It’s an occasional habit of mine to tune into Radio Caroline between 8 and 9 in the morning. Always a few nuggets in an eclectic mix and the occasional gem.
This morning’s nuggets included:
Clapton/Motherless Child
Dylan/Just Like a Woman
Paul Simon/Love Me Like a Rock
Blood, Sweat & Tears/You Made Me So Very Happy (borderline nugget - they can do much better)
Fleetwoods/Rhiannon
The gem was Sparks/Amateur Hour – not one I would normally have picked from among the more illustrious company above, but I certainly enjoyed the listen.
Friday 26 January 2007
Thursday 25 January 2007
Wrongsiders
For those who are unfamiliar with the place, the centre of Brussels is very compact and clearly-defined, in the shape of an elongated pentagon, about 3km long by 2km across. It is surrounded by a dual carriageway, the inner ring or petite ceinture. Around this are ranged the other Communes, 19 in all, which make up the city.
The main axes run roughly Northeast-Southwest: the railway, which is underground through most of the centre; what used to be the main shopping thoroughfare, now very much gone to seed; and the Canal, which runs along one side of the pentagon. Half the city, including all the centre, lies on the Southeastern side of the Canal
As far as expats are concerned, and probably many native Bruxellois, the part of the city beyond the Canal is unexplored territory. They whizz through it (mostly under it) on their way to the Coast, and they may tentatively venture into it to visit the Atomium and the amenities that surround it in the Heysel complex, like the National Stadium, the Exhibition Centre and the big cinema complex there. But live there? No way.
I’d hazard a guess that, of the Anglophone expats in Brussels and the surrounding areas, less than 5% live on the ‘wrong side’ of the Canal. The Bulletin, the weekly magazine that caters to this market, will have upwards of 100 ads for accommodation in each issue, of which maybe 2 will be for the unfashionable bit.
This vast majority don’t know what they’re missing. The ‘wrong side’ can be endlessly invigorating and surprising. I’ve lived there 16 years, and I’m continually making pleasant discoveries. Maybe I’ll post them from time to time.
The main axes run roughly Northeast-Southwest: the railway, which is underground through most of the centre; what used to be the main shopping thoroughfare, now very much gone to seed; and the Canal, which runs along one side of the pentagon. Half the city, including all the centre, lies on the Southeastern side of the Canal
As far as expats are concerned, and probably many native Bruxellois, the part of the city beyond the Canal is unexplored territory. They whizz through it (mostly under it) on their way to the Coast, and they may tentatively venture into it to visit the Atomium and the amenities that surround it in the Heysel complex, like the National Stadium, the Exhibition Centre and the big cinema complex there. But live there? No way.
I’d hazard a guess that, of the Anglophone expats in Brussels and the surrounding areas, less than 5% live on the ‘wrong side’ of the Canal. The Bulletin, the weekly magazine that caters to this market, will have upwards of 100 ads for accommodation in each issue, of which maybe 2 will be for the unfashionable bit.
This vast majority don’t know what they’re missing. The ‘wrong side’ can be endlessly invigorating and surprising. I’ve lived there 16 years, and I’m continually making pleasant discoveries. Maybe I’ll post them from time to time.
Stoemp and sausage with onion gravy
So let’s start with my take on a typically Belgian dish – Which involves Oxo cubes.
Incidentally, if you venture into deepest Wallonia, you might find stoemp referred to as ratatouille, or ‘ratas’. Don’t be misled.
You could use any sausages, I suppose. I prefer saucisse de Toulouse or others with a chunky filling.
I tend to move things back and forth between the hob and the oven, because it’s the best way I know to get the sausages evenly browned. You could just use the pan.
Put a couple of sausages per person on to fry in a little oil. When you’ve turned them once, add one large or one-and-a-half medium onions peeled, halved through the root end and sliced as thinly as you can manage. Cook and cook and cook on a lowish heat, stirring occasionally and turning the sausages.
You know how difficult it is to cook the convex and concave bits? Here’s where the oven comes in. Transfer a sausage from the pan to a plate, shove a couple of cocktail sticks in one of the cooked sides, and skewer the other one on top. You can now put these on a baking tray with one of the curved sides uppermost. Tip the half-cooked onions onto the tray and let them continue in the oven, turning the sausages the other way up after about 10 minutes.
When everything is looking reasonably done (the onions should be soft and golden, or heading that way), transfer the onions back to the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Try not to have any surplus oil. When there are signs of fairly vigorous cooking, crumble in an Oxo cube, stir briefly, then pour in about a third of a bottle of brown beer (Maredsous, Grimbergen, Chimay rouge .. ). It will of course bubble and froth, then quickly reduce to a nice thick gravy. Add the sausages to warm through and turn the heat down to minimal until you’re ready to serve.
Now the stoemp, which you will in fact have prepared while all this was going on. You’ll have to decide what flavour you want. Could be carrot, cabbage or sprouts, leek, broccoli, celeriac or celery leaves – the choice is enormous. A ‘proper’ stoemp will have only one addition, but hey. The potatoes must be ‘frites’ or ‘puree’, NOT ‘chair ferme’ or ‘assez ferme’. Count, say, 2 big or 3 medium p.p. and as much veg as you would have in a regular serving.
