Arosa Sale, Indian Meal Deals and San Marzano tomatoes

This evening Sam sold his Seat Arosa.  He had advertised it yesterday and had received an email requesting a viewing.  The man arrived and drove the car and must have liked it and they agreed a price, which was just £30 less than Sam paid for it almost a year ago.  He returned shortly afterwards with his wife and they took the car away. 

I bought two Indian Meal Deals.

1. Dealcloud - Rupsha in Clifton, £16.40 for two courses of Indian cuisine for two with rice (value £32.80) expiry 02/08/2012.

2. kgbdeals - Mehak in Keynsham, £17 for a two course Indian meal for two, worth up to £46.30 at Mehak – save up to 63% expiry  7th August 2012


I made four pizza dough balls this evening, one for tonight and the remaining three went into the refrigerator.  I decided, now that the pizza oven was fixed and with a new bag of Caputo flour, that I would use one of my three remaining cans of San Marzano tomatoes.  One was the Annalisa brand which I had bought in the Standa supermarket in Alghero, Sardinia when on holiday there a few years ago.  

The remaining two cans are Sainsburys Taste the Difference San Marzano Tomatoes.  These disappered from Sainsburys shelves early in 2011.  I emailed Sainsburys' customer services  in June last year enquiring what was happening  about them and received a reply saying that they were on hold and hadn't been discontinued.  Almost a year later they are still 'on hold'.

San Marzano tomatoes are grown in the volcanic soil of the Sarnese Nocerino area between Naples and Salerno in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.  The San Marzano tomato is now protected by tight rules, like many wines, cheeses and even Pizza Napoletana, obtaining the DOP (Denominazione d' Origine Protetta) label in 1996 from the European Union for the processed product. The flesh is much thicker than other plum tomatoes, with fewer seeds, and the taste is much stronger, more sweet and less acidic.  San Marzano tomatoes have been designated as the only tomatoes that can be used for Vera Pizza Napoletana (True Neapolitan Pizza).

The pizza tasted amazingly better with the San Marzanos.  I really must track down new supplies.

Rainy Sunday

Today it rained again. Everyone was fed up, including Smiffy the cat.  He sat looking out of the front door, reluctant to venture outside and get his fur wet.   

In the afternoon Smiffy settled down to watch the snooker.

Sue recalled that he liked to watch the snooker last year as well.  Perhaps he is backing Judd Trump to win, or maybe he just thinks the balls are little coloured animals that he would like to kill.  

In the evening the rain stopped and the sun came out.  We drove to the Mezze @ the Royal George, Thornbury.  I ordered a pint of my favourite draft Leffe Blonde and a small Thatchers for Sue.  We sat at our reserved table and looked at the menu.   

Each Mezze dish is £4.50 or three for £12.  We chose three to share and also ordered some handcut chips.  I had Beef Stifado, which contained four large pieces of tender beef in a thick tasty sauce.  Sue had Scampi and we shared a Greek Salad, which means I get all the olives as Sue doesn't like them. There was also a bowl of toasted bread which was complimentary.  The food here is a bit special and the total bill including drinks came to a mere £21.

We called in at the Baileys Court Inn on the way home.

Skydrive

This evening I installed Microsoft's Skydrive on my Toshiba laptop / netbook.  I read the reviews comparing Skydrive, Dropbox, Google Drive etc. and came to the conclusion that Skydrive is the way to go for me.  I have a netbook running Windows 7, we have a desktop PC running Windows XP and I have a lot of Word documents and eXcel spreadsheets, so I / we are heavily Microsoft based.  Microsoft Skydrive it is then. 

After installation, I copied my Windows 7 documents folder to the Skydrive folder and the transfer to the 'Cloud' started automatically and completed.  I took advantage of Microsoft's limited period offer to upgrade my default 7 GB storage to 25 GB. 

I am now part of the 'Cloud computing' age. 

I also downloaded Bolero's Browser for Skydrive to my Android phone and browsed a couple of my 'Cloud' files.      

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12

I had intended buying some new running shoes yesterday, but it rained constantly all day, so I used my time usefully and spent the day doing the food shopping instead.  Today, the weather is much better.


