MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS

The Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found unconscious on March 4^th, in Salisbury, England.  They were immediately hospitalised and they are now in a critical but, fortunately, stable condition.

Apparently, they were victims of a deadly nerve agent, that was later identified as a chemical weapon, known as Novichoc, developed by the USSR, during the period of the Cold War.

The British Prime Minister, Mrs Theresa May, accusing Russia of the poisoning, expelled 23 Russian diplomats, who were given a week's notice to leave the country.  Moscow, however, staunchly denies any involvement.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, backed Britain on a “brutal attack inspired, most likely, by Moscow”.   According to The Times’ Whitehall sources, the MI5 is treating the incident as “an assassination attempt, led by Russia”.

The White House at Dusk

Donald Trump fired his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, due to dissimilarities in their points of view concerning the foreign policy of the US towards North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar etc.

Mr Tillerson collided, repeatedly, with the White House and openly disagreed with the President on issues “ranging from the disputes with Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the American response to Russian cyber repression”.

Mr Trump appointed Mr Mike Pompeo, formally, the chief of the CIA as the new Secretary of State and Mrs Gina Haspel will be new CIA director.

A Best Seller

The renowned physicist and author Stephen William Hawking died peacefully at his home, in Cambridge, aged 76.  When he was 22 he was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neuron disease and was given only a few years to live. 

Professor Hawkin was famous for his research and work with black holes and relativity and he wrote several popular science books, like “A Brief History of Time”.

Chancellor Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel, finally, took an oath of office for a fourth term.

Tens of thousands of US students rallied on a "coast-to-coast protest over gun violence", in connection with the gory massacre at a high school in Florida, last month.    

   

At home, most of us are and will keep on being concerned and very angry about the two Greek officers detained by the Turks, in Andrianoupolis.

Greece ’s superleague has been suspended indefinitely.   The government rushed to restrain the consequences from an extraordinary scene, last Sunday.  The owner of PAOK Salonica, Ivan Savvides, holding a gun, furiously rushed into the pitch, defying a goal.  

Greece’s leftist-led administration, facing extensive criticism over the chaos, into which the country ’s league has fallen, said that all top matches will the stopped immediately.

Mr Tsipras was very embarrassed by the incident, because, when he came into power, three years ago, he had promised to restrict moguls and their notorious and powerful influence over the Greek economy.    He had also solemnly pledged that he would “clean up the violence-scarred professional leagues."  Endless promises...

Find below, a few recipes for comforting soups.

                                          ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP

Served with Crunchy Warm Baguette

A soup with a wonderful taste and nutty flavour.

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

500 g (1 lb) pumpkin, peeled and seeded

2 potatoes, peeled, and cut into chunks
2 leeks, white parts only split lengthwise and washed thoroughly and  siced

2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

4 plum tomatoes, cut in half, seeds discarded

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 stalks celery, threaded and chopped

1 onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

1 ½ litre (6 cups)  tasty vegetable stock

¼ tsp Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F) and line a dish with a double layer of baking parchment.  

Arrange the first five ingredients on the dish, placing the tomatoes cut side down.   Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.   Then place them in a saucepan with the celery, onion, garlic, vegetable stock and the cayenne pepper and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until soft.  

Puree the vegetables with an immersion blender and sieve, pushing the vegetables with a spoon to extract all the savour.   Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary.  Bring the soup to the boil, remove from the heat and pour in the cream.  Taste and season with more salt, if necessary.     

Serve garnished with chopped chives.  

                                               SEAFOOD CHOWDER

A Dream  of a Soup

A delicious soup which is really a full meal.   Evidently, you may use any fish you prefer for this chowder.

