Thursday, September 21, 2017

LET’S GET REAL....LET’S PUT THE BRAKES ON THE FAKES....






These days there’s too much artificiality around... for my liking, anyway; not that what I like or dislike counts for much.  But, it’s good to shoot the breeze...to air one’s thoughts.,,to chew the fat; wobble the jaw.... to wander and ponder ....

Not only are we continually being fed fake news, those who believe they control us by controlling our shopping and eating habits are continually trying to force us to fill our supermarket trolleys with fake milk, fake butter, artificial sweeteners, artificial ice cream, etc., etc., et al.   The list goes on ad infinitum. 

Synthetic, manufactured, unnatural additives and flavours full of suspect chemicals worthy of in-depth investigation and banishment hold a permanent, disturbing role in food products.  The tiny print on packaging doesn’t enlighten the consumer.  You need a brain similar to that of Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking to understand the gobbledygook, even if the print was legible.    

Perhaps, artificial intelligence could be useful in helping us “normal” folk decipher the abnormal information given.   (In some instances, not many, I admit...I could be classed as “normal” - that could be debatable, I know)!

French chemist, Michel Eugène Chevreul who created margarine in 1813 was lucky he dodged the guillotine.   

My head would’ve been on the chopping block if I ever dared use margarine when I cooked in restaurants.  Butter only – butter is better! 

I’ve never used margarine at home, either, and not because I’m scared of the chopping block.  It’s what’s in the product that scares me.  The only thing margarine is good for is greasing the guillotine!

In the late 1700s, shouting loudly in an over-zealous, unladylike manner for all of France to hear, Marie Antoinette bellowed; – “Let them eat cake!” 

The heartless woman’s frustrated exclamation lacked empathy.  However, the peasants, although poor, had discerning tastes.  If margarine had been used in making of the cake they would have politely declined, “Non! Non! Ma Reine!”

The famines engulfing France at the time caused a shortage of brioche – the delicious bread made with butter and eggs.  The thought of using margarine in the making of brioche is a thought too far even for my wild imagination.

Using the words from the Castrol motor oil commercial/advertisement from almost forty years ago - “Oils ain’t oils” - unless, of course, it’s olive oil; particularly Aussie olive oils - Oz is best.

Thinking about it, eons ago when I was a kid almost everything we ate was close enough to being organic.   Processed food wasn’t prevalent like it is now.

We were healthy; had no allergies; rarely got colds. We thought the “flu” with an “e” (we knew how to spell correctly) was part of a chimney – something that let out the hot air.   

There is so much hot air floating these days.

Mark a product “organic” or “gluten-free”, and it’s open slather to jack up the prices....akin to the keys to the kingdom....

What also takes the cake is the desire for artificial boobs, butts, lips, foreheads, chins, necks and fake tans. 

Taut, immoveable, smooth faces like Barbie and Ken are taking over the world! 

I go into shock each time I see photos of “Cat Woman” aka Jocelyn Wildenstein.  To call her “Cat Woman” is an insult to cats. 

Not within a cat’s whisker do my two felines look like her - thank goodness! Remy and Shama look good without having gone under the knife (except for reproduction reasons).  Face cream has never touched their plump cheeks. Often they each look like the cat that ate the cream, though...very smug, indeed!

For the record...I intend growing old disgracefully...a feat I’ve so far achieved with great success; and the natural process shall be allowed to continue, unhampered, not pampered.  No knives or needles filled with fillers, Botox or other similar artificial crap are allowed to come within cooee of me!  

Let’s face it...I wouldn’t trust anyone coming at my face with a knife or needle in their hands!  Accept me as I am and how I look...if not...bye, bye!

I’m intrigued how the Kardashian clan, Nicki Minaj and others similarly afflicted, with their highly-pronounced butt implants, manage to sit down without rolling off the chair. 

It’d be like sitting on a balloon...wouldn’t it?  Oops!