At lunchtime I drove over to Sue's place of work to see her in her lunch break.  It is then a short drive to Up & Running, North View, Westbury Park, where I am going to buy my new running shoes.  All the staff here are extremely helpful and knowledgeable about all apsects of running and are always ready for a chat about running.

I took along my old running shoes so they could tell the degree of pronation I need and bypass the gait analysis process.  I was then presented with a choice of 3 pairs of shoes (Brooks, Mizunos and Sauconys) which would suit me, the final decison to be made on the basis of fit, comfort and degree of cushioning.

My last pair were Saucony Hurricanes and before that, Mizuno Wave Inspire 5.  The Mizunos had a softer cushioning than the Saucony Hurricanes.  I thought I should at least go for Mizunos or maybe something even softer this time.  The Brooks shoes were Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12 and I was told that they had special technology that  adjusted the maximum cushioning to where it was needed.  For example, if you land on your heel then the cushioning is concentrated at the heel.  They certainly felt well cushioned to me and I chose to buy them.  They were £95 and I was offered 10% discount.  Sue had given me a £60 voucher for Christmas and so I left the shop with the shoes having parted with only £25.50.

On returning home I read some reviews of the Adrenaline GTS 12. They were praised for their prominent arch support and great cushioning and flexibility in heel and forefoot.  Just what a plantar fasciitis suffer needs, so I seem to have made the right decision.  We shall see.

I had intended taking them out for a test run tomorrow, but the weather forecast is for rain all day.  And I don't want to get my new shoes wet.

Pizza evening

On Sunday morning, Sue and Sam went to visit Sue's parents.  I was left home alone with the task of making the pizza dough for the evening.

I normally use 200g of flour for each pizza and I made two like this with 120g warm filtered water.  I also made two with 300g of flour adding 180g of water to make a thicker, soft crust .

The four dough balls were placed in bowls, covered with cling file and left to rise.

Christopher and Emma and Sam and Gemma were in attendance to eat the pizzas with Sue and I around to mop up anything the others couldn't manage.  Each pizza was made and cut into eight slices.  The four of them ate the two large pizza and one smaller pizza, before admitting defeat.  That left one pizza over which Sue and I shared - well, Sue had one slice and I ate the rest.

London Marathon

I spent this morning watching the London Marathon. I really miss running, it was a large part of my life.

I am still getting the occasional twinge of pain from the plantar fasciitis in my left heel. I have not been able to run seriously since 12th Dec last year and I feel unfit. I have put on weight and am almost a stone and a half heavier than this time last year. My jeans and some shirts feel tight and uncomfortable.

On Monday, I will go to Up & Running and buy a new pair of running shoes and go out for a gentle jog.

Pizza oven fixed

There is still no sign of the Pizza Oven switch yet, so I emailed Rainbow Catering. I received a very prompt reply to say they had checked with the courier and it was out for delivery.

I had completely given up hope, when at 19:40, a white van pulled up outside the house. It was the switch delivered by Fedex.

I phoned Christopher, who popped in on the way home from the gym and installed the new switch. What a star.

Pizza party soon.

Pizza oven failure

Easter is over and sadly, Sue has gone back to work. Sam has no work today and has gone with Gemma to Sandy Bay, Exmouth, to visit Gemma's family who are on holiday there. I am at home alone with a few jobs to do.

I had some pizza dough left over, which I made  a week ago. After a week in the fridge, the dough will produce a wonderful light, airy, crisp pizza. I turned on the pizza oven just after midday. Soon after 1:00 pm it was up to temperature. I left it for a while and on returning, I found that all the lights were out. I checked everything; power, fuses etc., and then found that the on/off switch was siezed up. The switch had been temperamental for some time and I had stopped using it, turning the oven on and off at the power switch on the wall instead. It seems the switch has finally died.

I phoned Christopher, who was not working today. He popped in on the way back from the gym and tested the switch with his meter and confirmed it was broken. Then he managed to prise out the switch from the oven and disconnect the wires.

I found the replacement switch on the Lincat Spares web site. The switch itself was inexpensive (£2.65 + vat), but the delivery was £7.50 + vat and would take 3 to 4 days to arrive. This is bad when compared to the P&P and delivery times I have recently experienced with eBay. I was reluctant to deal with this company. Christopher suggested that RS Components could have a suitable alternative. I drove down to RS Components and bought a switch which appeared identical, but on returning home found it to be slightly too large to fit in the aperture in the oven.

