Fitter or fatter?

Oh well, in these times of lock down due to COVID-19 issues - I'm picking up dat people are falling into two camps. The fitter - and then there's the fatter.

Those who are already reasonably fit, will see the lock down as an opportunity to eat a healthier diet with less flour, more complex carbs, and more vegetables. They know where dey gettin' dat from. These folk will find a way to do more walking or running up and down stairs indoors, or same in their li'le gyarden.

Those who are on the fat side (a BMI greater than 28), will argue dat dey belly eh full - dat starvation is a bad ting.. dat dee government is to blame; make numerous excuses about aches pains and exaggerate medical conditions to avoid any form of exercise. Dey cyah plant a li'le gyarden becuz dey eh want to sprain dey back.


I don't expect ppl who live a fit lifestyle to get dat much fatter. Basically people will be expected to do more of what dey already did. The fit will do more fitness and proper dieting - whilst the already fat will gorge more on carbs and be couch-potatoes.

I'm open to arguments! Bring it on!

Questions for miracle man.

Dr Wayne Kubalsingh has kept up a hunger strike for longer than any record known in the history of the world (well not exactly). It is a mystery how this has been achieved. His protest is against the building of a highway in Trinidad & Tobago.

Newspaper reports say that he has not consumed food and water for many weeks. However, Kubalsingh himself has never publicly asserted (to my knowledge) that he has not consumed water for weeks. The human body is normally incapable of sustaining life if totally deprived of water for about 7 days. There have been some remote exceptions but for sure no human being has survived normal environmental conditions without taking water for more than about 2 weeks. However, one person has claimed to have survived for 70 years without food or water.

Kubalsingh is soon expected to be called to court to give evidence. That will be quite interesting.

The following are suggested preliminary questions for Kubalsingh (assuming that he keeps up his hunger strike to the very end):
1. How is your health?
2. Are you fit to attend and give reliable evidence to a court? Do you have an expert medical opinion to support your fitness to give evidence?
3. When was the last time/date that you consumed nourishment (in the form of food) of any type, via the oral route.
4. Have you received nourishment into your body by any means other than by the oral route?
5. When was the last time/date you consumed water or any liquid containing water via the oral route?
6. Have you received water into your body by any means other than by the oral route since your 'hunger strike' began? If so when so?

Of course the questions (except 2 above) are relevant today as they were two weeks ago.

This ‘miracle’ could get very very interesting!! Stay tuned.

Herring under fur coat

INGREDIENTS: 2 thick salted herrings, 5 potatoes, 4 carrots, 3 beets, 1 small onion, 250 g mayonnaise, parsley and dill

1. Boil vegetables until they are fork tender. Boil eggs hard.
2. Peel skin from herrings, cut them along the spine, removing the bones. Cut herring meat into little pieces.
3. Grind potatoes, carrots and beets. Chop the onion.
4. On a big round  plate place a layer of potatoes (whole portion), then spread mayonnaise evenly on top in a thin layer.
5. Then make a layer of beets using 1/2 of the beets, then a layer 1/2 of the carrots,1/2 of the chopped onion and then– pieces of herring meat spreading mayonnaise evenly on top of each layer.
6. Place a layer of the remaining onion, a thin layer of mayonnaise,  then a layer of remaining carrots, a thin layer of mayonnaise and finally the remaining beets.
7. On top pour the remaining mayonnaise.
8. Let it soaked overnight.
9. Decorate the dish with chopped parsley and dill.
10. Serve as a salad in its own right, or as an accompaniment to a main meal.

About to taste

Well I’m up to it again; tasting all that life has to offer. This one is probably the priciest in my stash. It usually sells for between £100 – 130/bottle. Yes – ah know there are Cognacs that sell for thousands out there. I’m not in that league – as yet! Hats off to those who are. No – I’ve not tasted it as yet!! Bottle unopened. I’m going out to get a set of four proper Cognac glasses, to do this thing properly!! I’ll report back on the experience. LOL.

