I'm working from home today, sitting on the sofa in front of the fire with the Powerbook on my lap because it's fecking cold in the studio.
Outside, my front lawn and drive are still white. The road is still crunchy and white with ice underneath (tha main road is probably clear, but no way am I going to walk up there and leave my cosy room).
But the sky is BLUE! Hoorah!
So to continue our little travelogue for our Californian visitors, here's a teensy taster from last April, when I took Mum down to Kew Gardens for the day. Kew is a great day out, but you do need at least a day just to walk round it and is best visited several times a year at different seasons.
It was cold and rainy that day, but that's often the best time to visit as you can shelter in the huge greenhouses and there are no awful crowds of tourists.
This is the beautiful Japanese Garden.
And I don't know what this is, but it was nice and gnarly and mossy so I took a picture of it.
I might post some more another day if I can be bothered to dick around with the scanner (these were from before I succumbed to the digital age and were taken on my old OM4Ti).
36 comments:
Nice mini-travelogue. I always enjoy a walk through gardens because I can't even grow a dandelion. Oh, good morning.
DIIIIIIIIIIIIIVEY!!! Love it when you talk dirty....'twas that "d" word! ;)
AND OH OH OH OH OOOOOOOOOH! I wanna go to that spaceshippy-looking greenhouse and see that BEaUUUUtiFUL Japanese garden (did I tell you I absolutely LOVE Japanese food?) AND that gnarly-Marley thingummy! Can't WAAAAAAAAAAAIT! You're gonna have me so excited I won't be able to stand it! But then again, that's a GOOD thing! ;) Thanks again from the bottom of my little ticker...means SO much to have such a caring blog-travel-tip pal! XO ;) OOO! Look at THAT...gave up a smooch and a hug alREADY! I really MUST behave! =))) PS: Yes I'm up alREADY...sometimes Mother Natures calls at the most INopertune moments...sigh~~~~
Good morning, Robyn; good morning, Ame.
I've got hundreds more photos of Kew, but as they were all taken on my old steam-powered camera, they'll have to wait for another time.
As for Japanese food, Ame; I had natto with breakfast today. Does your love of Japanese food extend that far? Most westerners run screaming from the stuff.
You were talking dirty? I missed it.
I wanted to go to the Kew Gardens, but I never made it. Thanks for the pictures.
Robyn, the best thing about dandelions is that you don't have to grow them.
And the leaves are good in salads.
I was talking dirty, Sassy?
I must have missed it, too …
No, all; Ame was HEARING dirty. As usual.
What's Natto, Dive? I've had Sushi but am not familiar with it all really, though i do love it.
Great photos again. Bet your mum enjoyed her day - hi mum - it's just beautiful here, Dive, sorry and all that but no snow and brilliant sunshine. Floods are diminishing too.
Okay. Natto:
I've had a love/hate relationship with this stuff in the past, but currently I love it.
It's basically fermented soybeans. It's tremendously good for you and is one of the only vegetable pruducts to be rich in vitamin B12 (veggies take note).
It looks like someone took a load of soybeans, let them go off and all pooey, then mixed them up with that stringy, sticky goo from the "Alien" movies.
It also stinks.
The texture is totally unique and the taste is like miso with a hint of marmite and is VERY strong.
Definitely an acquired taste, but when you're in the mood it's irresistable.
Eat with yummy steamed Japanese rice for breakfast (like I did this morning) and you'll have the aftertaste from heaven partying in your mouth for hours (however much you clean your teeth).
So get on down to a Japanese supermarket and give your cowardly tastebuds an adventure.
Hey dive, did you get to see Kew when the Chihuly glass stuff was there? I took loads of photos, but also am procrastinating on scanning them.
Sure did, Vic. It was great.
Scanning old pics is a real pain in the butt, isn't it?
Bonjour Dive, from Sunny South Australia.
Why would a bloke (sorry, Chappie) be photographing his car at a railway station (when it's snowing) in the bog middle of the night? You must have been coming home from an all night drinking session. Just joking, cobber. Anyway, practise your American expressions, get the bagpipes and unicycles out, visit my new ADELAIDE DAILY PHOTO, and please feel welcome.
That goes for everybody, and thanks for your tips the other day Monsieur.
Glad to see you've got the blog up and working, MB. Excellent.
I'll look forward to some nice warm sunshine from S. Australia while I'm freezing my balls off up here in Blighty.
All night drinking session? I wish!