I ordered the correct replacement part online from Lincat Spares. Assuming they dispatch it tomorrow, Thursday 12th April, and allowing 4 working days for delivery, it should arrive here on Wednesday 18th. We will see.

Unfortunately, having spent so much time on the pizza oven, I hadn't done the jobs I should have done. Sue was not pleased, but to me, a broken pizza oven is a  major catastrophe and just has to be attended to immediately, especially as I have a new bag of Caputo in the house.

Tesco Beer Offer

Tesco have a good beer offer on at the moment, which runs until 30th April. Some lager type beers are 3 for 2 and nearly all of their bottled ales are 'Any 4 for £5.50'.

I bought 3 x 75cl bottles of Leffe Blonde and 4 x 500ml bottles of ale, all these for less than £12.

Old Crafty Hen 6.5% abv

McEwans Champion 7.3% abv
Exmoor Beast 6.6% abv
Wychwood King Goblin 6.6% abv


The real bargain here is the Old Crafty Hen which normally sells for £2.79 a bottle and at 4 for £5.50 works out less than half price.

Pizza with the new Caputo flour

We are well and truly back from holiday now and the weather has changed and is much cooler, so I am in need of some hot comfort food for my lunch. It's time to try out the new bag of Caputo Pizza flour.

Making the dough, I started with 60% hydration level (i.e. 60g of water per 100g of flour). The dough turned out very soft and 'wet' and so I added more flour to adjust the hydration level to 58%. This was better and more easy to handle. The flour in the previous bag had gone a few months past its 'best before' date and it was no longer possible to produce a satisfactory smooth dough even with 62% hydration. You usually get about 8 months from the date of purchase until the best before date and a 25kg bag of flour makes approx. 125 pizzas.

I use 200g of flour for each pizza base and make 2 pizza bases at a time. i.e 400g of flour.

Method: Put all the water into the food processor bowl. Add 1/2 to 2/3 of the flour and mix until smooth. Leave for 20 - 30 mins. (this rest period is called 'autolyse').

After the rest period, add the yeast, salt and the remainder of the flour and process until  a smooth dough is achieved. Divide into two balls and cover with cling film.

Leave to rise. I made four dough balls, one for now and I put the remaining three in the fridge for a slow rise to be used at a later date. The dough improves with time. In the past I have used up to seven day old refrigerated dough and it produces a very light and airy pizza base.

Here is the assembled pizza before going into the oven at 400 deg C. The toppings are tomato sauce, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, pitted green olives, red chili peppers, fresh basil and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil.

I checked the pizza after 90 secs and it was done, so I quickly whipped it out before it burnt. At 400 deg C there is very little lee way. The oven takes takes over an hour to get up to temperature and the pizza is done after 90 secs to 2 minutes.

The crust was soft, light and full of air pockets. The new flour is a huge improvement, but the last bag may have originally been the same but just deteriorated over time. Time will tell.








Sue arrived home from work at around 5:00 pm and she sat down with a cup of tea and the newspaper to relax. Smiffy joined her. I didn't realise he could read.

Later in the evening Suzanne, Howard and Sara came round for drinks. Howard brought his recently purchased iPad 2 with him. Sue and Howard played with their iPads and made Facetime calls. 

Holiday at Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village 24/3 - 2/4

I attempted to update the blog while on holiday using my laptop tethered to my Samsung mobile, and while this arrangement allowed me perfect 3G internet access, for some reason, uploading photos to Blogger was taking a very long time, so I abandoned it in favour of updating on our return.

We spent 10 days staying in a luxury caravan at  Burnham-on-Sea Holiday Village, a Haven Holidays venue. The caravan was the largest we have stayed in, 14 x 40 ft, with double glazing and central heating. It had a lot of decking with patio table and chairs on the veranda. There was a dishwasher, washing machine/tumble drier, a fridge and freezer, combi microwave, toaster, 32" flat screen TV, DVD player and a remote controlled electric fire. The bedroom had a king size bed, flatscreen TV and en suite toilet with bath and shower. There was also a separate toilet and shower.

