Forever Rumpole – a wonderful read
Forever Rumpole contains what John Mortimer described as the best of the Rumpole stories. Fourteen stories, the first published in 1978, the last in 2004 together with the text of the last, unfinished, story – Rumpole and the Brave New World.
Mortimer had a truly unique style of writing and great powers of description …
I didn’t sleep well that night. Whether it was the Majestic mattress, which appeared to be stuffed with firewood, or the sounds, as of a giant suffering from indigestion, which reverberated from the central heating, or mere anxiety about the case, I don’t know. At any rate Albert and I were down in the cells as soon as they opened.
Mortimer was an excellent raconteur with a fund of stories to tell. His after dinner speeches were legendary and Anne Mallalieu, who worked with him for many years, describes a dinner where he had an audience of over a thousand people in the palm of his hand, a gift given to a very few.
I had a wonderful time with Rumpole, going to and from the Bailey, Wormwood Scrubs, meeting his most valued clients the Timsons, going home to Hilda, She Who Must be Obeyed, at 25B Froxbury Mansions in Gloucester Road, having a drink in Pommeroy’s Wine Bar, and getting to meet his colleagues Miss Phillida Trant, Claude Erskine-Brown and Uncle Tom among many others.
This book is an excellent bedtime read, it will send you asleep in a good humour!
To find out much more about Rumpole here is an excellent website
Forever Rumpole is published by Penguin Viking ISBN 978 0 670 91936-9
Reviewed by Philippa Green, contributing author
Handmade Bespoke Cakes with a Jamaican Flavour for any Occasion
For us www.crumbsnall.co.uk hits all the right buttons, no hydrogenated fats, no artificial flavourings or colourings, handmade. All natural and Sonia McDonnell who makes these yummy items is taking orders for Christmas cakes now.
The ingredients just sound so enticing! Overproof Jamaican rum and brandy, homemade marzipan and icing. All made with natural ingredients, no animal or hydrogenated fats, artificial flavourings or colourings.
Most of the supermarkets have lots of goodies to choose from at this time of year. But there is always a question mark in our minds as to what they are made of.
However, we are definitely going for one of Sonia McDonnell’s Christmas cakes … at least we are sure of the ingredients. And the taste! So moreish and memorable! Do have a look at her website and if you are interested please mention you read about her in inBalance Magazine!
Thanks
Val Reynolds Brown
Editor
PS Sonia is based near St Albans and delivers within a five mile radius.
SIMPLY SUPER Gifts: 2 A Steam Train Experience in Poland
Steam loco Tr5 65, Wolsztyn, Poland
Most unexpectedly in 2009 I went on a three day trip to see trains! Steam trains in particular. We started with some wonderful, typically Polish, meals in Poznan – authentic beetroot soup, wonderful gnocchi with crisped bacon pieces, onion and cream cheese, I can remember it even now, two years later!
I was on my way to Wolsztyn (pronounced Voltzteen), a mecca for steam railway enthusiasts who flock to see the only regular steam hauled service in Europe, possibly the world. (The only other known regularly steam services are in China, mostly mining sites taking miners to mines with some routes up to 40 miles long!)
Steam trains between Wolsztyn and Poznan are scheduled twice a day, seven days a week, taking 4,000 passengers, including commuters, per day and about 2,000 tons of freight per week.
On the first weekend of May each year, train enthusiasts from across the world descend on Wolsztyn to watch the Steam Parade, with more than a dozen steam trains from Poland and Germany in operation around the depot in Wolsztyn, along with some rather special parades of steam locomotives. The spectacle of steam trains racing through the station is a highlight of the event. Apparently the event is so popular it is known for accommodation in the town to be booked a year ahead.
Loco Tr5 65
When we took the steam train 70 kilometre to Wolsztyn a huge locomotive had been commandeered into service to replace the usual engine which had been hired out for a private trip. News of the change in loco, the Tr5 65, had aroused a lot of interest and train enthusiasts with cameras were on many of the station platforms we passed through. In view of its age our loco’s maximum speed was only 60 km an hour.