No, 5:30 AM's when I catch the train to London every morning (with a 4:40 alarm call), and as I don't get home until bedtime, the old drinking sessions are restricted to the weekends. Bummer.
You ought to shift the little cotton picker down here sometime. You'd like it. It snowed at Mount Lofty in 1953 somebody said. Tomorrow it's 30 C/86 F here. In Coober Pedy 40C / 104F. Almost warm enough to go outside.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE SUNSHINE, YOU'RE ON. Can't have you freezing things off. ADELAIDE DAILY PHOTO will answer all requests.
Cheers, MB.
LOL Lynn! OK, I've officially turned off my naughty braincell...think anyone will notice? ;)
And Divey...of COURSE! But here, within my "Asian" culture it's called "tempeh"...and it does look yucky..took me awhile to try it...but like with most things, if you try it enough, it sorta grows on ya...literally! LOL! ;)
Hi Robin...Hi Sassy...Hi Vic...Hi M.B.! :)
Thanks, Ame. Now I'm hungry again.
Mmm … Indonesian Tempeh is prepared in a very similar way to Japanese Natto, Ame, except tempeh is fermented using Rhizopus oligosporus mould spores, wile natto uses Bacillus subtilis var. natto, bacteria.
Here's a link to a great page showing various fermented soya yummies. Tempeh is at the top; scroll down past miso for natto.
http://users.chariot.net.au
/~dna/koji.html
On the site, the bottom picture of natto with all the white sticky strands is the stuff I had for breakfast this morning.
I'll be taking a load to Mayuko in Japanese class tonight (she cannot get it around here; the nearest Japanese shop is 120 miles away).
Yummy, stinky and very sticky.
Wow Dive that's a lot of info (why do i get turned on when a man explains stuff to me? No; i'm serious)
Well i'll have to try natto then. When i had japanese students they used to bring miso soup into class and i'd let them eat it at lunchtime after lessons. They used to share it with me and i did enjoy it. Natto... on shopping list... next to... ask Dive to explain something e..l..s..e....
oh Dive, have we got some WORK to do on Ame before she gets here. You'd better take a look at her little faux pas on my blog today - eek. Ame darling, come here a min; i need a word...
Ame, if you turn off your naughty braincell, i'm not sure what's actually left. lol only kidding. Actually, no that's about right...
LYYYYYYYYYYN! Didn't do any such a thing....I beHAVED MYSELF...REALLY! You're just trying to incriminate...gonna call the BLOG POLICE!! NOT NICE! I didn't even say the "F" word...not THAT "F" word...the BRITISH "F" WORD! ;)
Will check out that link DB...have you had any soba? Or sukiyaki? How bout Saporro beer...do they have THAT one there? YUM! Getting hungers mySELF! ;) Lynn, men explaining things in detail get me going too...must be like those cavemen drawing their gameplans on the cave walls, showing their weemen just how they were gonna go about slaying dinner! :)
Somehow tho, I bet Divey's gentle with his Natto!
God yes it's weird isn't it Ame. Really does it for me. I reckon i could listen to Dive going on about architecture and design for quite a while. It's definitely the explaining thing. LIke they hold all the cards, know a lot of stuff and are explaining things to unknowledgeable little me all girly and hopeless. Now, it's important to note here that i'm an intelligent, capable woman indeed, but i reckon that's the derivation. Deep down perhaps i'm just a frilly, dependent, stay-at-home cooking the bear He's just slayed type of girly. Yes, i think i am. In disguise of course as a literary, forward thinking serious woman. Work that one out then Dive. He'll be even more lost on the date thing now Ame! lol
You take such lovely pictures.
You do take lovely pictures Dive. Thanks for sharing.
No it's not a word Ame, but it should be for this! YES!
Lynn,
I dare you to go inside. At least you should go back and take lots more shots now our appetites are whetted. Look out for axe murderers and those who chant round cauldrons!
It would make a great headquarters for something. Perhaps Ame might take a liking to staying there.
BUBBLE BUBBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE.........
Divey Boy! Help! Rescue US! LYNN! EEEEEEEK! SCARY DAIRY! Is this, could this...possibly be a...I dunno WHAT! A troll perhaps? EEEEEEEEEEK AGAIN!
Come out, come out, whomever your are scary Ian person!
Besides you didn't knock at the door and let us open the little peep-door and grant you the secret password to enter the world of DIVE!
BE VERY AFRAID!
Ame.
