Aint I good?

How refreshing it is now logging on Facebook and seeing people pour buckets of Icy water over their heads for charity. A great improvement over the graphic horrific pictures people have been posting of the bomb torn bodies of dead babies and children with what some more critical souls than myself would consider somewhat moral pornography and allowing us here in Scotland or anywhere in the western “civilization (lol)” , (me in Falkirk) to sit in front of our computers to feel and express a pleasurable emotion of concern, and to let off steam against the allegedly evil adult of the Middle East: Israel who surely must be psychopathic bullies picking on the pitiable, allegedly childish nation that is Palestine. It is awful that Palestinian children have been killed; it’s also awful that the minute they die they become photographic fodder for the Facebookers who want to holler their hatred for Israel and their pity for Palestine. There is also something dehumanising in the constant sharing of photos of screaming or distressed or dead Palestinian children, in the speed with which they have been turned into memes or political products to be swapped between web-surfers and tweeters. Is there a danger that these terribly unfortunate children, victims of a war not of their making, have been transformed in death into props for the expression of a cheap online emotionalism, turned into mass-produced and mass-shared images for use by people who are determined to show the world how sensitive we are to other people’s suffering? It is one thing to show us the reality of war. photographers have a tendency to zoom in on children in disaster zones and warzones and why such photos prove popular among us viewers – it’s because, (now whisper this) they provide us with an emotional buzz, a moral kick. As the children in the image reveal their vulnerability, we long to protect them and provide for their needs. Paradoxically, while we are moved by the image of the sorrowful child, we also welcome it, for it can arouse pleasurable emotions of tenderness, which in themselves confirm adult power… In the act of looking at presentations of these dead little bodies we recognise ourselves as both adults and sheltered individuals with the ability to change a child’s life for the better but we are attempting to turn the spotlight on to ourselves so that we can narcissistically declare to anyone who will listen: This photo made me weep. Aint I good?

Body Worlds Exhibition Newcastle Saturday 26th July 2014

On Saturday I drove down to Newcastle to visit the Life Science centre. I was aware there was a Body World exhibition being held there and this is something I have always been interested in seeing. The Newcastle exhibition brings together a collection of real human bodies, specimens and organs, willed by donors and preserved through plastination - a ground-breaking preservation process invented by scientist Dr Gunther von Hagens. This exhibition was previously shown in Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Healthy and diseased organs are shown alongside each other allowing people to see how lifestyle choices, such as smoking, may affect the body (very important for a child to see) Plastination is a technique or process used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts, first developed by Gunther von Hagens in 1977. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most properties of the original sample. The first step of plastination is fixation. Fixation, frequently utilizing a formaldehyde based solution, serves two functions. Dissecting the specimen to show specific anatomical elements can be time consuming. Formaldehyde or other preserving solutions help prevent decomposition of the tissues. They may also confer a degree of rigidity. This can be beneficial in maintaining the shape or arrangement of a specimen. A stomach might be inflated or a leg bent at the knee for example The second step….After any necessary dissections take place, the specimen is then placed in a bath of acetone. Under freezing conditions, the acetone draws out all the water and replaces it inside the cells. In the third step, the specimen is then placed in a bath of liquid polymer, such as silicone rubber, polyester or epoxy resin. By creating a vacuum, the acetone is made to boil at a low temperature. As the acetone vaporizes and leaves the cells, it draws the liquid polymer in behind it, leaving a cell filled with liquid plastic. The plastic must then be cured with gas, heat, or ultraviolet light, in order to harden it. A specimen can be anything from a full human body to a small piece of an animal organ, and they are known as 'plastinates'. Once plastinated, the specimens and bodies are further manipulated and positioned prior to curing (hardening) of the polymer chains. For the first 20 years, plastination was used to preserve small specimens for medical study. It was not until the early 1990s that the equipment was developed to make it possible to plastinate whole body specimens, each specimen taking up to 1,500 man hours to prepare (he has also done an Elephant so I wonder how long that took) . The first exhibition of whole bodies was displayed by von Hagens in Japan in 1995 Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS exhibitions are the original, precedent-setting public anatomical exhibitions of real human bodies, and the only anatomical exhibits that use donated bodies, willed by donors to the Institute for Plastination for the express purpose of serving the BODY WORLDS mission to educate the public about health and anatomy. To date, more than 10,000 people have agreed to donate their bodies to Institute for Plastination Should you take your kids to see this? I took my 10 year old son and he found it very interesting. It’s just about knowing your child and what they would enjoy or understand. I do think that kids should see this exhibition, its very educational. The sooner you understand your body and its future, the better. The exhibit could prevent him from smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity and general poor lifestyle choices. This exhibit could encourage him to grow in to a healthier adult some day. Above all, I know that this exhibit will install a great respect for his own body, his organs, their functions and would create more awareness on how precious life is. I ensured my son paid particular attention to the effects of smoking on the lungs and asked him if he would ever smoke and was very please with his answer “of course not!!!!” I do think this has always been his thoughts but its good now that he also has this visual of a smokers lung to re-enforce this attitude. I can remember seeing a smokers lungs on the Open University as a child and that impression stayed with me, it’s my opinion this should be mandatory for children to see such exhibits, what’s the point of putting pictures on “fag” packets when the damage has already started and the smoker is already hooked!!! Prevention is better than the cure but if you are already a smoker please see this exhibition, it may give you the prod you need to stop (I know its easy for me to say this being a non-smoker) Its also very interesting seeing the digestive system and there is also educational photos of the westernised diet compared with other counties (scary stuff really seeing how our diet compares very poorly with places we consider as “third world”)

