Mizmoe

Looking through family recipe books and finding new recipes is the new eating!

Many years ago while holidaying in France, we were given lovely pieces of puff pastry with a cup of strong coffee for breakfast. It had the most surprising filling, I was expecting jam but it was bitter/sweet dark chocolate, absolutely gorgeous. I have just found a recipe that I discovered years ago, and … well I changed it … just a little - used Swiss chocolate and as life is too short to make puff pastry, I buy ready made! A tip - roll the pastry out about the thickness of a beer mat and you can, if you prefer, use milk chocolate.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
6 pieces each - Lindt Swiss Thins – dark and orange
Glaze – 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp cold water
Unrefined caster sugar

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface
Cut it into 12 squares
Place 1 piece of chocolate on the edge of a pastry square and roll up, completely enclosing the piece of chocolate
Repeat with remaining pastry
Place the rolls on a baking sheet, seam side down, cover in cling film and place in a refrigerator to cool a little
If you are rushed on a morning, make the day before and refrigerate
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Brush the top of each roll with egg wash and (if liked) sprinkle lightly with caster sugar
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the pastries turn a light golden brown

Roughly translated “potatoes of the importance”! This is an easy recipe and apparently quite delicious, though I haven’t tried it yet, I can’t wait (well I can really) until we can have a slow roasted (about 2.5 hours) suckling pig or slow roasted lamb, the potatoes and a green salad. This recipe is for 4 people, but would probably feed more depending on appetite

2 lbs potatoes - peeled, washed, cut into 1/4″ slices
Garlic salt and dried parsley
4 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs
Olive oil for frying - minimum 1 cup
1 yellow or red onion - peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves - peeled and chopped
Fresh parsley leaves - roughly chopped
Sea salt flakes

- Peel and wash the potatoes
- Sprinkle the potato slices with either salt - or garlic salt and dried parsley
- Place the flour into a shallow dish
- Whisk the eggs in a separate dish
- Dip each slice of potato into the flour, cover completely, then dip in the beaten egg - both sides
- Fry in lots of olive oil, may need more than the one cup of oil but this depends on the size of the frying pan
- When you have finished frying the potatoes, cut the onion into thin slices and sauté over a low heat until they start to brown
- Place the garlic, fresh parsley and sea salt into a mortar and pound with a pestle
- When the onion starts to brown add one tablespoon of flour and stir very quickly until combined, add the mashed onion/parsley/salt mixture and continue stirring over a low heat for a few seconds only, remove from the heat and transfer to a clean dish to stop the cooking process
- Put the fried potatoes into a saucepan, spoon over the sauce, finally add sufficient water to cover the potatoes
- Cover and leave to cook over a very low heat until tender, shaking occasionally to ensure the potatoes do not stick
- The water and onion mixture will form a delicious sauce

We have found a new home and hopefully will be moving shortly - a two bedroom apartment with lots of outside space, two communal pools, tennis courts, bar, shops, near to the beach - two weeks tomorrow!

A lovely cooling refreshing swim in the Med - that’s what I am looking forward to, plus an absolutely fantastic sea view from out patio outside the apartment on the hillside overlooking a lovely bay.

Just like England, all I do is talk about the weather. Until a week or so ago, it was unbearably hot and I had to put the ceiling fan on each night before retiring for the night as otherwise I couldn’t sleep, now, the quilt is back on the bed and the fan is off!

We are still looking for property either on or very near the coast, a little further north than our current location. Either the Costa Blanca or the Costa Calida. I did fancy Torrevieja but having read recent reports I am quickly going off the idea. What you make up for in facilities, ie medical, recreational etc, you lose in the area, though it has a good promenade and beach.

I understand that this town has grown considerably during the past few years and has a large ex pat community, which in some ways is a good thing, English speaking doctors for one, but I don’t really want to live on a vast urbanisation. So I suppose it’s back to the drawing board.

I would like to live within travelling distance of the Mar Menor and the mud baths. It would also be convenient for visiting my sister and brother in law who own a holiday home within walking distance of the Mar Menor and La Manga strip. Apart from the obvious health benefits in this region, there are some terrific fish restaurants, a good mix of Spanish and northern Europeans and good quality housing.

And now we learn that the Italian who murdered the head teacher trying to protect his pupil can’t speak Italian and has lived in this country since he was a child, tough - he can learn.

If this man is a danger to the public and was at the time of the murder a member of a gang who styled themsleves on the Triads, why can’t he be deported? Why do some reports state he is unlikely to offend, yet the news today indicates otherwise. Is he a danger, or isn’t he?

Although I have read reports on the subject of summer storms in Andalucia, I didn’t really believe them. This is the land of year round sun.

I heard the thunder whilst I was searching the Internet for yet another recipe that I thought I might need (banana tea bread), despite the fact that we aren’t eating puddings or desserts as we are on a healthy eating plan that doesn’t include English puds.

Then I heard a sort of tapping noise which gradually got louder, my daughter shouted to me “have you seen the hail Mum”, at this point I finally raised my head and looked outside towards the mountain range which is just on the edge of the village.

I couldn’t see them, in the distance it looked like a very heavy snow fall, but it was hail and the hail stones were about the size of very large marbles! It lasted about 10 minutes, within minutes of stopping it was blue skies and sun, but the clouds are back again.

I really believe they (the storms that is) bounce off the mountains on three sides of us and just keep coming back. Spain is so good, I love stormy weather!

A 15 year old Italian male is found guilty of murdering the head teacher of a school. Should this man be deported to what is a safe European country, or is deportation a breach of his human rights?

It is about time that countries who are members of the EU be given the right to deport criminals who have committed such a serious offence back to their country of birth. IMHO he gave up any human rights the moment he killed another human being. At 15 years of age you know that to kill is wrong, you are aware of the consequences of your actions, and you should be held responsible for them.

Another serious question is “what about the human rights of the man’s widow and family”? Shouldn’t the family be allowed a say in the fate of the man who murdered their loved one?

In answer to one question, his solicitor stated that it was highly unlikely that this man, when released, would come into contact with the dead man’s widow and that reports from prison confirmed he was “unlikely” to reoffend. How many times have we heard this same comment and yet the person, on release, has resumed their old lifestyle. It appears this man has lived in the UK for many years and has no family in Italy. Being allowed to live in the UK should come with responsibility, to uphold the laws of the land and to live in harmony with other citizens.

If he truly repents, then he should willingly leave the country and give the man’s family the peace they deserve.

Oh let me see, why do I love Spain? Could it be -

The thunder storms - they are something to behold!
The smell of Spain, just breathe in and enjoy when your Spanish neighbours cook dinner
The welcome
Hot chocolate and Churros for breakfast on market day
Pickled figs
Village shops that are like an Aladdins Cave
Fresh bread - even better, fresh bread delivered to your door
Barren landscape of Andalucia in the south to the beautiful green in the far north
Beautiful passionate brown eyes
Tapas, coffee, ice cream and Jamon Serrano
Partying all night to live bands for all age groups from the very young to the very old, yes it’s the “Spanish Fiesta”

I just love actually having a site named after me - it is a name given to me by work colleagues and friends and it stuck!