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| Map Depicting Areas of Wildfires in Nothern California |
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| Tens of Thousands of Acres were Burnt in Napa Valey |
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| The Deadliest Fires in California's History |
Monstrous, deadly fires are raging in Napa Valey, Northern California, unfortunately, killing 33 people, 100 missing, destroying thousands of homes, burning tens of thousands of acres and compelling 25.000 residents to flee to safety. Apparently, these are the worst fires in California, since 1933.
This infernal catastrophe was due to the fact that the fires started at 9 - 11 pm when people were going to bed. Owing to the very strong winds and the parched land, the fires rapidly took enormous dimensions, got out of control and devasted and destroyed the area. The reason for so many casualties is that the residents could not be promptly notified and were caught by surprise.
Our deepest condolences to the victims' families and friends and our heart goes out to all those who lost their properties. We, also, wish to express our profound admiration for the firefighters who with great bravery saved and are still saving, as many lives as possible while risking their own.
(My sincere gratitude to ERT II, SKY TV, ALPHA TV, CNN, BBC and France 24 for the information for this post as "a picture is worth a thousand words").
Here are a few recipes for American comfort food.
SHRIMP CHOWDER
Chowder is a soup that is really a full meal.
4 rashers lean bacon very finely chopped
180 g (6 oz) onions, peeled and finely chopped
1500 ml (6 cups) hot, slightly seasoned chicken stock
1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 thyme sprig + 2 sprigs parsley)
1/2 kg (1 lb) shrimps, shelled and deveined, washed, patted dry and sauteed on both sides until they just change colour
250 ml (1 cup) double cream mixed with
250 ml (1 cup) full milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Parika
Fry the bacon, in a large saucepan, stirring constantly, until a thin film of bacon fat covers the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat, add the onions and saute. stirring occasionally, until soft. Pour in the hot chicken stock, add the diced potatoes and the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Discard the herb bouquet.
Add the sauteed shrimps, pour in the cream/milk mixture and almost bring to the boil. Taste and add salt if necessary and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in large individual bowls sprinkled with paprika.
BARBEQUED SPARERIBS
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| Uncooked |
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| Cooked |
Here is a delicious baked version.
2 kg (4 lb) spare ribs, boned
Barbeque Sauce:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium-sized onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed
180 g (6 oz) tomato puree
4 tbsp vinegar
4 tbsp honey
2 sprigs rosemary; leaves only chopped
1 tbsp mustard powder
125 ml (1/2 cup) beef stock
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt if necessary and freshly ground black pepper
First, prepare the barbeque sauce. Saute the onion and garlic in oil, until soft, stirring frequently. Add the tomato puree, vinegar, honey, chopped rosemary, mustard powder, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce and black pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes more. Taste and sprinkle with salt to taste, if necessary and remove from the heat.
Preheat to 190 C (370 F). Place the spareribs, in a roasting tin, slash the surface of the meat, on both sides, crosswise, with a sharp knife. Sprinkle both sides with a little coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brush the fat side, lavishly, with barbeque sauce and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, brushing with barbeque sauce every 12 minutes or so. When the spareribs are brown and crisp cut into portions and serve with a large Ceasar salad.
CAESER SALAD
A lovely salad from California.
2 medium-sized heads Coss lettuce. trimmed, separated, washed and patted dry covered and iced
Croutons:
6 slices white bread, crusts removed and cubed, drizzled with
2 tbsp vegetable oil and sprinkled with
2 pinches of salt and baked until crisp. Cool and reserve
Dressing;
125 ml (1/2 cup) home-made mayonnaise or use a well-known brand
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp mustard, use a well-known brand
1 tsp anchovy paste
(Mix everything well together and taste)
2-4 tbsp grated Parmesan or according to taste
Break the chilled lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in a salad bowl. Drizzle with the salad dressing and toss gently but thoroughly. Sprinkle with the croutons as much grated Parmesan as you wish and serve immediately.
APPLE PIE
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| Ready to Enjoy |
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| Apple Pie a la Mode |
This lovely recipe for an aromatic apple-pie was given to me by my dear friend Mary Xenakis, so many years ago.
Pastry:
120 g (4 oz) butter
150 g (5 oz) brown sugar
1 egg
150 g (powdered almonds mixed with
150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour
1 liqueur glass brandy
1 liqueur glass water
A tsp of ground cinnamon
A pinch of grated nutmeg
1 pinch of salt
Filling:
1 1/2 kg (3 lb) apples, peeled, cored, sliced and drizzled with lemon juice
2 heaped tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp or more icing sugar
1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 a tsp grated nutmeg
Cream butter and sugar, then add all the other ingredients for the pastry, mix well together until a soft dough is obtained. Shape into a ball, flatten out, cover with cling film and refrigerate for about an hour.
Preheat the oven to180 C (350 F) and prepare the filling. Mix the cornflour with the icing sugar and spices and sift over the apples and mix gently until all the apples are well coated with the cornflour mixture.
Roll out the dough into two rounds, 0.5 cm thick, one slightly larger than the other. Drape the larger pastry round in a deep, buttered tart dish and spoon in the filling making a mound in the middle. Cover with the second pastry round and join the two together crimping them into a pretty shape. Make two or more slashes on the pastry sheet to allow the steam to escape, sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and bake for about 1 hour.
Serve cold, or, for apple pie a la mode, hot with vanilla ice cream.
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