27th June 2014

I have been reading “The Chimp Paradox” by Professor Steve Peters. It’s a “Mind Management Programme to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence and Happiness” recommended by Sir Chris Hoy, Vitoria Pendleton and the likes. It’s based on scientific facts and principles, which have been simplified into a workable model for easy use. It will help you to develop yourself and give you the skills, for example, to remove anxiety, have confidence and choose your emotions with the logically analytic part of your thinking process opposed to the “chimp” part which leads us all into trouble. It is fascinating and can be applied to anyone in any walk of life. Definitely worth a read if your someone who tends to fly off the handle at the slightest issue or sit there 'stewing' about things that have happened when it isn't necessary, I know quite a few people I can certainly recommend this book for. I have been eating out at my favourite Mongolian restaurant (only Mongolian restaurant I know) which is of course Khublai Khans and Frogs Legs (known as Melkhi) are on the starter menu. Really tasty morsel fried in what I believe is oats and served with white shallot cream. Once you have picked off the meat you are left with two little leg bones and can’t help wonder about the little hopper to whom they were once attached. Nice eating but thing Kangaroo haggis with its burnt whisky sauce is still me favourite starter. Crocodile is back on the menu so this is surely a good sign that the economy is recovering and people are purchasing Croc skin boots and bags again. And their Turkish Delight ice cream is …well such a delight. It’s not easy amusing a kid when the attractions of a digital lifestyle is too appealing with craving to play computer games such as Mine Craft and angry birds and my little Sam is no different. It can be hard trying to get a good balance, especially when it weather is poor outside so I have found an excellent piece of kit from Maplin which not only captures Sam’s interest, it’s also educational and practical providing a creative way to show him realistic concepts of electronics and electricity, perhaps encouraging a nerdy side of him which may help put him in good stead for future employment when he is older in what will be an even more competitive job market. I have encouraged him to follow a simplified wiring diagram with which he was able to wire up an AM Radio and so other experiments which capacitors, reid switches, resistors and other such components. He has also wired up circuits to activate LED lights, rotary fan and other such basic circuitry. It really increases his confidence after connecting lots of wires and getting rewarded seeing everything whirl and beep and light up. I have a substantial lawn to mow at the back of my house and until recent I have persevered with a simple flymo but always intended to upgrade to a petrol mower and recently as Homebase were doing a 20% off sale I took the plunge and got a 125cc self-propelled petrol mower and also a petrol strimmer too and what a great investment, cuts through my lawn (even when damp) like a hot knife through butter in a fraction of the time which the old Flymo did so I am a very happy man, and also my apple trees which I planted a few years back and now producing an edible crop of apples, just need the pear, cherry and peach trees to follow on likewise and will soon be making my own jam. The gig scene has not been very busy recently although I did see Clutch last month in Edinburgh which was fantastic, have Elton John down South and awaiting my tickets to arrive for Slash in December and also the Black Stone Cherries in Glasgow, with Still Game at the Hydro in September the year is still shaping up nicely.

Biscotti

Good Morning peeps, today is the 4th of May, a beautiful relaxing Sunday Morning. After being inspired by seeing Paul Hollywood's "get your bake on" stage show (which I attended on Tuesday at the Playhouse in Edinburgh)I had decided to try my hand making some Biscotti biscuits. These are Italian treats which date to the 13 century go great with a cup of coffee. They are very crisp and dry, hence the name Biscotti which means "Twice cooked" The traditional Italian way to take them are dipped into Vin Santo or a sweet wine. I prefer with coffee at this time in the morning :-) The ones I choose to made are Pistachio and Cranberry.

Ingredients For the biscotti base 250g plain white flour ½ tsp baking powder 250g caster sugar 2-3 medium eggs, beaten 220g shelled pistachio nuts 125g dried cranberries Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (I use a parmesan cheese grater I bought at morrisons for £2) Heat your oven to 140°C (or 160°C for a non-fan oven, which is a better option for this recipe if available). Line a baking tray with baking parchment Mix the flour, baking powder and sugar together in a bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs, a little at a time, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Continue until you have a firm dough; it may not be necessary to add all of the egg. The dough shouldn’t be at all sticky.(although on my first attempt the dough was very sticky but all still turned out ok in the end so don't worry too much) roughly chop the pistachio nuts and dried cranberries and add them to the biscotti dough with the lemon zest. Mix the flavouring ingredients in with your hands until they are evenly incorporated. Once you have added your nuts and cranberries, turn the biscotti dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently, then divide in half. Roll each piece of dough into a long log, about 4cm in diameter. Place both logs on your lined baking tray, spacing them at least 5cm apart as the mixture will spread a bit. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Leave the logs to cool on the tray for 10 minutes to allow the dough to firm up slightly, then transfer to a board. Cut the logs, on the diagonal, into 2-3cm thick slices. Place the slices, cut side up, on the baking tray. Return to the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the biscotti are dry through to the centre, turning them over halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. These biscotti keep well in an airtight container.

Sunday 27th April 2014

Well that's the end of another busy week. On Tuesday evening I attended The Cathouse Rock Club in Glasgow to watch Kvelertak perform live. Kvelertak is a Norwegian six-piece metal band from Stavanger, Norway. The group comprises vocalist Erlend Hjelvik, guitarists Vidar Landa, Bjarte Lund Rolland and Maciek Ofstad, bassist Marvin Nygaard and drummer Kjetil Gjermundrød.

Erlend came on stage with an Owl on his head!!!! That's something you don't see often but they were a very energetic band and I enjoyed the evening very much. The following Evening it was off to Glasgow again, this time the venue was the Garage to see Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. Its the second time I have seen this band as they were supporting Black Sabbath at the Hydro last year. Another really good evening. Got the first cut of the lawn done this week too!! Away with the old flymo and in with a new petrol 125cc self propelled mower and what a difference....done in less than a quarter of the time, like a hot knife through soft butter!! On Friday evening I watched Raid 2 at the Cinema. This is a Indonesian martial arts crime action film and very action packed at that. Written and directed by Gareth Evans; it is the sequel to the 2012 hit The Raid: Redemption

Saturday was another great day out with Sam going to Deep Sea World at North Queensferry.

