At Portobello market this weekend I came across these vintage Christmas decorations and I am kicking myself now for not buying them. At £30 upwards for a box I thought it was too much.

They date from the 60’s and 70’s and are far more decorated than the glass baubles available now but I already have so many tree decorations I held back.

Now I know if I go back next weekend they won’t be there anymore, I should always know, if you see something you really like, get it then and there.

Have a great Christmas, more spring fashion to come in the New Year.

Retro vintage Christmas tree baubles

yummy leftovers from dinner tonight with the boyfriend at counter, a vegetarian restaurant in our neighborhood.

top portion: portobello slider with rosemary mayo on a tiny cute poppy seed bun. purple carrot skewers, cherry tomatoes, and olive skewers, and two carrot-cheese flowers. bottom portion: leftover confit fingerling potatoes, red quinoa-and-fennel salad, roasted eggplant with pom seeds and cumin, and red saurkraut. topped with a few carrot music notes and cheese stars.

doily, kids’ chopsticks, and the last gummy cherry candy.

So, who’s radical ideas have I heard so far?

Happiness!

Pat Kane, author of the play ethic, doesn’t think that modern life and technology has to make us unhappy. Choice and complexity and diversity should be a good thing. But he does think we should be working less – he’d like to see a 35 hour working week (like France used to have) and that the state should fund us to do a lot of cool stuff when we’re not working.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kikisdad/ / CC BY 2.0

Work itself should unleash the kind of creative energy that we have when we play.

“we are our own gods, and might as well get good at it…”

Pat, out of everyone I have spoken too, is the least reserved about the benefits of the information society. Rather than drowning in the information deluge, he’s thinks we should grow gills and swim.

Community

Alan Caldwell is a board member for the Comrie Development Trust, and a community development trust consultant himself. Comrie has one of the most active local communities in the UK – with a population of only 2,000, 700 people are members of the development trust, and it has 56 local groups.

Alan Caldwell's Community Words...courtesy of www.wordle.net

The big project they are working on at the moment is Cultybraggan, a 96 acre former army camp, which the community bought in 2007. They’ll be developing the site on a zero carbon basis to provide resources and income for Comrie – through ,for example, eco holiday homes. An old nuclear bunker there may even provide up to £1 million a year as a data centre. That income can then be ploughed back into the community for housing, insulation, and long term economic and cultural benefits.

Comrie clearly already has a wealth of resources and social capital. The working group for Cultybraggan includes a civil engineer, a lawyer, an accountant and an architect – not bad for free labour! But Alan believes the model can work for less well-off area. He’s been working with the Southhouse community in Edinburgh, where even the cost of photocopying and the time volunteering can e a major burden for enthusiastic community members. But funding that activity is far better, he believes, than other forms of top-down support.

Eva Schonveld is part of the transition towns movement – both in her work for transition Scotland, and because she lives in Portobello, near Edinburgh. Transition, in a nut shell, is about going on a carbon diet – developing local food, transport, energy and employment solutions that make communities more self-sufficient. The Portobello community were galvanised into action by the threat of a Tesco supermarket on their high street in 2005.

Eva Schonveld's Community Word Cloud - www.wordle.net

Eva thinks we can live fulfilling, creative lives with less resources, but our options will have to become more limited – the freedom to fly anywhere for work or fun will be a historical blip, for example. But conversely, we’ll have more time for the things that really matter, like family, friends, culture, and good local food.

David Greig is a playwright from North Queensferry – almost a classic example of a mono-culture community, in that it was dependent on the life of the ferries. David told me about the ways in which NQ is trying to reinvent itself, by developing its own plot of land as a community asset. He thinks that communities are incredibly undervalued by decision makers – because although they make us happy, they don’t make money. But on the other hand, we shouldn’t look at them with rose tinted glasses, because getting community decisions is really hard work – harder, in fact, than top-down solutions from Government.

His coolest idea – schools shouldn’t be just for kids or teenagers, but should be hubs for life-long learning and community integration.

Colin Campbell is the director of Assist Social Capital. But what’s social capital? Here’s one of the definitions on his website;

Social Capital has been defined as ‘features of social life, networks, norms, and trust, that enable participants to act together more effectively to pursue shared objectives. Social capital in short, refers to social connections and the attendant norms and trust’.

Speaking to Colin, a metaphor comes to mind – social capital is the fabric of a community or a society, the myriad threads and connections between people that allow them to get by or thrive, without money having to exchange hands. It’s everything from babysitting your neighbours kids to volunteering in the local community radio station.

Academics have been banging on about the importance of SC for a while. But the problem, Colin says, is that this fabric is being ignored by policy makers.

“Social capital is like oxygen. You can’t see it, but you miss it when it’s gone…”

Colin thinks that Governments, both local and national, need to be considering SC impacts right at the start of policy decisions. But they are reluctant to do so, because it would involve a shift in power to those on the ground. People would become active citizens, rather than just workers and consumers.

Nick Wilding works for the Carnegie Trust UK. His work is all about building more resilient communities, able to deal with the rapid and disruptive change that we can expect over the next fifty years.

As well as advocating asset transfer to local communities, Nick thinks we should be using social media to create online communities which can share knowledge, expertise and resources – and in fact, he’s done exactly that with the fiery spirits website. Nick calls it a community of practice – a shared resource for activists and professionals all over the UK who are trying to develop their communities.

Nick thinks that we’ll need to make a philosophical leap to deal with changes to our world. Big, vulnerable systems – like the national grid, or the stockmarket – will have to change. We’ll need independent, “modular” supplies of energy, food and resources, so that if one source goes down, it doesn’t impact every community. But he says it’s more than just decentralising – “resilience” means making the right decisions at the right level.

One radical idea – paying your local farmer £20,000 up front for a years food supply.

Portobello mushrooms are, in my opinion, the steaks of the mushroom world. They’re rich and meaty, and are deceptively filling; one mushroom cap is usually enough for one person. The first time I cooked them at home, I paired them with a little bit of pasta in a wine sauce, and a small side salad. My Fi looked at his plate and promptly asked what else I was making for dinner, then ended up eating about 2/3 of the food I’d plated for him, groaning that I’d made too much.

This time, I stuck with the mushrooms and some smaller portions of veggies – asparagus – and salad. Start out by mixing 1/2 a cup of red wine (I used a VERY cheap merlot), 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried minced onion, 2 teaspoons of chopped basil (3-4 leaves if you’re using fresh) 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, and roughly 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper. Whisk it all together, and leave it on the counter for an hour or so to let the flavors mingle a bit.