The site was very clean and tidy and there were 2 picturesque fishing lakes. There was an on site bar/restaurant, the Mash and Barrel and the Showbar with entertainment including live cabaret acts, 'blue coat' shows, disco dancing etc. There were indoor and outdoor pools and crazy golf, archery, football pitches, tennis courts, bike hire and much more. 

The weather was excellent. We had 9 days of sunshine with blue cloudless skies. Temperatures were in the low 20's, exceptional weather for March.

When we arrived, I looked at the map for local attractions. There was Cheddar, Wedmore, Wooky Hole, Clarkes Village, Wells, Minehead, Exmoor, Lynton and Lynmouth, but we did none of them. The weather was so good, we just sat on the caravan veranda and relaxed, ate and drank and sunbathed. We walked and went for runs on the footpath beside the River Brue and explored Burnham. In the evenings we either ate in the Mash and Barrel, or cooked in the caravan. We did eat once in an Indian Restaurant in Burnham called the Chandni. Checking Trip Advisor for the Chandni, 8 of the 13 reviews were 5 star, so we had high hopes. My thoughts follow later.

As Burnham is so close to home, we had some visitors. On the Tuesday morning, Dave and Jan came to visit and we showed them around the site and the lakes and Burnham and had a coffee sat by the outdoor swimming pool. Christopher came to visit on the Thursday evening and we had a meal and drinks in the Mash and Barrel. Sam came to visit on Saturday afternoon and we showed him round and had a meal together.

It was a wonderful relaxing holiday. And just 35 miles from home.

When we got back home,we were still feeling in the holiday mood, so we went out for supper to the Three Brooks.  


Here are some holiday photos. 

Our Home for 9 Days

The Kitchen




Sport Relief Mile - Burnham

The Lake

Sue by the Lake

Lunch al Fresco

Winnie the Pooh Claw Machine

This Claw Machine was in the amusement arcade in the Entertainment Complex by the Mash and Barrel bar/restaurant. It was full of Winnie the Pooh cuddly toys and Sue was determined to win one. Whenever the claw grabbed one of the bears, it would start to lift up and then the bear would drop out. Sue must have put about £10 into that machine at 20p a go without a single win.

When we got home, I had a look on eBay and found an almost identical Winnie the Pooh. There were no bids on it and the auction ended the following morning. I won it for a fraction of the £10 Sue had spent. It arrived in the post today (Thurs 5th April).

more to follow.

Chandni Indian Restaurant - Burnham

We were greeted at the door of the Chandni and invited to sit at a table of our choice. It was a Monday evening and the restaurant was not busy. The interior decor was very modern and it looked as if it had recently been refurbished.

They had Kingfisher and Cobra on draft, so we both ordered Cobra (which is less fizzy) and poppadoms and pickle tray to start.

When eating out at an Indian restaurant, I always compare it to our favourite, the Taj Brasserie in Winterbourne. The Chandni pickle tray had four smallish dishes: onion salad, lime pickle, mango chutney and yougurt mint sauce. The Taj present you with six large size dishes: onion salad, lime pickle, mango chutney, yogurt mint sauce, coconut chutney and olives and I have not found better.

Sue ordered a salmon dish, with pilau rice and I opted for chicken tikka madras with pilau rice and a peshwari naan to share.

Sue's meal looked very impressive. I wish I had taken a photograph. There were two large salmon fillets covered with a curry sauce and the central feature was a whole onion carved to look like a flower. Sue said it was the best curry meal she had ever had.

My chicken tikka madras looked good. There was no sign of the usual oil you often get floating on the top of the curry sauce. The sauce had a very thick consistency and was about average heat for a madras. Indian restaurants make their base curry sauce from a puree of onion, ginger and garlic, spices, tomatoes, tomato puree and perhaps some other vegetables. The onions should be cooked slowly so that they become sweet and the raw taste is cooked out. Unfortunately, there was still a raw onion taste in this sauce, which spoilt it for me. Also, I found the chicken to be strange. Instead of the usual fibrous texture, this was more homogenous. Difficult to explain, but I have experienced chicken like this at other Indian establishments. Perhaps it could be due to the tikka marinating process. Sue had been very impressed with her meal, but sadly not so for me.   

At the end of the meal, we were presented with a free glass of Baileys and mint chocolates which was a very nice touch. The service and attention we received was first class.