This was followed by Lunch at Nando's, fish was certainly not on the Menu for us after visiting Deepsea world ;-) Oh...and a big thanks to my friends who presented me with a Brazilian wine "smuggled" into the uk :-) It is fortified with Catuaba which is make from the bark of a native Brazilian tree, guarana which is a fruit from the amazon and also marapuama which is again from a small tree in the amazon...all these stuff have aphrodisiac properties and apparently good for erectile dysfunction, has there been some FALSE rumours about me???...lol tastes very nice, feel strong as bull after drinking this stuff :-)

Well....now's Sunday Evening and work again tomorrow, looking forward to check how my mushrooms are growing in my desk drawer in my office....everyone needs a hobby :-)

Pão de queijo

Pão de queijo or cheese bread to us Gringos are baked balls of cheese flavoured bread which I first tried in Brazil about 12 years ago at casa do pao de queijo.

They are not hard to made but first you need to source some Tapioca flour, I found this in the health food shop but you can also order on line. Ingredients 1 cup whole milk dash of vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups (10 ounces) tapioca flour (or cassava flour which is harder to find but not impossible, The tescos in Leith Edinburgh have it at the ethnic foods part) Parmesan cheese (about 50g I use Castelli grated from ASDA for about £1.50 a packet of 50g) Equipment Mixing bowl Long-handled spoon Measuring Jug Baking Tray Oven Place the flour in the mixing bowl. make a nest in the middle of the flour then add the cup of milk, salt and 2 eggs, then add the cheese and start to stir with the spoon, once the mixture gets some body then use your hands and really kneedle the dough, when into once big ball remove from the bowl then continue to work with on a clean work surface, really stick your knuckles into the dough to get it very plyable and soft.

Break of into chunks then roll into small or medium large balls then place on an oven tray

Bake for about 25 to 30 mins at 180c/350f the outside should be golden and inside nice and soft. Pão de queijo are at their crispiest best when they're still warm from the oven.

Pre-code Comics

In America during the early 1950's, comics were resplendent with rotting corpses, severed heads, scantily clad women, monsters of all shapes and sizes. Before the US congressional witch-hunt, it was the golden age of horror.

Entertaining Comics, more commonly known as EC Comics, was an American publisher of comic books specializing in horror fiction, crime fiction, satire, military fiction and science fiction from the 1940s through the mid-1950s, notably the Tales from the Crypt series. In 1954–55, censorship pressures prompted it to concentrate on the humour magazine Mad, leading to the company's greatest and most enduring success. Initially, EC was privately owned by Maxwell Gaines and specialized in educational and child-oriented stories. Later, during its period of notoriety, it was owned by his son, William Gaines. He sold the company in 1960, and it was eventually absorbed into the same corporation that later purchased DC Comics and Warner Bros. With hundreds of stories written, common themes surfaced. Some of EC's more well-known themes were where an ordinary situation given an ironic and gruesome twist, often as poetic justice for a character's crimes. In "Collection Completed" a man takes up taxidermy in order to annoy his wife. When he kills and stuffs her beloved cat, the wife snaps and kills him, stuffing and mounting his body. In "Revulsion", a spaceship pilot is bothered by insects due to a past experience when he found one in his food. At the conclusion of the story, a giant alien insect screams in horror at finding the dead pilot in his salad. Dissection, the broiling of lobsters, Mexican jumping beans, fur coats and fishing are just a small sample of the kind of situations and objects used in this fashion. The "Grim Fairy Tale", featuring gruesome interpretations of such fairy tales as "Hansel and Gretel", "Sleeping Beauty" and "Little Red Riding Hood". Siamese twins were a popular theme, primarily in EC's three horror comics. No fewer than nine Siamese twin stories appeared in EC's horror and crime comics from 1950–1954. In an interview, Gaines speculated that he wrote so many Siamese twin stories because of the interdependence they had on each other. The three horror titles featured stories introduced by a trio of horror hosts. The Crypt Keeper introduced Tales from the Crypt, the Vault Keeper welcomed readers to The Vault of Horror and the Old Witch cackled over The Haunt of Fear. Besides gleefully recounting the unpleasant details of the stories, the characters squabbled with one another, unleashed an arsenal of puns and even insulted and taunted the readers: "Greetings, boils and ghouls..." This irreverent mockery of the audience also became the trademark attitude of Mad, and such glib give-and-take was later mimicked by many, including Stan Lee at Marvel Comics. Comics Code Authority The Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA) was formed in September 1954 in response to a widespread public concern over gory and horrific comic-book content. It named New York Magistrate Charles F. Murphy, 44, a specialist in juvenile delinquency, to head the organization and devise a self-policing "code of ethics and standards" for the industry. This code banned graphic depictions of violence and gore in crime and horror comics, as well as the sexual innuendo of what aficionados refer to as good girl art.

The CCA prohibited the presentation of "policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions ... in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority." But it added the requirements that "in every instance good shall triumph over evil" and discouraged "instances of law enforcement officers dying as a result of a criminal's activities." Specific restrictions were placed on the portrayal of kidnapping and concealed weapons. Depictions of "excessive violence" were forbidden, as were "lurid, unsavory, gruesome illustrations." Vampires, werewolves, ghouls and zombies could not be portrayed. In addition, comics could not use the words "horror" or "terror" in their titles. The use of the word "crime" was subject to numerous restrictions Some publishers thrived under these restrictions, while others adapted by canceling titles and focusing on Code-approved content, and others went out of business. In practice, the negative effect for not having CCA approval was lack of distribution from comic book wholesalers, who, as one historian observed, "served as the enforcement arm of the Comics Code Authority by agreeing to handle only those comics with the seal." Publisher William Gaines believed that clauses forbidding the words "crime", "horror", and "terror" in comic book titles had been deliberately aimed at his own best-selling titles Crime SuspenStories, The Vault of Horror, and Tales from the Crypt. These restrictions, as well as those banning vampires, werewolves, and zombies, helped make EC Comics unprofitable; all of its titles except Mad were cancelled in the year following the CCA's introduction, and attempts by EC to launch Code-friendly replacement titles were unsuccessful. Mad itself survived because Gaines had converted the publication to a magazine format, to which the Code did not apply.