Next, thoroughly wash the mushrooms and trim down their stems so they’re nice and even. Set them dark side-up in a baking dish or other flat dish with sides, and pour the wine mixture over and around them. Make sure to get some of the mixture into each mushroom cap. Now, let it marinate. This isimportant: Don’t leave them for any longer than an hour. After about an hour, the wine starts to overpower the natural meaty-ness of the mushroom, and they get pretty mushy.

At this point, I turned my attention to the other half of our meal – grilled asparagus. I’d never prepared fresh asparagus before; we’ve always had access to packages of frozen, pre-trimmed stuff from Schwann’s. I must say, I’ll NEVER buy frozen asparagus again! Ever. The fresh kind was just as easy to prepare, and held a lot more snap, even after grilling. I’m getting ahead of myself.  I cooked roughly half of a bunch of fresh asparagus (approximately 14-18 pieces), so double this recipe if you decide to use the whole bunch.

Wash the asparagus in cold water, and trim off the hard, woody parts at the bottom. I removed about the first inch and a half to two inches, which was usually right around the first leaf. Next, mix 1/3 of a cup of olive oil, 3/4 of a teaspoon minced garlic, and 3/4 of a teaspoon of Kosher salt. Coat the asparagus with the olive oil mixture, and give it 15-20 minutes to absorb the salt and garlic flavors.

This makes a perfect time to go light the grill. You’ll be cooking the mushrooms at medium to medium-high heat, and the asparagus at low to medium, so a grill with an upper rack is a wonderful thing. Once the grill is hot, drain the mushrooms and place them dark side-down onto the grill. Warning: You’re cooking with olive oil, which IS flammable, and can cause grill flare ups. You may want a spray bottle of water handy just in case the flares start to harm your mushrooms. Next, put the asparagus spears on the upper rack of the grill. The same flame warning applies here…Just be prepared. Let everything cook for 4-5 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3-4. The mushrooms will be tender, and the asparagus will have some slight browning.

Unfortunately, I made this for our “date night” last night, and in my haste to get a nice candlelight dinner set up, taking close-up pictures of the finished product slipped my mind. I managed to get a couple of table shots before my Fi got home from work. I think the funniest part is our flamingo “wine” glasses. They were a gift from a friend when I moved into my first apartment, and we haven’t gotten around to replacing them yet. Enjoy!

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

3-4 Portobello mushroom caps

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic – or 2 cloves if you’re using fresh garlic

1 teaspoon dried minced onion

2 teaspoons chopped basil (3-4 leaves)

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon (approx.) cracked pepper

Whisk together oil, wine, and other ingredients; let them rest for an hour or so. If you’re  pressed for time, this step can be done the night before. Wash the mushrooms and trim the stems, then place them in a shallow baking dish. Pour on the wine mixture, and let them rest for no longer than an hour. Drain, and grill over medium heat, dark side-down for 4-5 minutes, turn, and grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Grilled Asparagus

1/2 bunch (14-18 spears) fresh asparagus

1/3 cup olive oil

3/4 teaspoon minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Wash and trim the asparagus, and coat it with the olive oil mixture. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes, then grill over low heat (or on an upper rack) for 4-5 minutes. Rotate the stalks slightly, then grill for another 3-4 minutes.

Walking down the Grand Canal from Portobello Bridge (La Touche Bridge) to Leeson Street Bridge on Thursday got me thinking about an amusing prank from October 1968 that I heard some years ago. Here’s the original Irish Times article published in full.

AN ‘ICEBERG’ FLOATED DOWN THE CANAL
The Irish Times. October 4 1968.

Unknown pranksters turned over a mile of the Grand Canal in Dublin into a bubble bath yesterday. The sequence of events was described Dragnet style by Jimmy Parsons, lock keeper of Lock Cottage, Portobello Bridge. “At 2:30am, a night nurse in Portobello nursing home looked out the window and saw white foam rising 30 feet out of the lock and overflowing on to the bridge and roadways. At 5am the police arrived. All they could do was watch. At 7:30am the fire brigade came. They said it looked lovely but that they couldn’t help”.

By then, Dubliners were on their way to work. The wall of foam hampered traffic at the bridges at Porotobello, Charlemont street and Leeson Street. Hundreds of curious people jammed the canal-side.

Portobello Today. Flickr user Miroslav Čuljat.

“It’s really like a fairyland” a schoolbound youngster breathed. “I’m going to be late for work” said a typist who had jumped off her bus “But it’s worth it – I’ll never see a sight like this again”.

Hours later some of the original watchers were still there, still spellbound, gazing at the foam writhing upwards in a Disneyland ballet.

The high wind scooped great gobbets of froth from the lock gates and flung them into the sky. Other pieces, too big to fly, rolled over the roadway like huge snowballs. “Lookit – it’s snowing” two messenger boys bellowed in chorus, beside themselves with excitement.

Portobello Bridge today

“All we want now is Brigit Bardot in that bubble bath”, observed a man with a ballroom sheikh hair-do.

Jimmy Parsons arrived, with a weed-rake on the end of a 10-foot pole. Poling about on the bottom of Portobello lock, he said over his shoulder, “This must have been caused by jokers dumping detergent or soap – powder into the locks. The way the foam keeps coming up, the stuff is still down there. It’s an expensive joke. They must have thrown hundredweights of it to whip up this froth”

Giving up on the search, he sat on a lock-gate and said “You should have seen it at dawn. Like icebergs it was. Icebergs floating down the Grand Canal”.

Angrily aloof on the canal – bank nearby, two swans looked on. After a while, they took like seaplanes in search of pure water. But the foam stayed and so did the crowds…

How many ways can you use up a jar of “insert ingredient here”?  There are a few tricks to the way we cook, and we’ve been revealing our methods for a while.  Well, here’s one that always, always, always gets us thinking of new recipes.  It’s called the “use it or lose it” method.  If we’ve bought something for one purpose, and it’s still hanging around in the fridge or pantry, we will use it up to avoid tossing it.  It’s a preparation permutation, if you will.  That’s why you’re seeing a third sun dried tomato recipe around these here parts.  First it was a dip, then there was a burger, and now we present la pasta!

There were thoughts of processing the tomatoes down into a sauce, but somewhere along the way, we decided to keep everything in its whole form.  Each bite has a little something different–meaty mushroom, salty tomato, earthy broccoli, crunchy pine nuts.  Cooking the vegetables in the sun dried tomato oil itself added a permeating layer of flavor as well that brings everything together.  If you have any rich, infused olive oil leftover from jarred veggies, save it.  Use it anywhere you’d use olive oil and you won’t be sorry.  We still have a few tomatoes left in our jar.  Any suggestions for a final recipe before we put this tomato run to bed?