Brioche Loaves:  In small bowl, add 1pkt active dry yeast, ½ warm water and 1/3rd cup sugar; mix to dissolve. Set aside 5mins or until bubbles form and it becomes foamy. Put in mixer bowl; add 6 room-temp eggs; with paddle attachment, mix on medium speed, 3mins.  Decrease speed to low; add 2tsp salt; then add, 1.2 cup at a time, 4-1/2c bread flour. Stop mixer as needed to scrape bowl and paddle; mix until combined. Continue at low speed; add 1-1/4c unsalted, very soft butter, 2tbs at a time. Continue process. When dough is combined and formed, transfer to floured bowl; cover; place in warm place to rise 3-4hrs. Remove from bowl; knead on floured surface, 1-2mins; transfer to greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; chill overnight. Next day, split dough in half. Place each half in 2 greased bread pans. Cover with warm tea towel; allow to rise again, to about double the size, 3-5hrs. When dough has risen to near the top of bread pan - bake in preheated 190C oven, 45mins until crust is golden brown and springs back to the touch.

Scallops in Herb Butter: Heat 1tbs oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Season 500g sea scallops with salt and pepper; cook until deep golden brown on 1 side, about 3mins. Turn scallops; add 2tbs butter and 4 sprigs of herbs (tarragon, lemon thyme or sage) to pan. Continue cooking, spooning butter over scallops often, until scallops are cooked through and butter is brown and smells nutty, about 3mins longer. Add 2tsp lemon juice. Serve scallops with brown butter pan sauce.

Worcestershire Butter Rump: Cream 1/3c butter, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1-1/2tbs Worcestershire Sauce, 1tsp thyme, salt, pepper and 1tbs English mustard. Pat this all over 2kg whole rump roast. Cover; chill up to 24hrs. Let stand, 60-90mins before placing on rack in pan; roast uncovered, in preheated 218C oven, 20mins. Reduce heat to 190C; roast, uncovered, 1hr or until desired doneness. Baste during roasting. Let sit 20-30mins before carving. 

Chicken Breasts with Spinach-Butter-White Wine Sauce: Season 2 large chicken breasts with the paprika, rubbing it evenly over both sides; then season with salt and pepper — about 1/4 tsp each. Melt 1tbsp butter in a large skillet over med-high heat; add the chicken breasts. Cook on the first side for three minutes (or until crisping and golden); flip; turn the heat down to medium, or slightly less. Let cook for another 3mins before adding 4tbs butter, 1/4c fresh thyme leaves and 3 crushed garlic cloves. Cook, stirring the thyme and garlic around, for about 2mins before adding 1c dry white wine. Bring wine to a gentle simmer; let cook for 20mins. It will reduce, so add more, if necessary. Add 2 handfuls spinach, and let wilt fully. Season; make sure the chicken is done, serve with a grain of your choice; or pasta.








35 comments:

  1. " Accept me as I am and how I look..." Well said. I'm also for growing old naturally.
    Your recipe for briosh bread looks tempting. I'm going to try it.

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    1. G'day DUTA....I'm never sure who those people are trying to fool...surely they're not fooling themselves! By their actions out of vanity, they draw more attention to themselves and their years, in my opinion. I just can't see the poing.

      Thanks for coming by...I'm sure you will enjoy the bread. :)

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  2. Anonymous6:59 PM

    The odd thing to me is the Kardashians...never written that name before, think they look good. The concluding cartoon is good. Some processed food is easy to avoid, some is not. I think almost every item of processed food we eat has sugar and salt added to it. Because I never add salt to anything, I am very aware of salt in processed food. I saw the other day that the large German supermarket chain is no longer selling in food containing colouring. That's a good start.

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    1. Yes, I saw that somewhere about Aldi deciding to no longer sell foods with colouring added. I never buy from Aldi, so it will make little difference to me.

      Everything in moderation, I reckon. The trouble is the meaning of "moderation" has been lost in modern times, it seems.

