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Catherine's Kitchen

Catherine Manning

Well, folks, I'm feeling tardy and guilty. Why? Because I'm late with the column more often than not and it gives problems to all of those hard-working editors and production people who produce T-zero. I'm not deliberately late, just end up being busy and trying to please all concerned. Keep trying to convince myself that I need help (which I do) but then I keep trying to convince myself that I can manage. Guess who's losing?

Anyway, I took the plunge and bought a car to save myself a lot of hassle, but not a lot of money! The old one is sitting on my lawn waiting to be sold. Every morning when I hose it down from the sea air and birds, I ask myself "Did I do the right thing?" Not from the point of view of having a nice new car to drive with A/C that works etc. and hopefully will last me another eleven years, but that it was still a good car and after all I've spent on it, might still have lasted me a bit longer, but at more cost. Oh well, procrastination is over, for now. Why was I born a Libran? After having it for two weeks, I reckon my old one has more power, so I'm going to look into that. It shouldn't do, but then maybe I haven't broken in the new one yet.

I'm trying to get this column written early, as I don't know what the next week will bring. My ex-husband is in hospital in England, and not in very good shape. Seems strange to be worrying about it but I have three children and two stepchildren so he's still part of me and them and he has no one else but us and his sister, who has not visited him for years. It is doubtful whether Nat or James will get there in time, especially not James as he's let his passport lapse, so I have to get things together early tomorrow morning to get it renewed. Not a good thing to do, especially as we are entitled to two passports each, one Barbadian and one English and he let both lapse. Oh well, that's life and you have to deal with it at the time.

Anyway, so far we have had no hurricanes or in fact much rain or bad weather. It makes one wonder whether we are in store for something worse, I hope not as I have not done my usual precautionary measures this year. Not because I haven't thought of them, but because my handyman has been busy and hasn't come so far. But then if 'Faraway' is to go, it will. So far it has withstood a lot and is now 102 years old, all lathe and plaster and a little wood and wall. I'm not sure where the safest place would be in a hurricane, but I'm not moving! I have plenty places to go, but I also have too many animals to take with me, so here I stay.

Saturday night.
I'm writing in stages and we are now going through a tropical depression, but hopefully it will have passed by tomorrow, hope so as it's all muddy, but have to get this done now.

Someone asked me sometime ago for a recipe for Pumpkin and Ginger Soup and here it is:

 

Pumpkin and Ginger Soup 6 cups diced pumpkin 1-1/2 cups diced carrots 3/4 cup celery 1/4 cup fresh ginger grated or to taste 1-1/2 cup onions 8-10 cups chicken stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper Bunch of fresh herbs of choice, marjoram, etc. 1-3/4 cups cream Place all ingredients except the cream in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes. Cool, blend and strain if necessary. Reheat and season to taste and add cream just before serving. If the soup is too thick add a little more stock. Some pumpkins are more watery than others, so it's better to be on the safe side and add more stock afterwards, rather than have a watery soup. Broiled Plantain in Bacon Allow 3 pieces per serving Peel and cut one large ripe plantain into four. Wrap bacon strips around each piece and secure with a toothpick. Place under broiler until golden brown, turning for even browning. Homemade Garlic Bread I used to take the time to make my own bread, but lagged because of the time so now I use my bread machine and do what I like with it. I find that so long as I keep the liquid and flour mixtures correct, I can change anything else and it comes out great. I'm just making garlic bread for a lunch tomorrow, so I'm using my basic white loaf recipe, which is in the following order: 1-1/2 cups water and 2 Tbs. skim milk or 1-1/2 cups milk, which I prefer. 1 Tbs. sugar 1-1/2 tsp. Salt 2 Tbs. butter or margarine. I add more, usually about 4 Tbs. 4 cups flour. I find all-purpose works just as well as bread flour. I usually mix 3 white to 1 whole-wheat. 1-1/2 tsp. Yeast; add last so it doesn't mix with the salt. I usually throw in extra. Set to dough cycle, when finished remove and knock about on a floured surface for a minute or two. Divide into two pieces, roll each into a rectangle and then roll up from the long side, shape into a French stick, put in pan on a floured surface and let rise for about a half hour. Make a few slashes with a sharp knife on the top, brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with seeds of choice, sesame, poppy etc. Bake at 350F till golden, brushing with the egg white after about 20 minutes. Yummy, mine is smelling throughout the house and I can't even eat it... just as well. I have a B & D by the way, a good one. Also, because my bread usually hits the roof, I butter the glass top and it doesn't stick.

Gotta go to the oven and the smell.
Bon Appetit
Cath