Sun Dried Tomato and Broccoli Pasta – Serves 4
1/2 pound spaghetti
8 sun dried tomato halves, chopped
2 teaspoons sun dried tomato oil (from the jar)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound broccoli florets
2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup fresh parmesan, shaved
Kosher salt

1. Set a large pot of water to boil. Add a sprinkling of salt. Once boiling, add pasta and cook 7-9 minutes or until al dente.

2. As pasta cooks, add sundried tomato oil and garlic to a wide pan over medium heat. Once they begin to sizzle, add mushrooms and broccoli. Toss to coat and cook 4-6 minutes.

3. Once pasta is done, drain and add directly to the pan with the vegetables. Add wine and pine nuts, tossing to coat. Cook another 2-3 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and mix in cheese. If desired, salt to taste.

Click HERE for the printable recipe.

By Rory Reynolds

POLICE have charged a 39-year-old man in connection with an alleged hit and run that left a young man fighting for his life last night.

The 27-year-old is believed to have been struck by a vehicle on Portobello Road, near to Piershill Square East Edinburgh, at around 1.30am yesterday.

A passer-by phoned the ambulance service after witnessing the man being hit by a car.

Police closed the busy main road between two junctions yesterday to investigate the scene of the incident, with forensic investigators laying down evidence markers in the middle of the road.

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said paramedics found the young man in the street with “significant head injuries” after they received a call from a member of the public.He said: “At 1.46am we received reports of a 35-year-old male who had been knocked over on Portobello Road near Piershill Square East.

“The caller said that the individual had been knocked over by a black cab, which had then driven away.

“The individual was found with significant head injuries and was taken to the ERI.

“Somebody had obviously seen this incident happen but the caller wasn’t with the patient when the ambulance arrived.”

Lothian and Borders Police last night confirmed that the man had been arrested in connection with the alleged hit and run at Piershill Square East.

The 39-year-old was released on bail and will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.

See more of our pictures at our Flickr site and videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

My Thanksgiving this year was unremarkable.

I said jokingly – although with serious intent – that I should’ve gone to the homeless shelter to eat. At least that way I would’ve had some turkey, dressing and traditional food!

The ironic part of it all, was that I bought enough groceries to feed an army: 25 lb turkey, 20 lb ham, 10 lb pork tenderloin, 7 lb of three types sausage, 2 lb slab-cut bacon, mushrooms (shitake, portobello & white), onions, leeks, fresh spinach, cream, genuine maple syrup, pecans, walnuts, tomato paste, salad dressings, cheeses, and much, much more (over $300 worth)! The meat is now residing in the freezer, while the other perishables are in the refrigerator’s cooler drawer.

Perhaps it was my Matthew 22:9 moment. The well-read will recall that is the parable of the feast taught by Jesus Christ, in which the king made ready a feast but the invited guests didn’t show up. So, he commanded his servants to go out into the city streets, highways and byways and bid all to come to the feast.

My roommate is “vegetabletarian,” wasn’t invited anywhere by anyone she knew, and I didn’t get the invite from my folks because they were invited by my brother’s in-laws (Clifford & Jolene) to their place. I thought that was kind’a ass-holey of them, not my folks, to not invite me. I’m the elder of two, have neither spouse nor children, and don’t lead a secret life. Which is to say, C&J and all the gang know that. I guess they gave me the great big “FUCK YOU” this year.

But oh, dear LORD… don’t let ‘em think for one moment they might be “dissing” me – their artificially nice world would cave in around them. But know what’s weird? He’s a Baptist-turned-Independent “holiness” preacher.

See what I mean? At least if I ate with the homeless folks, I’d have been around some folks that would’ve taken an interest in me.

As it was, I enjoyed the fellowship of one human being – my roommate and her dog Atticus – and one other… Mr. Jack Daniel’s whiskey.

Okay, enough carping.

So, the first turkey I had this season was at – of all places – a Chinese restaurant, the Sunday after Thanksgiving! Oh yeah… I also had some of my favorites: octopus salad, raw oysters, shrimp and kimchi, along with some beef – cooked, of course (though I’ve eaten it raw… yum! *LOL*).

I had a couple of laughs that day with my waitress and the folks at the table next to mine. I’m a personable fellow, and I like to laugh and smile.

Folks that know me, know that.

In retrospect, I suppose it all worked out for the best… though I still think it sucks.

Valli Colpani is a name I’m quickly falling in love with: her exquisite dresses provide a chic Italian look with the quirky edge of London cool. The designer has a huge loyal fan base spanning across Britain and America and is the gem of Portobello.

When I spotted the red crepe wool Punta dress I knew I had to showcase it on Florals and Cupcakes. This beautiful LRD (Little Red Dress) is perfect for the Christmas party season and beyond. This figure-hugging dress, with a plunging neckline, acts as a statement of classic femininity whilst the bold red colour exudes confidence. Pair with a metallic clutch and heels for a guaranteed kiss under the mistletoe this December.

See the designer’s website for more details.

Mutate Britain will be teaming up with the annual Crossfire Xmas Skateboard Jam on December 12th

With the two events just down the road from each other, the collaboration will see the Mutoid Waste Company provide an innovative, unique installation for the skate park to be used in Crossfire’s “Gangster” themed competition.

Afterwards, everyone will be heading over to the Mutate site for an after-party with the piece becoming one of the many other new attractions at Mutate Britain’s One Foot in the Grove exhibition.

‘One Foot in the Grove’ is a festival of underground and contemporary arts that provides a welcoming and visually astounding experience for all ages in a unique 12,000 square foot setting in the heart of Portobello.
Tickets that cover both events will be available on the door of the Crossfire Skate Jam at the Bay Sixty 6 Skate park. Entry is £10 to the Jam, or £12 for entry to both (with wristband).

For more information or media requests, contact Dan@raw-material.co.uk

Riporto su questo blog il post da me pubblicato oggi su per ricordare un grande uomo  il quale, attraverso il suo dramma, ha pagato un prezzo troppo alto ai misteri ed alle contraddizioni che fanno parte, purtroppo, della storia della nostra Italia.

Enzo Tortora: oggi ricorre il suo 71° compleanno

By umbertonapolitano

Il 30 novembre 1928 a Genova, da Salvatore e Silvia originari di Acerra in provincia di Napoli, nasceva Enzo Tortora, giornalista, conduttore radiofonico, conduttore televisivo, politico e… ” martire “ italiano. Non racconto la sua storia artistica perché, per quelli come me, ancora troppo fresco è il ricordo ad oltre vent’anni dalla sua prematura morte. Ai più giovani, invece, consiglio di cliccare su Enzo Tortora – Wikipedia per venire a conoscenza del dramma umano di un uomo che disperatamente gridava la sua innocenza.