      I use salt...and I use sugar...in moderation. I even coloured some icing I made for a large butter cake I made the other day. I coloured the icing lilac/lavender...because that is the favourite colour of the lady for whom I made the cake. She is 100 years old...loves the colour lilac...and loves butter cakes! :)

      As for the Kardashians...they certainly have made a lot of money from their beliefs! lol

      Thanks for coming by, Andrew. :)

      Delete
  3. Like Andrew I no longer use salt. And try and stay away from processed foods. I also grew up eating simple food, prepared from 'scratch'. And it was delicious. I can remember being horrified when a food loving friend confessed that she had only ever made packet cakes. Bleah.
    No botox here either. Or implants or lifts or fillers. And I quite like my salt-n-pepper hair too. Too much to dye it anyway.
    You won't be aging disgracefully on your own.

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    1. Hey, EC...My hair is grey..and that's how it will stay! It is what it's supposed to be.

      I use salt...not a lot, but I've no intentions of giving up using it.

      Simple is simply the best! Thanks for coming by. :)

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  4. I plan to grow old the natural look way too. No botox or other surgery for me. I have had some teeth crowned though, it was crown them or lose them and I don't want my face to cave in because there's nothing for my gums to hold on to. But that's as far as I'm going with anything artificial.
    I agree too, that foods should be as natural as possible.
    Here's a hint for those very long, confusing Ingredients lists on cans and jars of things. Notice that some ingredients are listed in BOLD type and some following that are in lesser type often in brackets. This means the BOLD type is the ingredient and the lesser type is what goes in to make up that ingredient. The more "lesser type" there is, the more artificial an ingredient is likely to be. I think. I tend to buy things where the ingredient list is very, very short. Or head to the fresh produce section where you can clearly see what you are buying.

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    1. Hey River...you're correct in everything you say here. And, as it is the line I follow...I guess I have to say you're correct! lol

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  5. I have to be gluten free so the cost of items really gets to me since I don't have an abundance of money to spare; love me some scallops, expensive so I splurge about once a year. Gary's grandmother used to make a cardamom bread she braided similar to yours above One of these days I'll learn how to make my own gluten free bread I hope. The newscasters and politicians all seem to have fake faces, their looks belie their ages that's for sure.

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    1. Hey Linda....when I was doing some of the catering for Dorothy's 100th birthday back in late June (the lady I mentioned in my previous post), I covered all bases and prepared some gluten-free food as part of the fare on offer. And the cost of those gluten-free ingredients was ridiculous compared to the "regular" ingredients. I empathiss - you having to pay as much as you do - because you have no other choice.

      I ended up with far more gluten-free ingredients than I needed (I always buy more than I need of everything and anything, I think!)...but they didn't go to waste. I gave them all to the local aged care facility...they were grateful, and I'm sure they had use for them.

      I love sea scallops, too. I don't have them very often these days, either.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  6. You can cheat nature only for so long and then she pulls the trigger. Best to let things happen as they will and not fight it. Here's a hint. If you want to look better to your husband, take his glasses away lol.

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    1. Hey Delores...I don't have a husband...I kept his glasses and sent him away! ;)

      Yep! I agree...people trying to stop ageing really are only fooling themselves...and obviously they're easily fooled! By all the "work" they have done only draws more attention. I don't understanding their reasoning.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  7. I certainly follow your thinking on all of this. We are inundated by advertisements that totally direct us down the wrong path. Everyone knows butter is better. As for fake butts...how did this come about?

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    1. Hey, Annie...it beats me re the big butt craze! It's unbelievable! It's a joke...butt of all jokes! lol

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  8. I think you are so right - let's be ourselves and get on with living. Love the joke with the big lips. Have a great weekend. Your food looks awesome.

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    1. G'day Sandie...people are going overboard, that's for sure. It's madness. I think they're just attention-seekers...well, they succeed. They certainly draw attention to themselves, and it's impossible not to see the artificiality.

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  9. Those memes! LOL So true. Some are overdoing cosmetic surgeries.