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 leeks, white parts only, split lengthwise, thoroughly washed, patted dry and finely chopped

1 tbsp butter

A little salt

5 rashers bacon, fat removed and chopped

1 small sprig of thyme, leaves only
Freshly ground black  pepper

4 medium-sized waxy potatoes, peeled and diced

1 1/2  litre (6 cups) tasty fish or vegetable stock  

1 bay leaf
A pinch of Cayenne pepper, optional

½ kg (1 lb) fresh cod fillets, cubed

½ kg (1 lb) fresh salmon, skinned, boned and cubed

½ kg fresh prawns, peeled and deveined, washed and patted dry, reserve heads and shells

½ kg (1 lb) mussels, scrubbed under running water, long beard removed and placed 2-3  hours in a bowl of cold water, to purge themselves of sand.   Discard any that float or are open

250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine

Sauté the onion and leeks in butter, over low heat.  Add a tiny pinch of salt, stir and cook for 3 minutes more.  Add the bacon and thyme leaves and cook gently, until the onions and leeks caramelize.  Stir in the potatoes and allow them to be covered with butter and bacon fat, then pour in the hot fish or vegetable stock, add the bay leaf, the Cayenne, if using, cover the saucepan and cook until the potatoes are tender.  Pour in the cream and mix until well combined.

Then add the fish and the prawns into the soup and cook gently for 5 minutes more or until the fish flakes easily.  Taste and season accordingly, if needed.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep frying pan, boil the heads and shells of the prawns in wine to release their savour.  Arrange the mussels over and cook covered for 6-7 minutes until their shells open, discarding any that haven’t opened.   

With a slotted spoon, place the mussels over the fish, and strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into the chowder.  Bring to the slightest simmer to combine the taste and aroma.   Serve with crusty brown bread.

                                      POTATO AND COURGETTE SOUP

I have already given you the recipe for this lovely soup from the Cyclades.

2 medium-sized courgettes, cubed

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tender stalks celery, threaded, trimmed and finely chopped
2 tbsp butter or

2 tbsp margarine

1½ litre (6 cups) tasty vegetable or chicken stock

1 sprig of dill

Tyravloulo:

1 cup grated bland kasseri or Graviera from Crete or Naxos or Cheddar

4 egg yolks

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Grated nutmeg

Sauté the vegetables in butter or margarine, for 10 minutes, over very low heat.

Pour in the stock, add the dill sprig and simmer gently until the vegetables are cooked but not mushy. discard the dill sprig and remove the saucepan from the fire.

Beat the egg yolks with the cheese.  Very slowly, add about 1 ½ cup of the hot soup into the egg/cheese mixture, whipping constantly until well combined, pour it back into the soup and swirl the saucepan.  Return the soup to the fire, with the saucepan uncovered and bring it to a bare simmer.  Do not let it boil!  

Taste and add salt, if necessary, freshly ground pepper and grated nutmeg.

                                        CREAMY BEETROOT SOUP

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This is a lovely, comforting soup with a rich colour.

 2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 large leeks, trimmed, split in half, washed and sliced

1¼ kg (2½ lb) beetroots, peeled and cut into small pieces, (leaves reserved for another meal)

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1½ (6 cups) hot tasty chicken stock

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 large sprig dill + 1 sprig thyme + thin slice peeled ginger)

½ cup grated kasseri or Graviera from Crete or Cheddar or Gouda

Salt and pepper to taste

A tiny knob of butter

Garnish:

250 g (1cup) Greek yogurt mixed with

Salt and pepper

Snipped chives or
Dill

Croutons toasted lightly scented with garlic, optional

Sauté the vegetables in olive oil, over low heat, sprinkle with freshly ground white pepper, a little salt and stir for about 7-8 minutes, until the onions and leeks are limp and the beets and potatoes and starting to soften.     

Pour in the hot chicken stock, add the bouquet garni, cover the saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes or more, until the vegetables are thoroughly cooked.

Discard the bouquet garni.  Puree the soup with a hand blender until smooth and strain it through a fine sieve pressing any pieces of vegetable with the back of a spoon to release all the taste.     Pour the soup into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer. Sprinkle with cheese and stir until well combined.   Taste and add freshly ground white pepper and salt, if necessary.

Serve in soup bowls, with a swirl of yogurt sprinkled with snipped chives and garlic croutons, if using