 “ Sono innocente! Lo grido da tre anni, lo gridano le carte, lo gridano i fatti che sono emersi da questo dibattimento! Io sono innocente, spero dal profondo del cuore che lo siate anche voi. ” Queste parole ancora echeggiano ammonitrici fra le pareti di un aula del Tribunale di Napoli al termine di un intervento di Enzo Tortora a propria difesa. Come, invece, ancora echeggiano nel mio cuore le sue prime parole nella rentrée televisiva del Portobello del 20 febbraio 2007 : ” … Dunque, dove eravamo rimasti? Potrei dire moltissime cose e ne dirò poche. Una me la consentirete: molta gente ha vissuto con me, ha sofferto con me questi terribili anni. Molta gente mi ha offerto quello che poteva, per esempio ha pregato per me, e io questo non lo dimenticherò mai. E questo “grazie” a questa cara, buona gente, dovete consentirmi di dirlo. L’ho detto, e un’altra cosa aggiungo: io sono qui, e lo so anche, per parlare per conto di quelli che parlare non possono, e sono molti, e sono troppi; sarò qui, resterò qui, anche per loro. Ed ora cominciamo, come facevamo esattamente una volta. “

Racconto di lui e mi permetto di ricordarlo nel giorno del suo compleanno sia come cittadino, ancora indignato per quanto accadutogli, sia come amico, avendolo conosciuto nel periodo in cui facevo l’artista ed avendo avuto per un certo periodo, purtroppo quello suo più tragico, come produttore musicale, Gigliola Barbieri, sua principale collaboratrice al tempo della trasmissione televisiva ” Portobello “… Questo ha fatto sì che io vivessi da vicino quanto accaduto, come in un assurdo e orrendo sogno dal quale era impossibile risvegliarsi.

Evito di pubblicare la foto del suo arresto, quando smarrito, incredulo e… ammanettato Enzo Tortora viene trascinato da due agenti in divisa. Preferisco ricordarlo così, all’apice del suo successo, in uno storico ” Sabato Sera ” del 1967 insieme a Pippo Baudo, Mike Bongiorno e Corrado. Troverete ovunque quella vergognosa foto ed osservandola attentamente vi renderete conto di quale ingiusto cataclisma possa scatenarsi in qualsiasi momento sulla vita di qualsiasi cittadino, dall’ultimo al più famoso. Quando si mettono in moto certi ” meccanismi “, se non sei più che  ” protetto “, la tua sorte è inesorabilmente segnata. Non commento e non pretendo di fare paragoni con situazioni similari attuali invitando all’uso più corretto dei pentiti, questo non è compito mio… dico solo che per la nostra società credo sia proprio giunto  il momento di rifarsi un lifting totale, a cominciare da un comportamento più etico, responsabile e presente di noi cittadini… per estenderlo a tutti coloro che ci governano e che ci giudicano.

Umberto Napolitano

    click on per visitare il blog

Right now, I am sitting pretty among several snoozing passengers, flying from my humid (though currently delightfully breezy) home in the Sunshine State, back to California for two more weeks before finals.

… That’s right, yall! I’m writing FROM AN AIRPLANE. And, it’s FREE! Thanks, Delta Airlines!

(Maybe airplane wi-fi has been around for a decade and I’ve been living obliviously on my own foodie planet, but free or not, I still think it’s amazing.)

I apologize for how long it has been since my last entry; this month has been wave after wave of madness, but such is the life of a university student. The fact that my digital camera suffered a fatal fall hindered the posting, as well. I now have a new one, thanks to an early birthday party thrown by my family Thanks Mum and Dad! And also, thank you, the three people who checked my dusty blog today, for bearing with me.

However, despite my flakiness over the past month, I did make some time to cook, so prepare for a gradual deluge of concoctions.

I really never watch TV, but when I do, it’s nearly always the Food Network. Like most people, I usually watch it for simple, passive pleasure, mentally pondering Rachel Ray’s waistline, the Neelys’ off-screen marital behavior and Alton Brown’s encyclopedic culinary knowledge (weird confession: I have a very odd, teenyboppery baby crush on him, despite his innate nerdy strangeness. I just think it’s amazing that anyone knows that much about food. I think a date with him would be horribly intimidating and that he would think I’m a complete twit, but still…)

Last weekend, for the very first time, I was actually inspired to cook something on TV! Bobby Flay’s grilled stuffed mushrooms just looked so tasty, I felt the urge to go make my own– and I did, that very night. My version is a bit simpler, done solely on the stove (it was a bit too cold for grilling… okay, I know, I live in Malibu but anything below 60 or so is “a bit too cold” for this child of the tropics) and skips out entirely on his fancy (albeit tasty looking) homemade vinaigrette as I don’t have a blender. They turned out savoury and delicious, despite all of the little changes. My Greek “little bro” Robby, who hates mushrooms, ate two big ones. I served them later in the evening with my Pirate-Friendly Winter Cider (recipe follows) as somewhat of a “second dinner” for several of the wonderful people sprawled out in my apartment; however, they would make a great main course after a salad for a hearty vegetarian feast. They were so cute, too, with the yummy-looking stuffing poking out of the caps… but alas, I was cameraless, at the time.

don't worry; as delicious as mushrooms are, I would never eat this cute little guy from Fantasia

Untamed Stuffed Portobellos

(Serves about 10 people, assuming at least two will go back for seconds)

INGREDIENTS:

-14 large Portobello mushrooms, gilled with the stems pulled off

-about two sticks of butter (or your favorite butter substitute), total

-Four cloves garlic, minced

-One brown or white onion, chopped

-Three bags Uncle Ben’s instant wild rice

-4 tbsp grated hard cheese; I used Pecorino Romano though Parmesan would work just as well (leave off to keep things vegan)

-1/2 cup chopped parsley

-Salt and Pepper to season

DIRECTIONS:

First things first: these mushrooms need to be tasty and tender; In one pan, sautee each mushroom for about five minutes on each side (best done in batches) in the butter or futter on medium heat. This bit is so simple, it can be left to a small child or helpful boyfriend to do.

Next, for the stuffing, sautee the onions in a medium saucepan until they are almost clear. Then, add the garlic and cook for about three minutes. Pour in the rice, add the necessary amount of water, and cook until tender. Mix in the cheese (if using) and parsley.

Stuff a heaping spoonfull of the rice mixture into the mushrooms, and serve with a sprinkling of the cheese on top.

and now… for the cider. Use this recipe as more of a guideline than an exact formula (and if you have whole cinnamon sticks, use them! I don’t here because I don’t usually have them in my pantry, these are just my leftover pumpkin pie spices); improvise and substitute as you see fit. The rum especially is very optional– I’m not trying to condone drinking here, especially not as a student of a dry school– but that is the element that makes it so appealing to pirates and other piratey individuals.

fancy a bit of cider, Mr. Sparrow?