If you’re using leafy veg, shred it finely and steam on maximum heat for 5 minutes, to be added to the potato when it’s cooked and mashed. If you’re using root veg, just pile it into the steamer with the potato, cut into smallish chunks and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Mash the potatoes with a hand masher in a big bowl, adding a knob of butter, salt and pepper. If you can stand the worry, finish off by beating with a wooden spoon. It is at this stage you mix in any pre-cooked green veg, as well as the final (optional) flourish – a handful of crispy fried onions, which you should be able find in your local supermarket.
Since the mixture will have cooled a bit by now, pop it back in the oven to warm through, pour yourself the rest of that beer and … enjoy.
Incidentally, if you venture into deepest Wallonia, you might find stoemp referred to as ratatouille, or ‘ratas’. Don’t be misled.
You could use any sausages, I suppose. I prefer saucisse de Toulouse or others with a chunky filling.
I tend to move things back and forth between the hob and the oven, because it’s the best way I know to get the sausages evenly browned. You could just use the pan.
Put a couple of sausages per person on to fry in a little oil. When you’ve turned them once, add one large or one-and-a-half medium onions peeled, halved through the root end and sliced as thinly as you can manage. Cook and cook and cook on a lowish heat, stirring occasionally and turning the sausages.
You know how difficult it is to cook the convex and concave bits? Here’s where the oven comes in. Transfer a sausage from the pan to a plate, shove a couple of cocktail sticks in one of the cooked sides, and skewer the other one on top. You can now put these on a baking tray with one of the curved sides uppermost. Tip the half-cooked onions onto the tray and let them continue in the oven, turning the sausages the other way up after about 10 minutes.
When everything is looking reasonably done (the onions should be soft and golden, or heading that way), transfer the onions back to the pan and turn the heat up to medium. Try not to have any surplus oil. When there are signs of fairly vigorous cooking, crumble in an Oxo cube, stir briefly, then pour in about a third of a bottle of brown beer (Maredsous, Grimbergen, Chimay rouge .. ). It will of course bubble and froth, then quickly reduce to a nice thick gravy. Add the sausages to warm through and turn the heat down to minimal until you’re ready to serve.
Now the stoemp, which you will in fact have prepared while all this was going on. You’ll have to decide what flavour you want. Could be carrot, cabbage or sprouts, leek, broccoli, celeriac or celery leaves – the choice is enormous. A ‘proper’ stoemp will have only one addition, but hey. The potatoes must be ‘frites’ or ‘puree’, NOT ‘chair ferme’ or ‘assez ferme’. Count, say, 2 big or 3 medium p.p. and as much veg as you would have in a regular serving.
If you’re using leafy veg, shred it finely and steam on maximum heat for 5 minutes, to be added to the potato when it’s cooked and mashed. If you’re using root veg, just pile it into the steamer with the potato, cut into smallish chunks and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Mash the potatoes with a hand masher in a big bowl, adding a knob of butter, salt and pepper. If you can stand the worry, finish off by beating with a wooden spoon. It is at this stage you mix in any pre-cooked green veg, as well as the final (optional) flourish – a handful of crispy fried onions, which you should be able find in your local supermarket.
Since the mixture will have cooled a bit by now, pop it back in the oven to warm through, pour yourself the rest of that beer and … enjoy.
What is Basse Cuisine?
It's the opposite of haute cuisine, of course. No-nonsense food.
Some things, I've been cooking for so long I've run out of ways to improve them. You're very welcome to share my tips and techniques. A few words of warning: I'm not necessarily very precise on quantites. I'm a great fan of cooking slowly. And I believe that a steamer is a cook's best friend - if you haven't got one you'll have to boil and guess.
While the point of this is to produce international dishes with local ingredients, one or two may include British specialities. Oxo cubes, for example. Have them shipped from the UK or get them in Stonemanor, but be sure you have them in your storecupboard
Some things, I've been cooking for so long I've run out of ways to improve them. You're very welcome to share my tips and techniques. A few words of warning: I'm not necessarily very precise on quantites. I'm a great fan of cooking slowly. And I believe that a steamer is a cook's best friend - if you haven't got one you'll have to boil and guess.
While the point of this is to produce international dishes with local ingredients, one or two may include British specialities. Oxo cubes, for example. Have them shipped from the UK or get them in Stonemanor, but be sure you have them in your storecupboard
Today seemed as good a day as any
Penultimate day of my week-long congé de maladie, which translates as ‘illness holiday’.
I'm definitely on the mend, the most evident remaining symptom is a voice that belongs to somebody else.
My tastebuds are functioning at about 25%, which is an improvement, since I haven’t tasted anything since Saturday. Downside of a cold this bad is that everything tastes like mud, upside is that I can eat things that taste like mud anyway and not tell the difference. I'm saving a fortune by subsisting on budget-brand pasta concoctions, with industrial quantities of fruit to counteract the damage.
I'm definitely on the mend, the most evident remaining symptom is a voice that belongs to somebody else.
My tastebuds are functioning at about 25%, which is an improvement, since I haven’t tasted anything since Saturday. Downside of a cold this bad is that everything tastes like mud, upside is that I can eat things that taste like mud anyway and not tell the difference. I'm saving a fortune by subsisting on budget-brand pasta concoctions, with industrial quantities of fruit to counteract the damage.
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