Journal Entries
Who to believe?
Posted Jan 25, 2016
I've almost never been able to cook rice well. Y'know, all fluffy and separate like you get in a curry house or a Chinese. So, on the BBC Food YouTube channel I find two videos telling us how to do that... but they both say exactly the opposite! 
Jane says rinse your rice and stir it once it starts to boil
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uve-rcHkm4I
Delia says don't rinse it and don't stir it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5TUy4sqBZE
I'm so confused At least they both agree on the amount of water.
Discuss this Journal entry [18]
Latest reply: Jan 25, 2016
Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose; sometimes... it rains
Posted Jan 19, 2016
I've had a good and a bad morning. The bad first.
I think I mentioned a few months ago that I'd found another place where I can buy the 2lb boxes of loose tea that, up to now, I've been getting at that Indian food shop that's a pain in the fundament to get to on the bus. Well, I'm running low on tea, so this morning I went there to load up. They don't sell it any more 
That puts me in a bind because I may, or may not, have enough tea to last me until this time next week, and I don't have half a day to spare taking the bus to and from the Indian place 
It looks like I might have to spend four times the price (per oz) on Yorkshire Tea at the foodie supermarket, which I wasn't planning on going to this week.
And the good.
The place I went to this morning (Spanish word for 'party', BG) is relatively easy to get to compared to the Indian shop, but the way the buses are scheduled I have to either run in, grab what I need and rush out again, or spend 40 minutes killing time before the next bus back home. I recently noticed though that there's a DIY store next to it, and I started wondering what I might need there. And then I thought "Ooh, an American fitting for that lamp I brought over with me 16 years which has a British fitting and which I haven't used since the last bulb blew because I had to buy the bulbs from a specialist place that sells US-voltage bulbs with a British bayonet fitting and they have to special order them and they're expensive and the place is way up in north Austin and wouldn't it be so much better if I could just use an ordinary bulb in it."
And now I can 
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZGcsppU8AAudqX.jpg:large
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/CZGcxeNVAAAuQff.jpg:large
Discuss this Journal entry [14]
Latest reply: Jan 19, 2016
Would you buy a Squatty Potty from this man?
Posted Jan 12, 2016
Somebody did, cos we've got one at work now 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q
Discuss this Journal entry [9]
Latest reply: Jan 12, 2016
Pie-not-pie
Posted Jan 5, 2016
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2016/jan/05/ten-ways-improve-british-food-drink-2016-wish-list
Well, they call them pot pies here, I think, but a 'casserole with a puff pastry lid' is what I've been disappointingly served in too many British pubs, and since I've only been in the UK for a total of four weeks since I left the shores of Blighty (the last time was more than seven years ago I think) 16 years ago, they're obviously not something new.
Discuss this Journal entry [21]
Latest reply: Jan 5, 2016
Thuh
Posted Jan 3, 2016
Is this a new thing, or was it always there and I'm just noticing it more because it drives me nuts?
Using 'thuh' (or 'tha') before a word beginning with a vowel, instead of 'thee'. Try it, out loud. How would you say 'the other one', 'the orange' or 'the evening'?
Here's a radio story that's peppered with it throughout http://www.npr.org/2016/01/03/461795258/arts-capsule-to-hitch-a-ride-to-the-moon-on-carnegie-mellon-s-rover 'Thuh ark', 'thuh artist', 'thuh other'.
Discuss this Journal entry [13]
Latest reply: Jan 3, 2016
There is only one thing worse than being Gosho, and that is not being Gosho
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