tables from the street.    They are by appointment only!    And speaking of door, this church has not yet realized how off-putting its signage is, trying to make clear which door is for entry and which ...