Mish Mash–Jamaican restaurant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is where the Captain and I had lunch this weekend. The bloke in the black T-shirt is the owner. The food was excellent and is fully recommended. They serve in or do takeaways.

You can also order online from meal2go which is what I do. Simply enter your postcode and the restaurants closest to you (anywhere in UK) will pop up. I also like Pizza City’s pizza and masala fish which is the best I’ve tasted.

It pays to speak up… Cap’n is blown away!

Well tonight the Cap’n is down in London. In fact  I was here last night as well. Errrh and I can show you exactly where I am, in one of the executive suites at the Holiday  Inn (Bloomsbury) on Coram Street.

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Cap’n and one of his ‘crew’ were dining at the Holiday Inn. Dessert for the Cap’n took 20 min to come and was cold. Ummm errh.. in England they serve rhubarb crumble hot with hot custard. Two min earlier the Cap’n had enquired ‘what’s happening’ and was reassured that the dessert was in the oven – that it had to be served hot.

So you could understand my disappointment after 20 min and receiving it cold.  I complain. So they take it away and reassure me that the dessert will be back shortly. Errhh that turned into 10 minutes. So Cap’n and crew member decide to depart but not so easy. 

Well, as you might have come to know, the Cap’n does not accept second rate service or lower. So I raise a complaint with the Manager. Well, well, the manager, Mr Pascoa, turns up promptly, extends his hand for a handshake and seeks to understand the source of dissatisfaction.

I’m blown away!! This guy is a good listener. He’s willing to see the problem and put it right! I can’t believe it. Am I in England or what? Like this is not the norm in England. I says to him, I’ll be happy if he just credits the cost of the dessert back to my room charge. Unusually he said that he would investigate and probably do better. Five minutes later I bump into him. Guess what?!!! He says that he’d waive the charge for my ‘crew member’s’ meal!! And.. and he then offers me a complimentary drink!!! Now that’s what I call putting things right!!

I’m just blown away!! You know in England this kindah thing just doesn’t happen. I know becuz I’ve been living here for 20 years. I know the culture. Ah well – when you get it ‘good’ – you can’t complain. That’s how I like it – lifting a glass and saying cheers!! Best wishes to Mr Pascoa and Holiday Inn!

Ochro rice with chicken gizzard

Chopped Ochroes.

Begin frying in a little Golden Ray® Creole butter.

Fry chicken gizzard separately to get some seasoning and taste into it…

Add gizzard and basmati rice… fry for a few minutes, then add water to boil. Add salt to taste.

Simmer and finish moist since the water continues to evaporate.

When it’s good.

Due to my exacting standards on performance and integrity, I tend to find fault with lots of things – and with people. So, when something good happens for me on the rare occasion, I’m left dumbstruck. Well this happened twice in one week! So – I’m like ‘what’s going on?’

First I was at my dentist to have a crown done and some other work. Well the dentist is a good chap. His name is Raj and with his permission I give you his photo to the left. Raj is a highly skilled dentist with a very good manner. I’ve been to see him several times over the years, and he is consistent in explaining what he thinks needs to be done, why it needs to be done, the alternatives and the consequences of not taking action. He’s never in a rush.

But on a day last week the service from his surgery was even better – when I normally expect things to get worse with time, as I see from experience in many organisations. Raj’s assistant, the one who is immediately to his left, was exceptionally good. I mean most dental assistants just hold instruments, but this young lady was thinking ahead, prompting Raj to possibilities in a very polite manner and clarifying his instructions as he went along. I was in the dentist’s chair for about an hour while Raj and his assistant worked together to fashion this crown for one of my right upper molars. No my mout’ wasn’ open fuh all dat time… oh Gord man!