As soon as we left Poznan station a flood of memories returned from my childhood – we used to go to the south coast for summer holidays … the smell of burning coal, the hissing steam, the sound of the hooter, the clouds of black smoke. The notices on the sash windows DO NOT LEAN OUT OF THE WINDOWS reminded me of my mother vividly describing how I would lose my sight if a hot coal smut burned my eye … sufficiently alarming to prevent me from disobeying!
I remembered the sepia photographs in wooden frames of the English country and seaside scenes above the seats and being bounced up and down by the seat’s strong springs. I remember too the slam of the doors, the brass handles and the leather sashes with holes you used to move the windows up and down, or was that recall of the Lavender Hill Mob or David Lean’s Brief Encounter? Whatever, I was swept back to the 1950’s!
A sad row of discarded locos
The train reached Wolztyn on time and we stared at the rows of engines, not so much mothballed as just shunted into line like a row of dusty old elephants. Further on at the Wolsztyn depot, home to a large number of abandoned and withdrawn engines moved there from now closed steam locomotive depots all over Poland, it’s possible to examine these at close quarters – a trainspotters/enthusiast’s dream! I found it all rather sad, but for enthusiasts absolutely fascinating.
The Poles are very proud of the steam train facility and once a year Children’s Day on 1 June a five hour, 250 km trip to Kolobrezeg is organised to raise awareness, eight carriages take up to 500 children for a delightful experience.
We watched our locomotive refuelling and rewatering. A long, labour intensive process with the odd moment of unexpected drama. The hot cinders being raked out from beneath the firebox on to the ground below glowed red that generated huge clouds of steam when water was poured on to cool them. The smell, and sound were high pitch. The coal had to be replenished using an old creaky crane and the water tank refilled with an exciting (for the children and photographers!) moment when it overflowed all over the rear of the engine like a waterfall.
Overflowing water tank
Then the engine was turned to face the other direction for the return trip. We had a ride on the turntable and walked round the worksheds with their inspection pits and rows of tools to perform all manner of different repairs and maintenance.
It’s possible to hire a steam engine with carriages of your choice for a personal trip. How about a wedding reception on a train moving through the countryside with the steam blowing and whistle sounding, what fun waving at people at stations especially for kids!
Book with Fundacja Era Parowozow www.eraparowozow.pl
For more information about Wolsztyn Steam Trains go to www.polandpoland.com/wielkopolskie.html and click on Wolsztyn in the place names list. That webpage also gives information on renting a holiday apartment, Polish translation, Polish Ancestry Research, Guided Tours of Poland.
For details of Footplating Holidays in Poland organised by a UK company see this link
I flew from Stansted to Poznan via Ryan Air.
The trip was organised by Polish National Tourist Office http://www.poland.travel:80/en-us/pot_front_page#
Photography © Pintail Media
Web Links www.eraparowozow.pl www.polandpoland.com/wielkopolskie.html www.poland.travel
All photographs © Pintail Media
Callous Broadcaster: Clarkson on BBC One Show
Was I the only one disgusted by Jeremy Clarkson’s throwaway remarks on the One Show on Wednesday?
Clarkson said
Trains should not stop for people who have committed suicide by throwing themselves onto the rails. It won’t make them better.
on the One Show on 20 November.
There is more indignation about his saying strikers should be shot in front of their families which was clearly a jokey thing, albeit in very bad taste, but something that would never happen. Whereas people jumping in front of trains does happen with terrible consequences for bystanders, the train driver and the families involved.
I think Clarkson should be banned from broadcasting, he clearly isn’t in touch with normal sensitivities. And I don’t accept the argument that he doesn’t seriously mean what he says – it’s all for effect at other people’s expense.
Val Reynolds, Editor
SIMPLY SUPER Christmas Gifts: 1 An Heirloom
Our selection of Christmas Gifts is from the many items we have tried throughout the year. Some are very expensive, others more modest and some affordable by most of us.