Pirate Winter Cider

INGREDIENTS:

-Two containers apple juice; about 128 oz. total

-two oranges, sliced

-one lemon, sliced

-one large green pear, sliced

-1 tbsp ground cinnamon

-2 tsp ground allspice

-1 tsp ground ginger

-1/2 a bottle of Spiced Rum (Captain Morgan is the norm, but if you have access to Cruzan, use that! Maybe I’m biased, but it’s the best)

DIRECTIONS:

Pour apple juice into a big pot, and heat to a boil. Add fruit, and reduce heat to a simmer. Add spices, and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. Once the cider is comfortably below the boiling point, add the rum, and serve. (NOTE: if you add the rum while the cider is still boiling, the alcohol will all cook away, which to some pirates is quite a wasteful shame.)

Oh– and make sure to munch on some of the cider-soaked fruit. It’s mouthwatering.

Listen to a Londoner. This is a weekly post where people who live (or have lived for a while) in London answer a few questions about the Big Smoke. If you fit the bill and want to be interviewed, give me a shout at littlelondonobservationist@hotmail.co.uk. Always looking for new victims volunteers….

Luke Smith, 24

Luke works for a living. Hopefully that will change when TV channels want to commission funny comedy instead of drivel.

LLO: Best thing about London?
LS: There’s ALWAYS something to do and see.

LLO: Worst thing about London?
LS:  It costs the earth to do anything.

LLO: North, south, east or west?
LS: North all the way

LLO: How do you spend your time on the tube?
LS: Reading books

LLO: Most random thing you’ve seen in London.
LS:  A musical quartet, flute, cello, drums and violin playing in Camden. They are called Speakers Corner Quartet. They were moved on because they didn’t have a permit.  

LLO: Best local band?
LS: Blur

LLO: Favourite London discovery?
LS: Hampstead is really nice and has a real character to it.

LLO: Favourite market?
LS: Portobello Market

LLO: Give us a funny London story.
LS: I was on the way home from a date and people were much more chatty and relaxed. I didn’t fancy the girl and couldn’t think of a way to  let her down gently. I ended up discussing it with the people in the carriage. They said I should go to an art gallery, separate, and if we met up at the same exhibit it was meant to be (?) They’d learned this from Hitch and were quite serious about it. A very beautiful girl with an ugly boyfriend chimed in and said she’d like to go to a museum as a date. The conversation then turned to celebrities. I pointed out most celebrities were short. The two guys I was talking to didn’t believe me until I pointed out the men and women were often the same height. And the women were all obviously short. They were quite struck by this, it had never occured to them.   

LLO:What would you change about the city if you had the power to do so? 
LS: I would get rid of all the bloody musicals and remakes and have london the place for challenging, interesting and stimulating new writing for the stage. They exist already, but I think more could be done.

 Thanks Luke!

As you may or may not be aware, Mutate Britain is back for December, with the re-opening less than two weeks away

If you missed it last time around, here’s your chance to get ahead of the game and stick it in your diary early.

Keep your eyes peeled for the time being but if you’d like more info, or to talk to any of the Mutate guys, drop dan@raw-material.co.uk a line.

Green, earthy, and mildly spicy, this hearty mix of legumes & meaty ’shrooms will satisfy both vegetarians & carnivores.

This soup improves greatly overnight, so it’s a great make-ahead dish. My habit is to keep soup in a two quart pitcher, and reheat one portion at a time. Be sure to serve this one with some quality Parmesan; some good Italian bread would be nice too.

The recipe is from Second Helpings from Union Square Cafe, by Danny Meyer and Chef Michael Romano:

12 oz portobello mushrooms, stems removed and caps rubbed clean
3 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup peeled and chopped carrot
1 cup peeled and chopped celery
1 bay leaf
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomato
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper
1 1/2 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
10 cups vegetable stock or water
6 packed cups stemmed and chopped spinach
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. Thinly slice the mushroom caps and then cut the slices crosswise into thirds. (You should have about 6 cups of sliced mushrooms.)
2. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook until the vegetables are softened, but not colored, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the portobellos, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give up and then reabsorb their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomato and cook until the mixture is juicy, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the salt, black and Aleppo peppers, and the lentils. Add the stock or water; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
6. Scoop out 1 cup of the lentils with a slotted spoon (some of the vegetables will cling to the lentils) and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and stir to continue.
7. Stir in the spinach, bring the soup to a simmer, and continue cooking until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
8. Ladle the soup into a warm serving tureen or individual soup bowls. Sprinkle each serving with Parmigiano-Reggiano and drizzle with olive oil. Serve piping hot.

Leftovers…I’ll admit, I’ve never exactly been a big fan.  Sometimes it’s just so BORING!!  But I can’t stand the waste of throwing away food either.  So…you have to get creative.  With a little creativity, leftovers can be transformed into a whole new dish.  One that you wouldn’t even recognize as the other night’s meal. 

Thanksgiving is next week and there always seems to be TONS of leftovers.  Today’s Food Geek Friday recipe makes wonderful use of leftover green bean casserole.  My aunt’s green bean casserole has always been one of my favorite dishes at family Thanksgiving.  This recipe  makes me look forward to the leftovers just as much. 

Portobello mushrooms stuffed with leftover green bean casserole

I originally saw this done in a Thanksgiving special on the Food Network.  Quite frankly, I thought the original recipe had too much “stuff” going on so I simplified it.  As my own concoction, nothing is to scale or exact.  Just run with what tastes good to you and what’s in your cabinets.

• Giant Portobello mushrooms
• leftover green bean casserole
• vinaigrette (My favorites are balsamic or Italian…sometimes I make my own.)
• bread crumbs (if you don’t have any, dry out a piece of bread in the oven and chop up in a food processor)
• Parmesan cheese
• Salt, pepper, various herbs as desired.

Clean the gills from the Portobellos - easy to do, just scrape them out with a spoon.  Drop in a baggie or other dish to marinate in the vinaigrette.  Marinate for a while.  If you’re really hungry and don’t want to wait, that’s perfectly ok.  The first time I made this, I didn’t marinate and it still turned out great.

Combine bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, pepper and herbs of choice (if using).  Fill mushrooms with leftover green beans and top with bread crumb mixture.  Spray a baking sheet or other dish with non-stick cooking spray and put mushrooms in it.  Bake in the oven – pre-heated 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes?  Honestly, I’m not exactly sure.  I totally play these things by ear.  You could also use your broiler or toaster oven if you have one.  I don’t. 

