Bariatric Surgery ?? Bipolar?? Sub-Arachnoid?? what are they all about?: February 2006

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Mike and Sandras Baby Orlaith - making me smile

Out and about in Manchester

I met the fella who designed this http://www.prostate-link.org.uk/ a seful portal style gateway to all matter s of the prozzie. Of special interest as a mate of mine has recently been diagnosed and successfully treated, ad one of my uncles as well.

He is also involved in this site http://www.prime-cfs.org/ about chronic fatigue syndrome and ME. So a useful gig for me and a blog post for the menshealth blog in to the bargain.

Its Tuesday so it must be Manchester

Up at some ungodly hour and its off in a delta cab driven by the lone ranger to lime street. We manage to miss the train and just get the stopper two minutes after. Then its a long slow stopper to oxford road then a brisk walk to weston buildings. Into the PIF annual conference. Feel a bit two headed as I am here for the charity but accompanied by Louise and Davinia from the Sefton Suite. Mark Duman chair seems a decent guy. Pharmacist by trade, consultant. Muir grey starts the day by chucking a bottle of water across the stage. Followed by a guy from pfizer who overwhelms with stats. Then a bit of a mixed bag. Curates egg. Meet david Stewart and Jim Hughes at lunch. I big up Kieran but he doesn't seem to need it. I struggle with a standing turkey and blackbean meal. Bit gets stuck and I need to chuck.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Nigel Slater

He's a pretentiontious plonker but this looked good in the OFM.

Crushed potatoes with cream and garlic

I keep finding rather less-than-exciting 'new' potatoes in my shopping bag. This is a way to perk them up. For meat eaters this makes a rather sumptuous accompaniment for either slices of cold roast meat or maybe something from the grill - a pair of sweet little chops perhaps.

Serves 4 as a side dish

new potatoes - 500g
garlic - 3 juicy cloves
double cream - 250ml
thyme - about 8 sprigs

Scrub the new potatoes but do not peel them. Boil them in a pan of deep, lightly salted water for 15-20 minutes or so till tender. While the 'I keep finding rather less-than-exciting "new" potatoes in my shopping bag' potatoes are boiling, peel and lightly crush the garlic cloves. Pour the cream into a small saucepan, add the leaves from the sprigs of thyme, the garlic, a little salt and black pepper. Let the mixture simmer over a moderate heat until it has reduced by about a third.

Once the potatoes are drained, put them in a shallow dish and crush each one lightly with a fork - you want to break the skin and flatten the potato just enough that its flesh will soak up some of the hot cream. Pour the cream and thyme over the crushed potatoes and eat hot.