MOST COSTLY
Knives for Cooking In November a group of us had a Christmas Lunch cooked by the chef named as the World’s Sexiest Chef” by The New York Times. Jean Christophe Novelli. We couldn’t vouch for that of course, but he is very good looking and his French accent added an extra, attractive flavour to the experience.
That apart, the meal was excellent, the turkey succulent, the gravy spot on, the vegs al dente without being chewy. The dessert, apple pie with wonderful vanilla ice cream, was superb. However, the object of the session was not to eat and drink ourselves silly, but to watch Jean in action with his recently launched Ziganof cooking knives.
Top of the range, these knives are for life, even to pass on to the next generation. With the core made from the best surgical steel and covered with 63 layers of Damascus steel, the hardest and sharpest knives have been created. See more detailed information on the Novelli website. You can see the striations in this photograph
Jean showed us how using just the two knives it is not necessary to have any others. The paring knife is a multipurpose knife ideal for peeling all small vegetables and other intricate work such as deveining shrimp, removing seeds of small jalapeno peppers, skinning mushrooms and all the other delicate jobs in the kitchen.
Luscious Chocolate Recipes
Ok, you’ve guessed! We’re total chocoholics and we want to share our love with you! Here are some more of our favourite recipes from Menier, the cooking chocolate we couldn’t be without.
Mexican Pinto Bean, Sweet Pepper & Garlic Soup with an Avocado Salsa – Serves 4-6 Ingredients:
Mexican Pinto Bean, Sweet Pepper & Garlic Soup with Avocado Salsa
Soup 5 tbsp olive oil 1 medium red onion, finely diced 6 garlic cloves, crushed 1 fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped 1 red pepper, de-seeded and roughly chopped 1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and roughly chopped 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 tbsp tomato purée 1 tin pinto beans, drained 2 tins chopped tomatoes 400ml vegetable stock 35ml red wine vinegar 1 tbsp white sugar 30g Menier dark chocolate 1 tsp salt Large pinch ground black pepper Avocado Salsa 1 ripe avocado ½ red onion, finely diced ½ red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped 1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped Juice of 1 lime 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Large pinch salt To make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a medium/large saucepan. Once hot, add the onions, garlic and red and yellow peppers, stir and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the onion and peppers start to colour and soften. Add the fresh red chilli and all the ground spices – cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika – then gently cook for approximately 15 – 20 minutes. If it starts to catch on the bottom, add a little water. Add the red wine vinegar, sugar and tomato purée, stir and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the pinto beans, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then lower the heat, cover and gently simmer for about 30-40 minutes. Meanwhile, to make the avocado salsa, peel, stone and finely dice the avocado. Place in a bowl and combine with the red onion, chilli, coriander, extra virgin olive oil and lime juice. Season with the salt, and set to one side. To serve: Ladle the soup into 4 pre-heated bowls and top with a good spoonful of the avocado salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and a drizzle extra virgin olive oil. The soup should be served piping hot.
White Chocolate, Raspberry and Lime Drizzle Cake Serves 8 – 10 Ingredients:
White Chocolate, Raspberry and Lime Drizzle Cake
Lime Syrup: Juice of 5 limes Zest of 1 lime 140g golden caster sugar Cake Mix: 220g golden caster sugar 225g unsalted butter, softened 4 medium-sized eggs Juice of 2 limes Zest of 1 lime 25g ground almonds 210g raspberries 100g Menier white chocolate, chopped 250g self-raising flour For the cake: Pre heat oven to 160°C. Line the base and sides of a 22cm square cake tin with greaseproof paper, then butter the paper and set aside. Cream the sugar and butter together until light in colour and texture, then gradually beat in the eggs. If they start curdling, add a little flour, folding in gently. Add the lime zest, followed by the rest of the flour and the ground almonds. Next, add the lime juice one spoonful at a time, as you don’t want the mixture to be too wet. (It needs to be dropping consistency.) Gently fold in ¾ of the white chocolate and the raspberries, then pour the mixture into the lined cake tin. Give the tin a little shake to ensure that the mixture spreads evenly to the corners. Place the rest of the chocolate and raspberries on top. Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake is firm to touch. To make the lime syrup: Put the lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan and place on a moderate heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat and add the lime zest. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick the cake all over with a metal skewer, then pour the syrup all over the top of the cake. Leave for 1 hour so that the cake absorbs all of the syrup. To serve: Remove the cake from the tin, then gently pull away the greaseproof paper. Cut into wedges and dust with icing sugar.