28th Februrary 2014

Well that's February almost at a close, the weather is still wet and windy, even a little snow this month but the sun was shinning today (between bouts of rain)

Rocky has a new Java Tree to spend his out-of-cage time in (and not chew up my furniture)

I have been after one of these Java tree stands for a while now and looking out for on with decent branches for perches and this one seems up to the job. Rocky is still finding his way around it and the different widths of the branches are great for developing the muscles in his feet/claws ...quite natural for him (well perhaps not the rainbow coloured rope)

Was through in Glasgow last night to see the great Max Cavalera play with Soulfly

Max is the founder and frontman of Sepultura before leaving in 1996 to start up Nailbomb then later Soulfly.

Max is from Belo Horizonte in Brazil, a lot of his music has Brazilian foundations with Soulfly, the last song he wrote for Sepultura was ratamahatta which has very Brazilian native influences and it meshes together good with metal so you could tell the direction he was taking.

It was an excellent gig, the crowd were amazing and Max interacted with everyone to the trill of the crowd. The place erupted when he played "roots bloody roots" from Sepultura, even one of the security guys bodysurfed from the stage into the crowd to everyones delight who encouraged him on :-)
That was my first gig this year since Black Sabbath but have a few more lined up before the summer with include Uncle Acid and the deadbeats also a Norwegian metal band called Kvelertak (they done the soundtrack for troll hunter) in April and Clutch in May (Elton John in June down south but not want to say too much about that on this thread) The Sonisphere line up looks amazing but that's maybe not on the cards for me, download not so good but Alter Bridge is playing so that's worth something :-)

16/02/2014

Well that's another Valentine's Day over and done with on the 14th. I hope you are all "chocolated" out and wined and dinned to exhaustion and avoided these thorns on the roses. Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is observed on feb 14th each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world. St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus.  It was not until the 14th century that this Christian feast day became definitively associated with love. According to medieval scholar Henry Ansgar Kelly, author of Chaucer and the Cult of Saint Valentine, it was Chaucer who first linked St. Valentine's Day with romance, I am sure all these card shops are happy for that fact!!!!

Last week I was trialling contact lenses, sadly to say now I don't think they will be for me ;-( I can get them in (after a good few attempts) but getting them out is another question. I have been attempting to get them in and out at work and with all the poking and prodding my eyes started to look like I was an extra on the walking dead, on Wednesday I just could not get them out at all, had to nip away from the office and across the road into Boots  opticians at the Gyle shopping centre were the girl "flicked" them out no bother at all so it looks like the problem is ME!!! I have been told that Laser surgery in an option for me so think I shall go down this line later this year and get a consultation. Peeps at my work have had it done and recommend it so guess I better sort this out.

I got a Pasta Attachment for my Kenwood Chef so now make my own Pasta nice and fresh, I am already making tasty Pesto with Basil and Pine nuts so fresh pasta tastes great with fresh pesto :-)

The pasta maker is robust and worked perfectly i made the pasta mix exactly as instructed , like bread crumbs, and feeding it carefully into the machine as instructed it turned out perfectly. i had used my duck eggs so the pasta was a very rich yellow. gorgeous! it tasted much better than dried pasta and cooked in half the time.

31st January 2014

Well that's the last day of the month and what a long month January always seems!! Even a little bit snow in the air today so don't lock away the sledges yet!

Went for an eye test yesterday, 4 years have passed since the last one, I know it should be ever 2 year but the time passes so quickly. My right eye remains the same but left is slightly worse, considering contacts if I can get over that creepy feeling of touching my eye balls so going back in next week for a "tester" Also considering the option of Laser Surgery later this year, someone described what happens at my work and it sounded like a scene from the movie "Saw" so lets see (no pun intended)

Let me introduce you to my new little friend.....

I am drinking this concoction twice a day now!!
Its Acai powder, red wine extract, spirullina, Siberian ginseng, wheatgrass powder, alfalfa grass, pomegranate seed, beetroot powder and oat fibre ...a glass of this twice a day will keep the cold away...tastes like Miss Piggy's lips after she went down on Kermit ...yuck According to the website this is jam-packed with anti-oxidants, Aminos and will boast my health and slow the aging process (personally I think I look OK for 89)
Its got lumps in it like drinking from  barr's bottle after your Grannie's had a slug...but....well...lets see if this will turn me into the Peter Pan of Falkirk. Makes going for a pee more interesting, between that and the beetroot juice its like putting your hand in a bag of wine gums...you don't know what colour is going to come out!!!!

Got a mean machine yesterday....also know as a Kenwood Classic Major Kitchen Machine!!!! Now I can save my labour pounding out the dough for coxinhas...happy days!!!!

Dentist today, check up and the hygienist..All well with a clean bill of health...the hygienist also commented on the lack of tartar build-up on these big hard to reach back molars, money well spent on the water flosser me thinks :-)