Raj had to work on a computer to get a 3D design of the crown right, while the assistant had other related tasks. I was able to look on and see how they worked well as a team. It was brilliant. The crown was fitted there and then, and I’m out chomping as usual like if I was given a brand new tooth!! I actually fed back to Raj that his assistant was very good. He was happy for that feedback. I paid my money happily for the service I received.

The next occasion when it was good was last night. I was at one of the Moza Indian restaurants (click on picture to get to their menu). And again – I had nothing to complain about. I was basically ‘blown away’! It was soooooh goood! I mean they really had 60 dishes on offer, all piping hot, fresh, bursting with flavour – and it wasn’t just about the food – the service was excellent! Good eye contact from the waiters – Indian chaps – but with good command of English, good listening skills – bill presented within 2 min of asking and it was accurate.

I just couldn’t leave without seeking out the manager. He came over, slightly apprehensive but covering it. I quickly determined that he was the owner of the business! How good is that – like very! So I complimented him on the design of the place, and the excellent cuisine – but also I made special mention of the good service. Well he was all smiles from ear to ear, to hear how satisfied I was.

Satisfied? Well yes – ah stuff meh self good and proper about 4 times over, plus dessert. Yep – meh lovely Cobra was dere at meh side, helpin’ meh along nicely. LOL. Oh well – it’s nice to get it good! And it’s good to give praise when it is due. I’m now a walkin’ talking advert for Raj and Moza.. well if wasn’ for Raj my chops wasn’ gonna be in order for Moza – so. ROFL.

Things to make you go… hmmm

Sometimes, I think this world has gone barking mad, if only for no  other reason than… Sigh… I can’t find another reason…

I was astonished to see a leg of HAM on sale for the price of £1,800.

That’s right. £1,800 or One Thousand, Eight Hundred Pounds. For 7 kgs of Ham. That’s about 15 lbs. Hmm, at a conservative estimate of £1 to TT$10.53 (today’s rate) that is a cool TT$18,984.00

Pig farmer and ham expert Manuel Maldonado selected 50 pigs that were reared in Extremadura in western Spain.

The pigs were fed on a diet of acorns and roots to give the ham a distinctive flavour.

After being slaughtered their ham was salted and cured for three years, before going on sale in a hand-made wooden box wrapped in an apron made by a Spanish tailor.

This is a photo of Selfridges, Birmingham. I’ve always thought it looks like a gigantic fly’s eye.

Sunday breakfast

This morning, Punks wanted pancakes. Not the ones from the corner shop, but home made pancakes as I used to prepare for her when she was first beginning to eat solids. I obliged.

The following is my recipe:

Beat 2 eggs in a bowl.

Add 1/2 cup sugar (I use only a little because the syrup takes care of the rest). Beat well.

Add 1/2 cup warm milk (warm milk makes the flour not lump up). Mix well, until you have a smooth mixture.

Add flour gradually, mixing until you have smooth mixture that flows when the bowl is tilted.

Cook in a non-stick frying pan (preferably) without oil or butter. When done, it should look like this:

Add syrup.

Enjoy.

Jumbie’s fried chicken

Okay, I'm not sure… but since I’ve been cooking for over 29 years, I’ve been told I’m a good cook.

Here’s how I make fried chicken. The quantity does not matter…

Steam chicken in water just over the level of the chicken… add seasoning* to taste, salt and pepper (I used blended hot peppers as a strong paste).

When chicken is cooked and splits open, drain thoroughly** and set aside.

Beat 2 eggs in a bowl.

Crush some Crix or crackers into powder.

Dip chicken in beaten egg and then crackers, shake to get the excess off,  and deep fry over medium heat till golden in colour.

*seasoning – I blend bandanya, podeina, chives, onion, garlic, oregano, fresh coriander, pimento, spring onions…

** drain for about 20 minutes.

Bizarre foods ...on dee Rock

This should be interesting. Andrew Zimmern visited T&T and sampled a range of food that was classified as ‘bizarre’. There are six YouTube clips on all this but I’ve chosen to display only clips no. 4 and 5.