Hot Chocolate Mocha – Makes 2 generous cups Ingredients:
Hot Chocolate Mocha
100g Menier dark chocolate 400ml whole milk 20ml double cream 1 tsp vanilla essence 1 cinnamon stick 50ml strong coffee 2 tbsp orange blossom honey For garnish; 2 cinnamon sticks (optional) Put the chocolate in to a heatproof bowl and set to one side. Place the milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon stick, honey and the coffee in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, set aside to steep for 30 minutes. When the milk mixture has steeped, place the saucepan back on the heat and bring back to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let the milk subside. Pour a small amount of the hot milk and cream over the chocolate and stir to a smooth consistency, then gradually pour in the remaining milk, stirring gently until the chocolate is completely melted. Return the chocolate mixture to the saucepan and reheat gently. Don’t let it boil at this stage or it might split. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk to a foam using a balloon whisk or a cappuccino frother. Pour into pre-warmed cups or heat proof glasses and garnish each with a cinnamon stick.
More Cooking with Chocolate features:
Cooking with Chocolate – Gifts for all occasions
Cooking with Chocolate – Sweet and Savoury
Chocolate Cake for Coeliacs
Menier Swiss premium cooking chocolate is available in major supermarkets nationwide with a RRP of £1.19.
Val Reynolds, Editor
Cooking with Chocolate – Gifts for any occasion
We love cooking with chocolate and here are just a few of our favourites to keep handy when friends drop by. Chocolate Truffles, Creamy Vanilla Fudge with Chocolate and Nuts, Chocolate and Cinnamon Swirl Meringues, the list goes on and on! So easy to make too! All in our absolutely favourite book: Gifts from the Kitchen, 100 irresistible homemade presents for every occasion by Annie Rigg, published by Kyle Cathie.
Here is one recipe we make once in a blue moon because it hardly ever is used for what it is intended for … spreading on toast, or as a layer in a sponge cake, or as a topping to cookies. It is so yum it generally gets eaten direct from the jar! Oh well, we have no resistance – do try it!
Chocolate and Hazel Spread Read more 
Cooking with Chocolate – Sweet and Savoury
Home baking is having a revival and cooking with chocolate is always fun – the smell is enough to send everyone to the kitchen to see what’s up!
Using cooking chocolate is the way to go. We recently made some Cake Pops.
The pops themselves were made from crumbed sponge cake mixed with butter cream and then formed into balls.
The first coat was a pink candy melt. Then, as an experiment, a coating of Menier white chocolate. We were really impressed with this chocolate, it melted quickly, had a good dipping consistency, and the taste! Well … let’s say we won’t be using anything else in future!
Then on with a coat of dark chocolate, again it melted and dipped well, holding the final decoration perfectly.
We loved the creamy taste of both the milk and white chocolate, the dark chocolate was pleasantly rich.
Ever used chocolate in savoury dishes?
Here’s a recipe for Braised Venison with Autumn Roots and Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients:
600g venison (diced leg/shoulder)
2 tbsp seasoned flour
6 tbsp olive oil
150g smoked bacon lardons
3 shallots, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
5 Chantenay carrots, quartered
3 medium turnips, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
3 flat mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 heaped tbsp thyme
1 heaped tbsp rosemary, chopped
2 bay leaves
700ml red wine
300ml beef stock
30g Menier dark chocolate, finely chopped
40g butter
2 heaped tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 tsp salt and a large pinch of pepper
Serves 2 – 4
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
Pour half of the olive oil into a large ovenproof casserole dish and heat over a medium heat. Add the lardons of bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes or until crisp and slightly browned, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Put the diced venison in to a bowl with the seasoned flour and toss well. Ensure all of the meat is well coated and shake off the excess flour. Put the casserole dish back over a medium heat. Once hot (you may need to add a little more oil at this point), add the venison in batches and cook until the meat is browned on all sides. Remove from the casserole dish and set aside with the lardons of bacon.