Gentleman Jack "Rockfist" Dormer

RIP Jack, knew this Gentleman since I was a teenager, he installed good manners, ethics, discipline and much much more into so many of us when we were kids, always love you Jackie, you were like a second father and always there for us all
Jack 76, passed away peacefully at the Larbert Hospital on the morning of Monday July 23rd 2012 after a long illness.
As a boxer, Jack fought for the old Woodside ABC in Falkirk and had a career spanning over 540 bouts, 14 years as Scottish Internationalist representing Scotland all over Europe and beyond. Such was his reputation for his tenacious fighting spirit and punching power with both hands, when boxing in Ireland the locals bestowed upon him the nickname ‘Rockfist Dormer’.
At the height of his powers he went on an incredible winning streak of 16 consecutive wins all by KO or TKO. After initially retiring at the age of 32, he returned 4 years later only to find himself, as a former welter and light middle weight, having to face light heavyweights in an attempt to secure bouts as his natural welter weight opponents were wary of his fearsome reputation.
Despite his incredible fighting spirit Jack was the complete gentleman outside the square ring and the man had a smile for all who had the pleasure of knowing him and who met him. His vast knowlegde of the Noble Art was invaluable and he became coach and mentor to many who boxed for the old Bannockburn ABC. Jack produced  champions at all levels in the process becoming a father figure to so many more. He instilled discipline and respect into all his members and was known for clamping down on anyone using bad language, a strict no-no in Mr Dormer’s gym. This was a trait that his senior boxers and closest gym members would give him a ribbing for. He also had that unique quality of being able to make the hard work enjoyable and fun.
Despite not being affiliated to Amateur Boxing Scotland for several years he continued to run the Bannockburn ABC as a keep fit/boxercise club but was seen less and less at the gym as his health deteriorated.
His name and legacy will be carried on as his former boxers continue to coach at various clubs and his memory will forever be cherished and in their thoughts.

Myself and several other ex boxers and coaches wishing to thank Jack for everything he did for us and that he will be sadly missed by us all.

Chicken cooked in its own blood (galinha à cabidela or galinha de cabidela)

A few years back in Rio I was in a farmhouse where I tasted the most flavorful, heavenly and  delicious meal I ever had!!!
Its called galinha à cabidela or to us Gringos its Chicken cooked in its own blood!!! Not for the faint hearted (or veggies) out there, before you inform the RSPCA on me I can reassure you I have not prepared this dish the traditional way at home....mainly because I could never slaughter a live chicken, I would simple bond with it and be best of friends but there is a way around this (no...no ACME roadrunner type products) I have since learnt I can use Black pudding (with a high blood count if possible) as a substitute for the raw chicken blood and use a pre-plucked supermarket (or better still, farmer's market) chicken or even better still get some chicken livers from morrisons and drain off the blood and liquidise some of the livers.

 RECIPE - Chicken Cabidela
Serves 4

1 large roasting chicken - 3.5 lbs. (1.5 kgs) - cut into serving pieces
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sweet paprika powder
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
2 chopped large tomatoes
1 chopped and seeded green bell pepper
2 chopped medium onions
1/2 cup chopped Coriander
1/2 cup chopped green onion, green portion only
1 cup chicken blood (with 2 Tbsp. vinegar added to prevent coagulation) Or see my solution above
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Season the chicken pieces with the salt, paprika and pepper to taste. Place chicken in large heavy saucepan, add just enough water to cover, bring to boil over medium high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is just tender but not falling off the bone. Remove from heat and reserve.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy frying pan, add the tomatoes, green pepper, onions, coriander, green onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Do not let the onions and garlic brown.

In the large sauce pan, combine the sauteed vegetables with the reserved chicken and "blood". Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and let cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces from the broth and reserve. Continue to cook the "blood" over medium high heat for approximately 10 minutes, or until it slightly reduces and thickens into a sauce.

Reduce heat to low, add the chicken blood to the sauce, and cook for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch with the egg yolk, lightly beaten. Off heat, slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce to prevent lumps, stirring constantly. Return the sauce to heat briefly to thicken and to remove starchy taste. Then add the reserved chicken pieces, heat thoroughly and serve immediately.

Now if you are braver than me and want to make this real...then...

1. It’s best to have 3 people to slaughter the chicken; One to hold the chicken down. One to slice the neck, and the other to capture the blood. Once the blood is finished draining, the chicken will likely stop moving. (As we needed to collect the blood, we didn’t allow it to run around. The chicken is still alive for a few minutes after you cut its head off, hence the famous expression:  ’Running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off”.

 

2. Drain the blood in a jar with finger of white vinegar to sterilize and add flavor. 

3. Boil water in a large pot. Dunk the chicken in the hot water to loosen the feathers. Carefully pluck them, slowly but sternly so you don’t rip all the skin. It’s best to do it one feather at a time.

 

4. Clean away any dirt from the feet, and the outer layer of yellow skin.

 

5. Hold the chicken over an open flame to scorch off any remaining hairs.

 

6. Begin to break down the carcass, beginning at the waste hole (butt hole, if you will, I don’t know how to say this nicely). Cut into it going vertically from the bottom to the neck, being careful to avoid cutting the waste bag or piercing any of the inside digestive organs. Remove inedible organs like the intestines (you’ll want to keep the stomach, bang it with the knife to loosen the contents, cut it open and clean it out, peel away the outside blue-purple skin —this was my favorite part to eat, very tender, then livers and the heart which I think are more familiar to most). There is a bright green bag that you should discard and take care to avoid puncturing.  if you puncture this sac, you will have ruined the whole chicken. Once all the insides are out, it begins to look a lot like a chicken you can find in Chinatown.

 

7. When breaking down the meat, be sure each piece has bone left on it, to ensure there is the most flavor, even breaking bones if necessary. For example, the breasts she cut in half, leaving the ribs attached.

 

8. Cover broken down chicken with vinegar, salt and warm water, drain, then cover with cold water.

 

9. Slice two onions and begin to fry slowly in a large pot. Drain the chicken and pat dry, add a few splashes of vinegar (this is used to disinfect over and over through the process, but also adds flavor). Toss the chicken with salt, white pepper, black pepper, 7 crushed garlic cloves, and a few bay leaves.

 

10. When the onions begin to soften and brown slightly, add the chicken to the pot. Once browned, cover with water, cover the pot and allow to cook for an hour or so on medium low heat (the water should be simmering, not boiling).