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    1. Hi Lux...Some certainly do overdo the cosmetic changes. Vanity can be such a blinder!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  10. Hmmm I use 'Benecol' a margarine that helps reduce cholesterol.
    I prefer butter and do not fancy other marge as it is mostly plastic.

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    1. Hey there, Mr. Ad-Man...I prefer butter, and I only use butter, and olive oil.

      Thanks for coming by. Take care. :)

      Delete
  11. Hi Lee,

    😲 I love margarine but who am I to talk?
    Don't know why people have plastic surgery either. They should live the way they are. I just wish Paul McCartney would lay.off the hair dye and give somebody else a go.

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    1. Hey Treey. I can't fathom people's reasons for having "work done" for vanity purposes, either. I'm not sure who they're trying to fool! lol

      I couldn't be bothered wasting time on dyeing my hair...I like it grey..it is as it is supposed to be at this stage of my life..and at my age. I've nothing to prove, and no one to kid! :)

      Thanks for coming by. I hope all is well. :)

      Delete
  12. I only use butter for baking or for sauces that call for it. There's no substitution for it.

    I was telling my friend Ronnie about how my brother-in-law cooks shrimp wrapped with bacon, basted with butter, on the grill and he wanted to try it. But he substituted that fake butter in the tub, and when melted, looked like colored water. Oh my word! And his partner, Steven, told me that Ronnie was trying to buy turkey bacon, not real pork bacon. He said he told Ronnie, "Lynn was so specific about PORK bacon, that we should just get that." He said Ronnie finally relented. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Hey Lynn! Keep at them...turkey "bacon"!!? I must be behind the times - I've never heard of it.

      There definitely is no substitute for the real thing...butter, and only butter!!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
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  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  15. You are not old Lee but you are growing old. I wish more women would shake off the shackles of self-consciousness and perceived expectations by becoming comfortable in their own skins. If an older women is happy within herself this shows through in her bearing and in the sparkle we see in her eyes. To me these people who desperately try to hang on to their youth and sign up for expensive procedures are just plain sad and gullible to boot. It is impossible to delay the march of time.

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    1. Hey, Yorkie..yes, I did say I was growing old...disgracefully. :)

      I am who I am and I have no intentions of letting anyone fiddle around with me or how I look! Accept me as I am, or not at all...'tis not my concern. :)

      The thing that gets me is....the "work" they get done is so damn obvious...and it draws attention to them...in the worst way possible!! Weird!

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  16. Never having heard of that lady before, I had to Google her image. Wow, scar-eeee. I guess appropriate since Halloween is near.

    Lots of great cooks say butter is one of the most necessary ingredients to culinary success. But I have to admit that we do a lot of cooking with reduced fat or reduced sugar substitutes. Lots of butter has its downside.

    Not sure if you've heard of Ree Drummond but her Pioneer Woman cooking show on the Food Network here is very popular. And she is a big fan of butter. We stopped by the bakery she owns in Oklahoma. I must say, her pastries were a delight. I'm sure she focuses on all natural ingredients too.

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    1. Hi Dave! She's scary, isn't she? I'd hate to run into her on dark night. I'd hate to run into her in the daylight! lol

      I don't substitute....and never with butter. Some things should never be replaced...in my humble opinion, anyway. And, everything in moderation. I'm not going to give up sugar, salt, pepper, butter, chocolate, coffee, cake, fruit, vegetables, grains - in a nutshell.....food....or nuts :)

      Thanks for coming by. :)

      Delete
  17. Intend to grow old disgracefully. Love it:)

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    1. And, it's about the only thing I'm good at, Sandra!! Thanks for coming by...good to have you back! :)

      Delete
  18. I don't like the idea of having Botox injected into my face. I'll never do anything like that. I pretty much just moisturize every morning, with a little mascara, and only apply liquid makeup if I'm going somewhere.

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  19. Scallops in Herb Butter ... yes please.

    All the best Jan

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