Add the rest of the olive oil to the casserole dish and heat over a medium heat, then add the garlic, shallots and celery and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the carrots, turnip, mushrooms and herbs and cook for about 10 minutes on a low-medium heat or until the vegetables and shallots are slightly browned. Stir frequently.
Return the venison and bacon to the casserole dish and stir gently. Add the red wine and bring to the boil, then add the beef stock and season with the salt and pepper. Bring back to the boil, then cover with a tight fitting lid and transfer to the pre-heated oven. Cook for about 1½ – 1¾ hours, or until the meat is tender.
Once the meat is tender, remove from the oven and strain the meat and vegetables though a large sieve, retaining the liquid. Pour the liquid into a saucepan and bring back to the boil. Place the venison and the vegetables back into the casserole dish and cover to keep warm.
Once the liquid is boiling, whisk in the redcurrant jelly and re-heat gently. Lower the heat and whisk in the butter and the chocolate. Add small amounts gradually to ensure the chocolate does not split and go grainy. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Pour the sauce over the venison and vegetables and stir well.
Serve with creamed celeriac and steamed greens.
You may like to see another of our features:
Cooking with Chocolate – Gifts for all occasions
Chocolate Cake for Coeliacs
Menier Swiss premium cooking chocolate is available in major supermarkets nationwide with a RRP of £1.19.
Cake Pops created and photographed by Laura MacClelland
Val Reynolds, Editor
Puppy Problems Solved 5: Winnie’s friend Henry learns not to eat stones
Winnie
Written from Winnie’s point of view
Ooh, was that the doorbell? I’d better go and see who it might be …
If I press my nose up against the glass like this I can almost see through. Looks like two people, and wait, I know that shape – it looks like my best friend Henry, the Labrador!
Ah, Claire, I’m so excited, hurry up and open the door!
Winnie, calm down, I can’t open the door if you’re pressed up against it. Get down girl …
Henry!!!!!!
Henry, Henry, Henry. I’m so pleased to see you. Let me chew your ear for a minute, no, I need to jump on you, oh I’m so pleased to see you!
Oh Winnie, you have to calm down, ouch, that hurts!
Blah blah blah, Henry’s a bit poorly, blah blah blah. Be careful Winnie …
Don’t send me to my basket Claire. I just want to see Henry, we usually play this rough, what’s different?
Henry, what’s up, why won’t they let us play like normal?
Oh, Winnie, it’s been awful. I’ve been so ill. Be gentle, I’ve got a poorly side.
Don’t look sad Henry. Sorry if I hurt you, I didn’t know you were ill.
I’ve been very ill – and in so much pain. I had to go the doggy hospital and everything!
Oh no, not the doggy hospital! Oh Henry, what happened?
I’ve been very silly. But you know how I like to eat stones!
Eat stones?! Oh Henry, you’re not still doing that are you? I thought you’d stopped – remember all that fuss last time?
I know. I just love them – I don’t know why. Anyway, this time I had to go and have an operation at the doggy hospital. It was awful, I was so scared – and Laura had to leave me there. She was so upset. I felt awful. They put me to sleep and when I woke up I had such a pain in my side – it was better than the pain in my tummy before the operation, but now I just feel sore and I’m not allowed to go on long walks. Winnie … they’d cut me open to get the stones out!
Poor Henry, you really should stop eating stones then shouldn’t you? Let’s just have a quiet cuddle then. I know you didn’t mean to upset Laura, and I’m sure she understands …
Yes, she’s been very good. She looks after me so well. I was in such pain, I’m sure I’ll never eat stones again …
I hope so Henry. Really only very small puppies usually eat stones. I know I chewed a couple and Claire always caught me before I could swallow them.