 

11. remove chicken from cooking liquid, add rice. if you need more water to cook the rice, add it, and season. Once rice is almost cooked (10-15 minutes later) add the chicken back in, stir in the blood and cook slowly until the rice has finished cooking. (The blood is pretty crucial to the recipe. It adds a cinnamon flavor and richness to the dish, similar to blood sausage. The meat itself was very tender; we killed the chicken and ate it the same day.)

 

If you can do this then by all means, invite me to dinner, but I shall tell you now...You will never be pet-sitting my parrot when I go on holiday ;-)

 

28th January 2014

The weather had been very dreich these days. I wake up for work but just want to scurry back to bed after I look out the window. I think I may make "Dreich" my work for today...A combination of dull, overcast, drizzly, cold, misty and miserable weather. At least 4 of the above adjectives must apply before the weather is truly dreich


Started alternating my Cardio work with my resistance training in the gym, apparently each type of training released different growth hormones and disrupt the genes for anabolism!!! in laymen's terms endurance and resistance training combined in the same session sends "mixed signals" to the muscles. For years I have done lots of cardio before weights so this is going to be interesting. Also attempting to train on an empty stomach now instead of taking lots of carbs, instead I am taking 300mg caffeine, 250mg of Guarana extract mixed with water and 5-6 grams of the amino acid Leucine which goes directly into the bloodstream to fuel the muscles before training then a whey based protein drink after training, attempting a smarter approach to training now and leaving the ego (and hopefully the injuries) at home.

Got a new oven delivered this week so going to be installing his myself so Falkirk beware, the lights may go out tonight!!!  May need to take a few precautions for the first few times of use as I have an African Grey parrot so may need to keep the windows open for the first week using this oven for any toxic fumes.

 

 

 

"idiot's" guide to Heavy Metal

 

 

 

 

For non-metallers who have never ridden the lightning or reigned in blood, the world of heavy metal can seem impenetrable. Clearly, as we head into yet another big summer of metal festivals, some kind of idiot's guide is needed, if only to help people distinguish shredding and cymbal chokes.

 

Bach: the first headbanger

Black Sabbath are often hailed as the first heavy metal act, although you will meet smartarses who claim that Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love (1969), the Beatles Helter Skelter (1968) or Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze (1967) was the first heavy metal track. Skip them all and say: "Actually, much of the virtuoso playing is inspired by classical artists, which makes Bach the world's first headbanger." From then on, heavy metal just got louder. And faster. Then louder and faster still. This reached a peak with death metal, where rhythms could hit 350bpm before anyone in the band had time to say: "Why?"

 

Hair is everything

Bloggers have plotted a link between Metallica's barnet lengths and the quality of their rock over the duration of their career. Clearly, hair is crucial. If it isn't long, you may as well sound like James Blunt. Classic metal fashion sticks to boots, denim and a tattoo - of a skull, a weird beast, or even the skull of a weird beast. Other styles can involve piercings, corpsepaint (for that been-dead-a-year look) and looking like you've just escaped from Middle Earth. Although personally I prefer to blend into the world of bland people so I keep my hair short, don't have any tattoos and wear clothes bought from Marks and Spencers :-)

 

For some, AC/DC are the ultimate heavy metal act, their 1980 album Back in Black a high watermark of the genre; there was even an exhibition in Glasgow charting their formative years. But for others, AC/DC aren't a heavy metal act at all, they're a classic rock band - and calling them heavy metal is an act of treachery. In the age of economic and environmental meltdown, it's good to know some people still feel strongly about these things.

 AC/DC may have remained impervious to trends over their 36 years together, but heavy metal itself now consists of so many offshoots and technical terms, it can feel as if there's a grindcore gig going off inside your head. Grindcore? Well, that's an extreme form of death metal. Death metal? Well, that's the next step on from thrash. Thrash? Well - look, you get the picture.

 

Personally I think if you are new to Heavy Metal then start off with Alter Bridge's Fortress album or any of Gun 'n Roses (you will be surprised the amount of tunes you already recognise and enjoy)

Glossary

Headbanging There are 17 types, according to Wikipedia, from the "circular swing" and "drunk style" to "the whiplash" and the "two-up-two-down". Our advice? Just shake your head a bit. You're bound to land on one of them.

 

Shredding Playing mind-bogglingly difficult guitar solos at a frankly ridiculous, breakneck speed (without needing surgery to sew your fingers back together).

 

Blast beats Technique used by extreme metal bands like Napalm Death, whereby kickdrum, snare and cymbals are played at a frankly ridiculous, breakneck speed (you may sense a pattern emerging).

 

Death growl The ability to make your singing resemble a dozen water buffalo being tortured with blunt instruments. Not something to play to grandma. Or pretty much anyone.

 

Cymbal choke The art of grabbing one's cymbal straight after whacking it, for added emphasis. Because you know how cymbals need added emphasis.

 

Power chord Simple chord that is based on one interval (normally the root and the fifth). It is easy to play hard, with lots of distortion, at a frankly ridiculous breakneck speed.

 

Devil horns Raising the index and little finger is the international symbol that you are Ready To Rock.

 

Metalhead Someone who doesn't need this guide.

 

Bands to namecheck

There are approximately 12,634,735 heavy metal bands. And that's just in Liechtenstein. We haven't got time to trawl through all their histories, so here are some key facts about the five most seminal heavy metal acts.

 

Black Sabbath Found live bats tasty. Enjoyed rocking out. Classic album: Paranoid.

 

Iron Maiden Have a mascot called Eddie, who is also fond of rocking out. Classic album: The Number of the Beast.

 

Judas Priest Lead singer Rob Halford was the first mainstream heavy metal star to come out. He was not the first to rock out, though. Classic album: British Steel.

 

Metallica Went to war with their own fans over file-sharing. But still found time to rock out. Classic album: Master of Puppets.

 

Slayer Have a fascination with the Nazis - and rocking out. Classic album: Reign in Blood.

 

Those tricky genres

Metal has more offshoots than Freudian theory and Star Trek put together. These are the big ones ...