The dish is done when the mushroom is soft and cooked, the green beans hot and the top is crunchy.  This is a wonderfully versatile dish.  You can serve it as a side dish alongside your entrée or add a salad and serve it as the entrée.   It makes for a wonderful brunch dish or lovely, light lunch as well.  Especially after you’ve eaten waaaaay too much on Thanksgiving!

What is your favorite thing to do with Thanksgiving leftovers?

Well, the Food Network magazine has done it again. This was AWESOME. Toby said several times how great it was, and then he said “This is in your top 10 of best meals EVER.” Ever! I had my doubts about this. I wondered how in the world the portobello cap was going to cook in 25 minutes, all wrapped up in that dough?! I thought it might be a little undercooked. Nope. The crust was so flaky and good, and the mushroom was perfectly tender inside. We felt a little decadent, cutting into this cute little pie! And the salad was good as well! I told Toby that this would be a good dish to have when we have friends over for dinner, and he agreed, and said we should also have this salad, too, since they go so well together. I put my puff pastry in the fridge to thaw all day, but when I got it out at dinner-time, it was still a little frozen. It wouldn’t roll out much, and instead of just using the one sheet, I ended up using both. Oh well. I had alot of the cheese/bread crumb mixture left over as well. I would say next time to use maybe 1.5 cups of cheese instead of 2. Again, this was SO good. Top 10, people! Top 10!

rating: 9.7

Mushroom Pies with Pear Salad
(from the Nov. 2009 issue of the Food Network magazine)

* Cooking spray
* All-purpose flour, for dusting
* 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17.3-ounce package), thawed
* 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
* 4 large portobello mushroom caps
* 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
* 2 cups shredded cheddar and/or muenster cheese
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 1 shallot, thinly sliced
* 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 6 ounces mache or other salad greens (about 6 cups)
* 1 pear, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 14-inch square and cut into four 7-inch squares. Brush the center of each with mustard and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms gill-side up on the pastry and season with salt and pepper.

Toss the breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl and sprinkle over the mushrooms. Fold in the pastry edges, pleating to fully cover the mushrooms; press to seal. Brush both sides of the pastry with the beaten egg. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet, make slits in the top and bake until golden and crisp, 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, combine the shallot, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl, then whisk in the olive oil. Toss the dressing with the salad greens and pear. Serve the salad with the mushroom pies.

Interrogazione a risposta in Commissione 5-02117 presentata da

The pleasures I have enjoyed recently include…

…volunteering at a conference for an organisation I really believe in and seeing several good friends there…

…’Receiving’ the trousers I had asked for. Three pairs all at the same charity shop…

…Brand new Marks & Spencer’s clothing for £1 each at another charity shop. While boxers and a white button shirt haven’t been a priority, they were missing and help to round my wardrobe out…

…A friend showing me just how close the beach is to her house. “…for whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find at the sea” (e.e. cummings). Examining new things and thoughts…

…and discovering that the last of my inner turnmoil is already washed away…

Hi everyone! I hope your week has started off on a good note. I know mine has. Aside from my computer crashing, things have been looking up. After a week of no sun and dreary weather, the weather gods decided to give us the gift of sunshine and warmth. Thank goodness! I think this is just what I needed to reenergize myself for this busy week. Without my computer I will find myself with less distractions. But I’ll do my best to keep you all updated – hence I am sitting in the toasty Fine Arts building’s computer lab. So many computers buzzing!

I’ll start off with my Saturday night. I was going to go to some experimental sound art show, but I wasn’t really in the mood for that. Instead I called up one of my best friends to see what she was up to.

Driving to meet up with them.

Strawberry Street Market's selection of beers. They even had a Honey Basil kind.

We ended up going to our friend's house for a house show.

The band seemed to be cooped up in this one room – I think they should’ve played in the middle. But a friend of mine came out of that room with a bloody nose but the biggest smile on her face!

I tried to capture the crowd surfing that was going on haha

I didn’t want to get back too late because I was planning on going hiking the next day.

So I ended up heading back around 3 in the morning.

Not a bowl of oats!

My tummy wasn’t feeling too well the next day so I wanted to take it easy. I had some leftover okara from when I made soymilk when I got home super late. Yeah, I made soymilk around 3 am… Anyway, I mixed it with pumpkin butter, stevia, and cinnamon. I topped it with a sliced apple, dates, some more pumpkin butter, and the last of the Artisana almond butter.

Matilda, down.

Aw!!! How can anyone resist?

Some things I packed for my hiking trip!

I made myself a PB&J sandwich using Rudi’s Wheat & Oat bread. Oh my gosh this bread is so good by the way. It’s perfect for sandwiches – especially a classic PB&J. I love how thick the slices make it so much more satisfying to bite into. When I was making my sandwich I had trouble deciding which jam to use. I remembered that Boysenberry jam is one of my favorites, but I currently do not have it in stock.

Well guess what? My computer crashed  and I knew that I would have to take care of that before I went on any hiking trip. And the sun was shining so brightly on Sunday I knew I didn’t want to be indoors.

This necklace spoke for my excitement about the weather!

I headed over to my nearest Apple store and I ended up making an appointment for today (Monday). By the time I was done with that, my friends that were going to go with me either a) didn’t want to anymore or b) didn’t answer. But you know what? I still wanted to go hiking so I went. I called up a good friend of mine that is usually up for doing stuff. I didn’t get to go to the Shenandoah Valley like I had planned, but atleast I got to go exploring and get some easy hiking in.

Crossing the bridge to Belle Isle.

The hiking begins!

My shoes along with the wet mud were not a good combination, but it was fun nonetheless. I love adventures!

I think Matilda does too.

I love letting Matilda off the leash so she can sniff around as she pleases. She’s so cute because she never strays too far. When she was walking ahead of us she kept stopping and looking back to make sure we were still there. What would she do if we decided to play hide-n-seek with her?

There's a pond on the isle.

I just thought these pods were beautiful.

The James River is really high right now from all the rain.

Admiring the sky.

I love being out in nature and being amazed by it. Nature is beautiful and it doesn’t have to try.

City skylines can be amazing too.

Dinner

This time I just sautéed the kale with white cooking wine and seasonings. I also had some of my leftover “meatloaf” I made with the okara. Last but not least I made a recipe inspired by Katie’s mashed cauliflower. I pureed mine with salt & pepper, nutritional yeast, and soymilk. Then I served it with some all-natural butter. Yum!

Then it was time for some homework!

This is a part of what I’m working on for my sculpture project.

I'm not much of a painter, but I think it's fun. I haven't done it in years!