CRIKEY CHARLEY and shiver me timbers. I was just resetting my Google account password and crap when the whole think went troppo and posted my "Lynn" comment on Dive's Blogsite. As well as that, Google breached someone's security and for a few minutes they had changed my user name as you saw. I checked at PDP and there, I was no longer me and so I attempted to get into Google and yodell. You'll notice that my comment IS now at Cheltenham with a little kissy thing for you too, Ame. (Wot I dun several minutes ago M"AAAM).
Sorry you got scared (stiff) but I aint no TROLL.
Dive: Sorry to dribble all over your Blog but I'll get back to that beach in Adelaide now as my eyeballs need the exercise.
OMG! LMAO! OK, well NOW I'm set straight...what an Unfortunate Turn of Events M.B...hey! Isn't that a Lemony Snickett title? Now I'm sure EVERYONE is lost! ;)
Pleased that Dale Chihuly has come up in conversation. Helly went to the V&A last weekend, Dive, and was blown away by the Chihuly centrepiece there. It's magnificent in a surreal and alien kind of way - have you seen it?
lol M. Benaut: Not great that this happened to you on your first few days of your blog is it? (go and visit Adelaide everyone, it's worth the trip to M. Benaut's blog)
Got your comment safely at Cheltenham after all, thanks. I could go inside perhaps...hmm. Dare I?
Like the use of 'chappie' by the way - duly noted!
Has anyone noticed that this is quite a break without Dive commenting anywhere? Are you okay Dive? Perhaps he's outside making a snowman or he might have fallen asleep on the train, no because it doesn't go much further. Erm... he's had some bad Sushi and is locked in the loo. He's busy posting about political correctness in the UK. Oh i don't know where he is... anyone else?
Wondering the same too Lynn...oh Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiivey boy! We miss your smiling face...check in...never check out...oh! While you're at it (whatever that means) look what came to my inbox five seconds ago! A recipe for tempeh! I'll share! :)
Spicy Stir-Fried Tempeh with Basil
Description
Tempeh is definitely the food of the future; it is extraordinarily nutritious and is often recommended in Asia for frail people. Also, along with other soy products, it is believed to be especially effective in preventing cancer and heart disease.
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds soy tempeh, cut into slices 1/2-inch thick and 2 inches long, then cut diagonally in half
Marinade:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons (expeller-pressed) canola oil
Seasonings:
2 tablespoons chopped fresh red chile, ends trimmed and seeds removed
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 medium red onions, peeled and cut into thin julienne slices
Sauce (mixed together):
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups fresh Thai holy basil or sweet basil leaves, stems removed, rinsed, drained and coarsely shredded
Instructions
1. Put the tempeh in a bowl, add the Marinade, and mix to coat. Marinate 20 minutes.
2. Prepare a medium-hot fire for grilling or heat a heavy skillet for searing. Arrange the tempeh 3 inches from the source of heat and grill about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Alternatively, you may sear the tempeh on each side for 2 to 3 minutes in 1 teaspoon of hot oil. Remove, let cool slightly, and cut on diagonal into thin slices.
3. Heat a wok or skillet, add the oil and heat until very hot, about 30 seconds. Add the Seasonings, and stir-fry about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until the onions are tender, tossing over high heat. Give the premixed Sauce another stir and add to the pan. Bring to a boil. Add the cooked tempeh and fresh basil; baste the tempeh with the sauce. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with rice and a vegetable, if desired.
Scrivens!
I step out of the room for a moment and you children wreck the place.
Tsk tsk …
Lynn and Ame: women do NOT get turned on when men explain things to them; they call us patronising gits and generally pout a lot.
Undercrackers and Prudence: Thank you very much. It's nice to find a little oasis of comment sanity in the midst of this mayhem.
Lynn, Ame and MB: Who the hell is Ian? And what is going on?
Lovely recipe, thank you Ame.
And Pea: No I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds spiffy. Did Helly take any pics?
Dive, listen to what i'm telling you; I DO. Seriously. Obviously it's not great to do the talking down thing and i know everything and you're so stupid act, but explaining stuff, educating? mmmMMMMMMM!
Ian. No idea. Imposter.
Yes, she did - here's a pic of the glass creation in question. Bits of it look like inflated condoms, but the overall effect is awesome.
WOWEE!
That's amazing!
I had one of those up my nose once …
.. an inflated condom ...?
Hee hee.
Feed you a straight line and you jump right in.
Excellent!
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