 

NWOBHM Stands for New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which became popular at the start of the 1980s when bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon and Motörhead beefed up their sound in response to punk (which was making metal look a bit pants). NWOBHM is loud, aggressive and quite possibly the least catchy genre name in the history of music. What not to say: "I'm a big fan of Nwobbum, me."

 

Thrash metal Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer took NWOBHM's template and made it harder, faster and nastier. The result was the very opposite of hair metal (see below). What not to say: "Do you lot not have something a bit more, you know, acoustic-y?"

 

Death metal Based on thrash, death makes good use of the blast beat and the death growl, along with lyrics about gore, mutilation, torture and more gore. What not to say: "I can't really see that one about a zombie massacre cracking the top 20."

 

Black metal For those who think death metal is a bit too heavy on the giggles. Extremely nihilistic and featuring an inexplicable number of bands from Norway, black metal is down with paganism, Satan and the wearing of corpsepaint. The fact that it was associated with murders and church burnings (in Norway) in the 1990s didn't do much for its image. What not to say: "Lighten up, guys, it's sunny outside."

 

Hardcore Although sonically similar to thrash, hardcore is more political and based within the DIY punk community. Lots of cores have emerged in its wake, such as metalcore, deathcore, post-hardcore, grindcore, Nardcore, thrashcore, Christian hardcore. What not to say: "Any fans of applecore here?"

 

Doom You know how we said metal just got louder and faster over the decades? Pretend you never read that. Doom is an extremely slow, sludgy and dense kind of metal. It's all about atmospherics, you see. That and dislodging vital organs. There are many types of doom: epic doom, funeral doom, drone doom, stoner doom, and doom de doom (OK, I made that one up). What not to say: "Doom - is that the computer game? I once got to level six!"

 

Hair metal Inspired by 1970s glam bands, hair metal acts like Mötley Crüe and W.A.S.P focused on big melodies, drinking their own weight in booze and looking like, to borrow a phrase from those days, a bit of a wally. What not to say: "Final Countdown by Europe? Metal doesn't get much heavier than that."

 

Nu metal Bands such as Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach and Linkin Park combined their metal with grunge, funk and what is known in musicologist circles as terrible, terrible rapping. What not to say: "Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst really summed up the anxieties and fears of a lost generation. He was so much more than just a middle-aged man in long shorts grunting."

 

Prog metal This adopts the bonkers time signatures, technical prowess and geeky lyrical references that made progressive rock so, well, progressive. Mastodon's recent album, Crack the Skye, incorporates ukuleles, Stephen Hawking references and a four-section symphony about tsarist Russia. What not to say: "Can you not just play this one in 4/4?"

 

Comedy metal Because a lot of metal is obviously quite ludicrous (grown men growling loudly about orcs, for instance), it has leant itself to affectionate parody. Often - as in the case of the recent Anvil! movie - the lines between comedy and reality are pretty thin. See also Spinal Tap, Jack Black and the Darkness. Oh, the Darkness weren't joking? Oops. What not to say: "Those Napalm Death guys are just so funny!"

 

Other genres: symphonic metal, sludge metal, stoner metal, drone metal, ambient metal, viking metal, power metal, groove metal, glam metal, gothic metal, alternative metal, aluminium, copper, zinc, tin, alloy, and carbon fibre.

 

So there you have it. Next time you find yourself in a room full of hardened rockers with Pantera lyrics tattooed down their necks, simply raise your devil horns, growl a bit of grindcore and recite your favourite (and only) Judas Priest fact. And when they start grilling you on the finer points of Stormtroopers of Death's back catalogue ... just run away. Fast.

Coxinhas

Coxinha are a Brazilian treat - delicious balls of chicken (or cheese or even miced beef) that have been shaped into a drumstick or ball, battered and fried.
They're easy to eat on the go, they're a meal unto themselves, they have a unique appearance (simulated drumstick), and most importantly, they are deep fried and delicious!

Taa..raaaa

to make the coxinhas (my Gringo way)

• 3 chicken breast fillets  (or meat off the chicken leg is very good too, richer meat as more red fibres) 
• 1 litre chicken stock (cube is fine) I used Knor 
• 1 small onion (chopped fine)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 375 ml milk
• 50 grams butter
• 450 grams plain flour
• 1 small handful fresh parsley
• 3 spring onions (green part only)
• salt                                                           
• pepper                                                          

to fry

• 2 litres vegetable oil
• 250 ml milk
• 200 grams very fine breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg

 

1. Poach the chicken breasts in the chicken stock in a saucepan until cooked; this will take around 15 minutes, but do check they are cooked through. Remove from liquid and let cool. (I used a pressure cooker for this)
2. While the chicken is cooking, fry the chopped onion and garlic in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Remove some of the chicken stock, so that only 375ml / 1½ cups remains and then add the 375ml / 1½ cups milk along with the butter, and melt the butter in the liquid in the pan then slowly beat in the flour and cook just for a few minutes until the dough begins to come together and also come away from the sides of the pan as you stir. Turn the dough out onto a plate and leave until it's cool enough to handle comfortably.
4. While you're waiting for the dough to cool, finely chop the chicken, parsley and spring onions, add salt and pepper to taste and leave this finely chopped mixture while you get on with the dough.
5. Do not flour a surface, but simply knead the dough until it is smooth and bouncy (about 10 minutes), and then pinch off walnut sized lumps of dough, roll them into a ball and then flatten into discs with a slight lip at the edges
6. Take these rounds and add a wee teaspoon of chopped chicken and bring up the edges, all around, so that you have a ball, which you coax with your fingers into a bulbous pear shape. Place on a lined baking sheet and get on with the rest.
7. Heat the oil, (I used a Breville Deep Fat fryer) 180ºC/350ºF. You don't really need a cooking thermometer: simply add a tiny ball of dough and if it starts fizzling straight away, and rising goldenly to the top of the pan instantly, the oil is hot enough. But while you wait for it to heat up, dip the coxinhas....
8. Beat the egg with the 125ml / ½ cup milk in one dish; tip the very fine breadcrumbs into another. Dip the coxinhas first into the egg mixture then into the sandy breadcrumbs, making sure they are well covered, then leave on a lined baking sheet.
9. When the oil is hot enough, deep-fry the coxinhas, about 5 at a time, until they are gorgeously golden, in about 2 minutes'  time. Remove to a baking sheet lined with kitchen paper.
10. If you wish, you can keep your cooked coxhinas warm in a 120ºC/250ºF oven while you continue with the rest.