Monday mornings

This breakfast was interesting. I wanted to use up the rest of my okara, so I mixed it with a ZenSoy banana pudding cup. By the way, I think the banana pudding flavor is my favorite. I heated that up till it liquified and then dumped on some Aztec Crunch Corn & Amaranth cereal. Excuse my half-eaten apple that I enjoyed with my favorite crunchy peanut butter.

I assembled my sandwich the night before because I knew I would be pressed for time today.

I also sautéed some kale with raisins and toasted pine nuts. I love toasted pine nuts!

Le Sandwich

I used two slices of French Meadow Bakery’s Woman’s Bread. What’s so special about Woman’s Bread? According to the site, “with 14 grams of protein and 2.6 mg of soy isoflavones per serving, Women’s Bread contains key nutrients for women’s health. Sprouted grains bursting with vital nutrients and vitamins are easy to digest. Dried cranberries provide an antioxidant boost.” I enjoyed the dried cranberries very much! Okay so what’s in between the bread? Portobello mushrooms, basil, red onion, cream cheese, fakin’ bacon bits, and tomato paste + honey.

After my readings in apocalyptic Literature class I wanted to go exploring around Belle Isle some more. Apparently I just couldn’t get enough and the weather was gorgeous! It was so much fun not knowing where I was going but taking random trails that would lead me to who knows where! Afterwards I came home and showered and did some pampering.

Tea tree and spearmint mask - ah so refreshing.

And dinner time rolled around.

I didn’t really feel like cooking tonight. Well, I guess I did cook the cauliflower mash with garlic and herb, but that barely counts! So I just baked some Gardein “chicken” tenders in the oven and seasoned with Old Bay blackened seasoning, and ketchup + curry. Curry ketchup is delicious. All you have to do is mix in some curry powder with ketchup – simple! It reminds me of buying pomme frites on the streets in Germany served with with curry ketchup. Please excuse me toasts for being shy. I promise they are delicious once you meet them. Tonight I wanted to try French Meadow Bakery’s Gluten-Free Multigrain bread. That’s a mouthful! Anyway, the bread was seriously delicious! I just spread on some butter on one slice, and butter and fruit spread on the other. I can’t explain really how tasty this bread was. Just biting into it was awesome and I can’t believe it has no wheat. Can you see the all the little flaxseeds? So good! I highly recommend this bread, even if you don’t have a gluten intolerance.

Lastly, the ever so lovely Brooke tagged me to fill out a little survey she made up! Here goes…

1. favorite variety of apple? Gala

2. apples dipped in? Peanut butter… or caramel! How about  both?

3. favorite way to enjoy pumpkin? Pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin and ginger cookies, and pumpkin penne

4. favorite soup? with crackers or bread? My mom’s spinach soup with fresh crusty bread.

5. do you eat orange foods all year round? Not consciously, but the time of year doesn’t stop me from eating them that’s for sure.

6. most used spice in your autumn cooking: Cinnamon and tarragon

7. you are baking some homemade bread, what flavor combination of bread would you like to make? Oh my gosh! Some sort of spiced bread. How about a spiced bread with almonds and cranberries. However, I recently stumbled upon a garlic pull-apart bread recipe.

8. favorite autumn vegetables and ways to eat it? Winter squashes out the wazoo! Recently, I’ve been digging cauliflower and kale

9. hot chocolate, hot cider, coffee or tea? Hot chocolate made with coconut milk. And I love this one tea called Richmond Blend. It’s a black tea with cinnamon, orange peel, and cloves. It’s out of this world and actually has an intense flavor on it’s own. Not to mention the cinnamon helps keep me warm during the cold months.

10. favorite seasonal dessert? I think it’s a tie between double-layer pumpkin cheesecake and sweet potato pie.

11. lets make a fall stew! pick any 6 ingredients to create your one: Sweet potato, onions, carrots, kale, curry, and white truffle oil

12. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts or almonds to snack on? Almonds!!!

13. popcorn flavor/seasoning? Cinnamon & sugar or nutritional yeast

14. bowl of hot cereal you have been wanting to try: A banana rum cake inspired one! I actually just came up with this.

15. post a link to a recipe that you recently bookmarked. April’s pumpkin French toast!

Anyway, I just wanted to fill you all in on how my weekend went and how my week started. I’m going to try to keep up with all you lovely people! I hope you all are doing well and keeping your chins up. Remember, as William James once said “…Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.”

]]> http://littlelondonobservationist.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/listen-to-a-londoner-daniel-higgott/ Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:21:39 +0000 littlelondonobservationist http://littlelondonobservationist.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/listen-to-a-londoner-daniel-higgott/

Listen to a Londoner. This is a weekly post where people who live (or have lived for a while) in London answer a few questions about the Big Smoke. If you fit the bill and want to be interviewed, give me a shout at littlelondonobservationist@hotmail.co.uk. Always looking for new victims volunteers….

Daniel Higgott, 23

Danny is a sound engineer from Northwest London. He doesn’t actually work, just gets paid to travel the world. He thinks he is the master of the card game called Shithead, but often loses to a certain American girl who will remain anonymous.

LLO:  How long have you lived in London?
DH: 23 years and 10 months exactly.

LLO: Best place to escape the city?
DH: Hampstead Heath

LLO: How do you spend your time on the tube?
DH: Reading one of the free papers and/or listening to my iPod

LLO: Favourite London discovery?
DH: Brick Lane

LLO: Best place to spend a Sunday afternoon?
DH: The place is not important, but seeing my friends is, as it is my only day off.

LLO: Best museum or gallery?
DH: Tate Modern

LLO: Favourite market?
DH: Portobello

LLO: Best time of year in London?
DH: Autumn or Winter

LLO: Best place for a first date? 
DH: A stroll from Embankment, down through the South Bank, possibly stopping at a few nice pubs along the way.

LLO: What would you change about the city if you had the power to do so?
DH: I would fully air condition the tube, at any expense.

 Thanks Danny!

Our wedding anniversary was fast approaching and I decided to surprise Erin by cooking a 7 course meal by using mushroom as my main secret ingredient (obviously this is heavily influenced by Iron Chef America). “So now America friends, with an open heart and an empty stomach, I say unto you in the words of my uncle: ALLEZ CUISINE!!”

For starters, it was freshly shucked oysters. Since I can’t go with the usual kilpatrick or mornay style, I used a ceviche instead. Hence, Oysters – Mushroom Ceviche. The ceviche actually substituted the need of lemon.

First up for entree was ‘Portobello Mushroom and Beef Carpaccio’. This was really simple as everything can be pre-prepared except the rare beef. After pan frying the beef for 1 minute on each side, you will need to cut the beef as thin as possible and pound it with the back of your knife.

