h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Actually, tonight's supper will be the last bit of paella.

We are both quite drained from a busy day yesterday that was rounded off by a 3.5 hours election meeting at the Legion. So I am having supper delivered, some 75 miles.

A good buddy lives about 12 doors up the street from me, and still works in Kingston (that 75 miles). He might retire in November when he turns 70. Anyway, there is a fried chicken outlet in that town that is right on his way home.

While they do pretty good chicken, a franchise of a chain that began in St John's, Newfoundland (which is where I met the stuff), I have asked for a pair of Big Mary sandwiches. Large bun, full de-boned chicken breast, a sort of mayo and shredded lettuce. A suitable measure of potato wedges, coleslaw, and some of the 2-bite chicken nuggets. Keeping it simple.

As my mother used to say, I feel for you but can't quite reach you.

Actually, presiding over elections for an organization (any organization) can be quite draining, so you have my attention. I've seen many elections over the past few decades. You don't have to be crazy to run for office, but judging form some of the candidates we've had, it helps.

I have a notion for a supper on Sunday.

- break up spaghetti into 3 to 4" pieces, cook to tender, drain, and toss in a casserole dish.

- parboil a skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut to small bite cubes, mix in with the pasta

- make an Alfredo sauce from scratch, rich and cheesy

- sautee a small measure of onions and celery, and stir that into the sauce

- stir the sauce into the chicken & pasta

- bake at about 300F for maybe 35 to 45 minutes, to meld flavours

Serve with crispy, golden garlic toast

Italian pork soup.

The chicken & pasta alfredo worked out very well, with a need for adjusting. The recipe that I had for the sauce proved a bit too sparse, so I had to top up with cream while stirring it into the bulk of the dish. And despite being a bit shy now of the cheese - it was really nice. I can see this as being very good for nearly any shape of pasta, and then using small cubes of a sweet ham (gammon) steak, or especially with large shrimps (or prawns) cut into 3 or 4 bites.

Off to tangents?

If you notice my name tag - a cardiologist in the first days suggested my survival at perhaps 3 years. 5 years at the most. I have passed that "expiry day" now by 18 days. I am having a bright red polo shirt imprinted with a UPC bar-code that says exactly that.

And another thing that is new. This town immediately abuts our largest and most active base of the RCAF. Along the edge of that base is our National Air Force Museum of Canada, with a very nice air park of historic aircraft employed by our service-people. A fund raising idea was to embed bricks of local grey granite with names along the walking paths. To-date, there are over 17,000 such stones - each bearing the rondel and the words "Ad Astra". Two were recently added, one in each name of myself and the Mrs Rev. (This option is open to any who served in our air force efforts, as well as any allies) Mine reads as "Nick J Keip Formosa, ON"

With the 'stones' measuring 6" x 10" and about 4.5" thick, each weighs about 22 lbs? The museum won't last for-ever, but the bricks will.

Nick, I for one am happy that you are exceeding the life expectancy estimates. You seem to be eating quite well, too, but I don't know if that is a factor. Still, taking good care of yourself is bound to pay off in one way or another.

We have a reasonably nice day here, so the propane grill will be engaged.

I bought a fresh pair of butterfly cut pork loin chops. Usually they get a little bath in an Italian salad dressing before meeting that flame and heat. But I have no such dressing. What to do? GOOGLE !!! I made a nice version of the stuff, mostly by guesses. So, supper will be:

- maybe 15 fair sized white mushrooms tumbled in this dressing, then into a loaf pan to 'roast' on the top rack of the grill for 40 minutes

- the chops will be halved and bathed in the dressing, and will meet the cooking grill

- a package of a fettucine alfredo to accomapny

Tonight I will make Greek chicken soup.

I will have to do mushrooms that way again. These were very large and common white fungi, so large that a few were halved and the rest quartered to make generous bite size pieces. A short dunk in the home-made Italian salad dressing, then into the BBQ at a level where the temperature hovered around 425F. The 2nd most tasty variation that I have ever done.

Friday supper was going to be simple fish portions and french fries (both from frozen) run through the oven. But I feel a little adventurous.

Some simple white buns, sliced and slathered with fresh made garlic butter and toasted in the oven to a crispy, golden hue.

Caesar salad with cocktail shrimps.

Full sized portobello mushrooms brushed with Italian salad dressing, then filled with: chopped cherry tomatoes, previously roasted white mushrooms, onions, celery, crushed garlic, salt & pepper, chopped cocktail shrimps, parmesan cheese, and then slow baked in the oven. A dusting of more parmesan when near done.

The mushroom idea was - in a word - freakin' awesome.

Saturday will be a common summer feed. A 21 oz sirloin beef steak on the grill. A pair of large potatoes baked and buttered. Two ears of corn to be husked and cooked gently. Sadly, the corn is still from south of the 49th parallel and not anywhere as sweet as local grown. And of course, a mass of Spanish onion and baby portobello fungi slow cooked together.

I plan to eat out at suppertime. Not sure where I will eat.

On Monday, I made a pretty nice hamburger steak for supper.

Some of the left-over steak cut to cubes, and simmered long with fresh mushrooms and onions, a little carrots, garlic and celery as well. Eventually, a very thick and tasty beef gravy, to which I added the remaining sauteed onions and mushrooms from the steak supper.

Very lean ground beef, minced finer, made 4 nice and lightly seasoned burgers. Lightly seared, these joined the gravy mixture and into the oven for much of an hour to slow cook through.

Served with the remaining baked potato, and the kernels shaved from the remaining ears of corn.

Another day, the remaining 2 sections of sirloin steak (grilled to just better than rare) will be sliced thin and warmed with the excess gravy mixture of this evening. Add a cup or more of egg noodles, and voila! A quick and easy beef stroganoff.

Gotta love left-overs.

You are eating well, Nick.

Today I will scrounge up some fish for tonight's supper, probably a mild curry of some sort. Or a tagine. I use rice for both .

[The culinary gods might get upset if they knew how many inauthentic ingredients I add to recipes.]

This isn't a very large town, so varieties of meats, vegetables, fruits and spices, even cheeses, are somewhat limited. But I still manage to work up something substantial and tasty.

Last night's supper was a curry, made with turbot, tuna, sweet potato, rice,. and some other ingredients. I use different mixtures of spices to make dishes unique.

I haven't run into turbot since I lived in Newfoundland. I guess that we don't see it very far from the Atlantic coast. In fact, I don't even recall running across it during our 4 years in Nova Scotia.

Supper today will be that suggested lazy-boy sort of a beef stroganoff.

Beef will be on my plate as well tonight. I bought about 2/3 of a pound of beef the other day, and added it to a pasta fazool recipe that originally called for sausage. The beef is a fine substitute.