Well, I snuck away from Laura and she didn’t see. She’d have given me a right telling off if she knew. After I ate this one, it was a bit big, I had this terrible pain in my tummy. It was unbelievable!
Do you feel better now?
I do, but I’ve just got to take it easy whilst my stitches heal.
Oh Henry, I’m just glad you’re okay.
BREEDER’S ADVICE:
I wish I knew the answer to this problem, but I don’t! I can make some suggestions and offer a word of warning, but why dogs do this I really don’t know.
Perhaps they are bored, perhaps they are inquisitive, perhaps scraps of food from a barbecue have fallen on the ground? Whatever the reason, definitely they are being stupid! Unfortunately, they don’t make any connection between the sore tummy (and possible operation) with eating stones. Dogs live in the moment and would only learn if the undoubted agony happened immediately. However puppies will be puppies, so we must do our best to protect them. Some of the smaller pebbles can pass through, depending upon the breed. It might be a good idea to fence off gravelled areas, possibly spray with bitter apple or some such anti-chew preparation.
The word of warning concerns mulch. Please be sure to read the label as some mulch has been flavoured with Cocoa and (as I’m sure you know) chocolate – especially the darker chocolate – can be fatal to dogs. Even if the label states it is safe for dog, it isn’t if cocoa is listed. Greedy dogs can eat huge amounts of this and the consequences can be horrific. Sorry to end on such a glum note, but better safe than sorry.
Pat Thomas bred her first litter in 1971 and has bred Border Collies, Irish Setters, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Papillions, Labradors and, of course, Golden Retrievers.
Although Winnie is not yet in season most of her litter is booked. This is usually the case, although too many of one sex can be a problem. As a Kennel Club Accredited Breeder, Pat has free access to the K.C. website and if she have any puppies not sold, she puts them on there. However, mostly the pups are sold by word of mouth and families returning for a second, third and even a fourth puppy.
Winnie’s Woes Part 7 – Winnie Moves On
Winnie’s Woes Part 6 – Winnie Learns about Children
Winnie’s Woes Part 5 – Winnie’s friend Henry learns not to eat stones
Winnie’s Woes Part 4 – Winnie learns about other dogs
Winnie’s Woes Part 3 – Winnie Eats too much
Winnie’s Woes Part 2 – Winnie eats a shoe
Winnie’s Woes Part 1 – Winnie finds digging is not a popular activity!
Grow Your Own Potatoes for Free!
OFFER OF THE WEEK*Free Potato Collection – Worth £15.00
What you get in the kit: 5 x tubers of Potato ‘Vales Emerald’ – A Maris Peer/Charlotte cross with an RHS Award of Garden Merit that is proving to be very popular. Potato ‘Vales Emerald’ produces generous yields of oval, cream-skinned and pale fleshed tubers. Perfect for your first potatoes of the year, and a simply delicious as a salad potato. Height and spread: 60cm (24″). 1 x potato planter – Holds approximately 40 litres of multipurpose compost (sufficient to plant 3 or 4 tubers). 5 x packets of vegetable seed – Receive 5 packets of quality vegetable seeds. The vegetable seeds will be chosen by Thompson & Morgan and may vary from those illustrated. *Just pay £4.95 postage HOW TO GET YOUR FREE POTATO KIT: GO to www.thompson-morgan.com and enter Offer Code: AF11109 in the box labelled “Enter catalogue or newspaper code:” This will ensure the £15 is crossed out and only the postage is applicable. Terms &Conditions: Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer code and is only valid with orders placed online START DATE: NOW END DATE: Midnight Sunday 27th November 2011 This is a really generous offer – 5 tubers of top quality potatoes, packets of seeds, and a planter bag which you can reuse for subsequent crops, or other vegetables. For instance, we have just planted two lots of asparagus in planters. Such a neat and easy way to grow vegetables, especially plants that need to be kept under control. So if you are interested, don’t delay, apply today! Happy gardening! Val Reynolds, Editor |
Thompson & Morgan are offering a fabulous Potato KIT FREE* for every visitor – worth £15.00!
In Balance 