Among these bizarre foods eaten by the ‘natives’ are..wait for it.. wrap-roti, doubles, cow-heel soup, callaloo, bake and shark!

 

Remembrance

About a week ago, I saw (for the first time) the movie version of Sabrina, the teenage witch starring Melissa Joan Hart. It took me a few seconds to realise that the ‘rich jackass’ character Seth was played by none other than Ryan Reynolds.

At the time, he was a skinny ‘lingay’ kinda runt, a far cry from what he looks like now (see photo below).

 

Sort of reminds me of myself… all the way through high school I was about the smallest (physically as well as age wise) person in my class. I started lifting weights when I was about 17, in order to gain some size, and continued until I tore my right pec… I’d gained about 60 lbs of pure muscle by then.

Of course, I’ve since gathered a little paunch due to driving and sitting behind a desk all day (which is rapidly disappearing thanks to my new workout regime which I started a few months ago), so hopefully sometime soon, I’ll be back to where I left off. (^_^)

Anyway Chica, this one’s for you. (^_~)

Feeling the burn

How hard are you willing to work for what you want?

I asked myself that this morning after a particularly gruelling workout where I pushed myself beyond previous boundaries.

My goals have changed somewhat slightly in the past 2 months. After being out of shape, carrying around perhaps an extra 40 lbs of tummy blubber for over 10 years, going from a gym rat to couch potato in that time, I have finally started burning the calories again.

After being ill, falling prey to what seemed like every cold that came along, I am using my weight loss from the dengue to springboard myself back to fit and trim fighting form. I am down to 160 lbs, and after today’s workout, I asked myself that question.

The answer of course is: whatever it will take to get me there. My goal is to lose 85% body fat in 1 year. I am stepping up my program, and hopefully, the burn I feel in my muscles today will fade into a familiar and welcome friend.

Ghajini

A man with only a 15 minute memory seeks the killer of his fiance... he himself was beaten about the head brutally with an iron bar, which resulted in short term memory loss.

Aamir Khan shows how he obtained his tremendous physique for the movie Ghajini (another MUST SEE film).

Health and well-being

I haven't been myself for some time now. Since early December, I had a cough that never passed despite 3 courses of different antibiotics. Sorted that out with some puncheon rum, lime and pepper sauce.

Then, I got dengue fever, and spent a few days, about a week, in hospital. The upside, or downside to that is that I have lost a great deal of weight.

I had a follow up visit to the GP a few minutes ago... I was quite stunned at how much weight a person can lose in days. Since January 7th, I have not been eating much, just a few mouthfuls when I can keep it down.

In the 13 days or so since then, I discovered this morning that I lost 29 lbs weight. When my doctor told me to lose weight, I didn't think he had dengue in mind as a weight loss technique though.

Still, it's a start, and once I feel a little stronger, I can use this weight loss as the basis of spring boarding into a regular exercise program that will hopefully leave me slimmer, trimmer and feeling more healthy than I've felt in ages.

Cancer fighting tomato

The photo above is of purple tomatoes.

Scientists have developed purple tomatoes which they hope may be able to keep cancer at bay.

The fruit are rich in an antioxidant pigment called anthocyanin which is thought to have anti-cancer properties.

Read more on the BBC website.

Target Sighted

Ever had to do something and never seem to find the time? Excuses always pop up?

Doctors orders: lose 30 lbs.

Since I am not as young, nor as spry as I used to be, (I see some grey and hear some creaks), I am going to reduce from 190 lbs to about 160. Without using weights. I'm a long way from the teenage 110 lbs stripling I was, but after years in a gym and being fitness crazy, I have gone a little south.

I decided to post this online as it might just give me the incentive not to embarass myself further by NOT doing it. I'd be real ashamed to come online and say I did nothing today. :-)

So now that target is sighted, let's see how long before I can say 'target acquired'!