The Gastrocast

The blog behind the Gastrocast Cooking show

March 25th, 2005

Dinner last night

 I was invited to dinner last night at the neighboring farm. It just happens to be a Monestary with the only Raw Milk dairy license in the State. The dinner was a sort of Passover recollection meal–Lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, etc.  I use the big kitchen at the monestary when I cook large events on the island. In return I help out there occasionally and offered to help with last nights dinner as there were many other guests. Along with raising a dairy herd they also raise Cottswold sheep, pigs, cattle, etc.  Do I hear soundseeing tour? You bet, as soon as I can get mobile!  Talk at dinner turned to butchering–a pet peeve of mine in the States, as in the Butchers here don’t know what they’re doing (at least locally)–please pitch in here if you know something of a remedy.  The leg of lamb we had, from the Sister’s own herd had been whacked apart by the meat-cutter who processed the animals post slaughter. It wasn’t even cut into nice portions which made carving difficult. I can remember when we used to raise our own cattle and send it off for cutting and wrapping. We never got back recognizable cuts. I always had a sneaking suspicion that the butcher was giving us the lesser cuts, and ground meat, while selling off the prime, tenderloin, sirloin, filet, etc. Partly why we stopped raising our own meat; that and loosing field rights. . . . I would love to study more about butchering and revive the art so lost here.  In England and Ireland where I have studied cooking there are clearly defined cuts. I suppose in NYC and LA the big restaurants can get what they want. My supplier, sometimes can get me the exact cuts I like to use, but the local people are clueless.



Talk at dinner also turned to the Dairy and milk–or the lack of it. It seems that the cows have dried up and failed, for the moment to be re-bred. Great for the milkers–all 7 or 8 cows are hand milked (my personal record is 20lbs in 15 minutes. . . .), but not so good for the customers.  What’s worse is I was hoping to talk the Sisters into starting up their cheeses again. What better than a local, farm produced raw cow’s milk cheese where you know exactly how it has been made and handled. People go miles to seek such a thing. I am hoping to show the Sister’s that it would be a viable thing if they started it up again, if only for selfish culinary reasons.  What do you think?

Popularity: 7% [?]

March 25th, 2005

Can’t Ping

 Haven’t been able to ping audio.weblogs.com in the last 48 hours — what’s up with that? Seems to be stuck on last Wednesday. Ah technology.

Popularity: 8% [?]

March 25th, 2005

Non-food related Rant

I’m sitting here, trying to download some new podcasts– Catholic Insider, and the latest Soundseeing Tours, and I’m getting no where. What’s worse is I keep getting dropped off of Dial-up. I’m not sure whether there are limitations in my telephone line, or whether there is some bandwidth limiter at the modem on the other end. It seems that I can be logged on for hours with no problems if I’m just surfing, but as soon as I begin to download anything, and surf I get dropped. Sometimes it is just the downloading. It’s beginning to piss me off royally! It takes sooooo long to search for anything or check gmail, etc it’s becomming impossible.



What’s worse is I keep feeling that I’m missing out on stuff. I would love to be downloading many more podcasts than I already am. I was trying to check out IT Conversations this morning but it’s just become so much of a hassle. I normally reserve rants like this for my other blog, but I thought this is more appropo of podcasting.



Now you’re probably wondering why I’m still on Dial-up: why doesn’t he shut up and just get broadband already? Fact is I’d love to.  Apart from being a bit of a squeeze financailly at the moment, though, it is becasue I live on an island. Shaw Island.  There is no easy way to get DSL where I happen to live on the island. Apparently, when last I checked I am just at the maximum allowed distance from the main hub so it would be dicey. That may have changed, I guess I should look into it.  I currently have a PTO from a Willys Jeep Station Wagon listed on ebay. ( I wish I still had the truck.) When it sells, perhaps I should put that money towards broadband if I can get it. Problem is I can’t even investigate it without putting in an work order, ie subscribing to the service, before finding out whether I can or can’t get it. At this point I’d do it. The whole thing is giving me a headache, and I want to download the latest update to Circus Ponies Notebook which I use for everything, and I am sure there are security updates I need to install. . . .




Popularity: 7% [?]

March 25th, 2005

Where o’ where. . . .

 Here’s what I spend my time doing; searching for hard to find cheeses for a friend:



delicious

Popularity: 8% [?]

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