You can also use cheese instead of chicken or use both separately (make the cheese ones round so you know the difference if you are inviting veggie guests to dinner) Add a squeeze of lime to the filling for extra flavor  

Sunday 12th January

well that's another weekend over and back to the grindstone tomorrow morning.

The good new is that it looks like the recession is over, I saw the grass roots of the economic recovery at the weekend when I dinned at my fav restaurant Khubla Khans as Crocodile is back on the menu!!! Yes folks...people are buying Croc skin bags and boots again some more of these beats are being slaughtered and the meat is back in the table!!!!

Just been listening to Mind Control Album by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats (they supported Black Sabbath last month in Glasgow) Fantastic music, they are described as "English psychedelic doom band from Cambridge, heavily influenced by the late 1960s when heavy metal was then emerging. Allmusic praised the band's ability to recreate a particular aspect of this era, describing the band as "celebrating the Summer of Love's soul-chilling autumn: a blasted landscape, post-flower power, resembling Altamont's killing fields, reeking of the Manson Family murders, and, naturally, sounding like a mish-mash of all of the apocalyptic musical forces that converged upon that era."
The band has been metaphorically described as "the original Alice Cooper band jamming in a cell with early Black Sabbath and the Stooges".In order to replicate the sound of that era, the band uses vintage instruments and recording equipment. "    I already have my tickets to see them again later this year :-)

Finished watching season 2 of American Horror Story, slow start but the ending linked everything up...damn good program!! Watched The Internship with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson tonight, its OK...lets just leave it at that.

Bought a nice big Deep Fryer today, going to try my hand at making some Coxinhas soon!! they are Brazilian Chicken Croquettes, with post the recipe if all turns out well!!! also frango ao molho pardo is on the cards, plenty of culinary plans this year...more later :-)

 

Little Update

Well that's 2014 in full swing now.
Returned to the gym a couple of days ago after a 15 day lay off and its such hard work getting back into the pace, going to concentrate more on cardio this year with some light resistance training as nursing a Rotary Cuff so going to pound out on the treadmill and stretch more.

The year did not have the best start as my little Chinchilla passed away a couple of nights ago. He was 12 and I had him since he was a tiny baby. The end was quite fast and he never suffered much. He had not been eating very well for a couple of days and when I returned home from work on the Thursday night he was propping himself up against his feeding bowl. I took him out of the cage, Got a box filled with hay and had him beside me gently comforting him when he passed away just before mid-night. I felt very sad losing my little furry buddy, he was such a tame little guy and I already miss him so much when I walk into the room and he is not jumping around his cage begging for a raisen treat, Miss you Buzz boy :-(

Rocky my African Grey is doing fine and very vocal these days. This summer he will be celebrating his second hatchday (birthday from emerging from his egg)
Just before the New Year he was on my shoulder cosying up when he accidently pecked me bluntly in the eye. It was bloody sore, no damage, he flew off my shoulder and when I was rubbing my eye with my head down he started shouting "are you ok?" I swear to God!! Uncanny or what!!!! It always amazes me how these little guys can use words in context!! In the morning we says good morning and at night before he climbs up to the top spar to roost he shouts good night...lol amazes me!! His intelligence was really took off since I have changed his diet to primary pellets and daily greens and veg only using nuts and seeds as a twice weekly treat and also the UVA lighting. He is becoming to clever for his boots, lets see how the terrible twos goes this year!! The notorious 2 year old period for parrots :-)

I uploaded a posting about a documentary I watched called "Blackfish" I urge everyone to watch this documentary or at least get the gist on YouTube....its an eye opener !!!!

Getting more and more into cooking these days!! Became a huge fan of Heston Blumental and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. (its one of this years goals for me to eat in Heston's Fat Duck restaurant)
I am becoming more adventurous will my cooking and sourcing stuff from the farmers market in Stirling and the surrounding areas, I will be posting some recipies soon. Also upgraded my old 3.5 litre slow cooker to a new 8 litre one so producing even more Feijorda (see previous posts)

Well I had finished season 9 of The Office (US) which was slow starting but got on track and a great ending. Also finished season 6 of the Big Bang Theory which was just great and watched back to back. I really post write more about this soon :-)

Was at the Black Sabbath concert in the Hydro in Glasgow last month which was just awesome!! Supported by Uncle Acid and the Dead Beats :-) really good show!! A couple of concerts already lines up for next year too :-)

Attended a High School reunion November last year. It was amazing seeing some guys and girls again who I have not seen for over 25 years!! Reminds me how lucky I was in my childhood having such great people in my life then.

 

 

 

New Year

Happy New Year

blwyddyn newydd dda, Chúc Mừng Nǎm Mới, naya sal Mubarak, yeni yılınız kutlu olsun, losar tashi delek, สวัสดีปีใหม่, gott nytt år, feliz año Nuevo, srečno novo leto, bliadhna mhath ur, szczęśliwego nowego roku, laimīgu Jauno gadu, あけまして　おめでとう　ございます, boldog új évet, Frohes neues Jahr, feliĉan novan jaron, 新年快乐, عام سعيد,

 

Celebrating the end of 2013

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and celebrated Hogmanay in style where ever you are and that 2014 brings much happiness, love and joy to us all.

New Years day was the first blank page of a 365 page book. Let’s all write a good one. 