Next was ‘Mushroom Soup’. This soup was unbelievably easy to make and it was made from scratch. Best served with dinner rolls but I only had multigrain bread that night. It wasn’t too bad after I toasted it.

Final entree for the night was ‘Prosciutto Wrapped Enoki Mushroom’. This entree was improvised from a recipe I saw on a cooking channel. He made bacon wrapped asparagus instead. This was the simplest dish to make and it looked impressive.

After 3 wonderful and delicious (quoting myself) entree, the main was served. For a mushroom themed night, I can’t get away with not making stuffed mushroom as one of the dishes. Since Erin loves seafood, the stuffing I chose was seafood based. It has prawns, scallops and crab on a big flat mushroom and two little fresh mushrooms.

My last savoury dish for the night was ‘Mushroom Seafood Risotto”. This took me the longest to prepare and cook. It was also my first time cooking any type of risotto but guess what, it turned out to be really nice (or maybe Erin was too nice to give me any negative comment).

Last but not least, it’s dessert time. As everyone would know, using mushroom in dessert is quite impossible. Finally after a lot of researching and many hours of looking through the internet, I made ‘Mushroom Ice-Cream’. It’s not what you think it is. The closest I could get to match with the night’s theme was to make something that resembles a mushroom.

If I have to judge my own food, I would give myself 10/10 for every single dish because I am bias. That’s why I will leave it to Erin for constructive criticism.

Well, we had a wonderful night of wonderful food with absolutely wonderful company. By the end of the night, we were as stuffed as the mushrooms. LOL!

Anyone who is interested in any of the recipes, just drop me a line in the comment. I am more than happy to share it with you. It was just too long for me to type out every single one of it.

Altro che Adriano, dateme er Pupone. “Ci voleva un rigore” (Claudiona commenta le Yavanna grazie al telebim: non era punizione dal limite).

Sincerità, un elemento imprescindibile. “Non si capiscono quelle due parole, ehm cretinate che vorrei dire” (mentre presenta Giuliano, la Mori fa outing).

Il brigante Giuliano. “Aaaaaaa chi mi diceeeeee” (che so cantare, è un sordo; ho detto sordo, non sardo).

Noblesse romagnola. “Cosa rompi le balle? Cosa vuoi da me?” (la Maionchi a Morgan: per zittirlo usa un argomento fortissimo, che perfino la signora C. riesce a capire).

Forse sono nodi alle cravatte. “Viene sempre un poveraccio che fa: stringi, stringi, stringi” (la Maionchi preda delle allucinazioni, forse dovute alla peperonata di ieri sera, mangiata presso Gigietto er Troi**e).

Sincerità 2. “Non ha niente di Fausto Leali, non ha niente” (la Mori di Giuliano, credendo di fargli un complimento).

Bubka è lontano. “Voi vi sperticate a fare dei complimenti ad alcuni” (la Mori ai colleghi giudici, ma pensando evidentemente a quando, giovanissima, faceva la posta ai saltatori in alto alle Olimpiadi di Atene, nel V secolo a.C.).

Adriano tiene ‘e corna. “Giuliano è mio” e lo gestisco io (la Mori in un empito di protofemminismo).

Sincerità 3. “Non sei simile a niente tra i cantanti italiani” (la Mori di Giuliano, credendo di fargli un altro complimento).

Sticavoli. “Giuliano è fortissimo” (se lo dice Amadeus, dobbiamo crederci).

Ignoramus Italianum. “Non vogliamo i zuccherini” (Facchinetti dimostra grande coraggio, prima di spogliarsi di alcune inibizioni, anche sessuali).

Argentee dichiarazioni. “Per fortuna esiste l’uomo che si preoccupa… mi dovete scusare se mi scappa da ridere”  (Silver parla di uomini e poi guarda Amadeus; capisce di aver fatto una grossa topica e se ne va dallo studio; il tripudio dura poco perché Facchinetti lo va a riprendere, mentre Amadeus fa la scossa).

Argentee dichiarazioni 2. “Sono un timidone che intraprende” (Silver si scopre socio della Confindustria; esulta la destra governativa, Storace lo abbraccia in diretta, dicendo: “Non è un fro**o sessantottino!”).

Sincerità 4. “Confesso che io non sarò mai lucida” (Claudiona in un momento di grande autocritica – peccato siano molto rari).

Sulla pelle della tardona. “Sei sempre molto piacevole nel sentirti e nel vederti” (Mara su Silver, guardandolo con occhio rapino, la lingua sulle labbra e l’autoreggente in evidenza).

A kiss is a kiss. Si è finalmente scoperto a chi Paola mandasse i suoi baci. Era l’unico sfigato che riesce ad ascoltarla senza prendersi l’emicrania. Infatti, prima delle sue esibizioni, inghiotte tre chili di aspirine e per sicurezza si tappa anche le orecchie.

Pastore di giganti. “Avevamo visto troppo in alto all’inizio” (il preparatissimo veejay Carlo Pastore su Chiara, prima che vada al ballottaggio e sia trombata).

Consigli da pu. “Stai calmo e sta’ a casa tua” (Facchinetti a Morgan, mentre litigano per un nonnulla, manco fosse per una notte di sesso sfrenato con Mara Maionchi).

Il francese svacca. “Me ne sbatto della sua querelle” (Facchinetti tatuato su Morgan, che ha evocato il termine; il bravo presentatore non sa neppure cosa significhi, ma ripete stile pappagallo di Portobello).

Domanda piena. “Vuoi aggiungere del vuoto ulteriore?” (Morgan alla Mori, che ne ha già sparate tre o quattro).

Scuse sincerissime, ma anche no. “Io l’ho detta davvero per scherzare” (la Mori che ha appena detto che Morgan, testualmente, “spara ca**ate”).

De gustibus. “Io sono felice della mia vuotezza” (Facchinetti è un uomo realizzato, beato lui).

Strani effetti. “Loro lavorano tutta la settimana e questi sono i risultati” (Facchinetti alla fine della seconda manche, credendo di fare un complimento ai concorrenti).

Strani effetti (allucinogeni) 2. “Tu per me questa sera hai camminato sulla luna” (Facchinetti a Marco; saranno ancora gli zuccherini dei Bastards o anche lui è andato da Gigietto?).

Strani effetti 3. “Hai fatto un disco di successo, ora hai fatto un vero disco” (Facchinetti a Becucci, invitato a promuovere la sua ultima fatica, che compreranno, a quanto pare, anche le zie della moglie).

Promiscuità, il tuo nome è Morgan. “Ti voglio bene” (Morgan a Facchinetti; dopo la lite i due si abbracciano, si baciano, tra un po’ fanno anche sesso sul palco).