The Gastrocast

Attention all UK fans! This chart and one for pork and lamb grace the walls of the kitchen in Gordon Ramsay’s F Word–second series.

I would love to know how to lay my hands on these three posters.

Sure I can buy something similar here. But what I want is the UK cuts, not the American ones. If anyone knows where I can purchase these, or how to obtain them, I would love. . .L. O. V. E. to know.

Thanks

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It’s snowing again. I’m trying to find time and spirit to get this week’s show started. I am also trying to sort out refridgerators and freezers which were off for three days.

So meanwhile, have a look at the photoset of snowy pictures, and register for the FORUM–where even now I am uploading a "Members Only" video of the Wood Oven (pictured here, covered in snow) being used for Thanksgiving Turkey.

With a little luck this latest snow and the warming (it’s 29 degrees F, horray!) temperatures that have come with it won’t take us out like the last storm. One can hope anyway. Then maybe I can get caught up and produce a show!

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Three days without power has left me with severe lack of internet and blogging dementia.
Three days of cooking on a woodstove and trying to conserve propane when having to boil all water has left me with a new appreciation for all "new-fangled" labor saving devices like water heaters, dishwashers, ovens etc.

We finally got power back tonight, but it is tenuous. Trees are heavily overburdened with snow and the wind is picking up. In the snowy silence the only sounds have been the gun-shot like snapping of frozen trees and limbs and their crash to the ground.

Tonight is supposed to be the coldest yet–near zero F and more snow is expected tomorrow.
This wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary in Vermont, New Hampshire or Maine–even Alaska. But here on the island a foot of snow in 12 hours is an oddity. This is more snow than we have had in three or four years combined and the last time this much fell in one night we ended up with three feet. That was over 9 years ago. We are not set up for any amount of snow. We get rain and wind in the winter. The trees, giant Douglas Firs, Shore Pines and Cedars are used to that. Add the weight of tons of snow and problems occur. With soil that is only 8 inches deep in most places over rock, the trees have nothing to hold them in as the topple like dominoes. Our island is one of the smallest and it looks like it will be at least two weeks of cleanup just to clear the roads back to two lanes.

I’m going to try to get a show out this week–if the power stays on. I’ve had to move the smallest of chickens into the house to keep from freezing and I’ve got freezers and refridgerators to clean out and fences to mend but I think I need the sanity of routine to help me out here. It’s only the middle of the week and it feels like we’ve been at war with the elements for a month. And we are some of the lucky ones–we have fuel and water and a way to heat our house during this sort of emergency. We have food supplies for a month, at least and resources so we don’t have to leave home. I can’t imagine people  who don’t.

More later.

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It’s snowed 6 inches since this morning. Big deal you say?

That’s more snow than we’ve had in the last 6 years. What trees the gale force winds haven’t affected, the heavy snows are bringing down. We lost power some time ago–ah the wonder of a laptop and stolen dialup account–and we’re hunkered in for a night withou juice.

Just got back in from checking the animals.The electric fence was wiped out and needs mending. We patched it together, for now. Fortunately the animals aren’t in the mood for wandering–just eating what we’ve fed them.

We never get snow like this. It is an oddity. No surprise if it goes away tomorrow, except the forecast is for lower temperatures.

Time to go so I don’t waste battery power. Update when I can.

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Sorry, no show this week, but I send you this. Have a great Thanksgiving and I’ll be back next week with another Gastrocast. (Not that I’m going anywhere. . .so, skype me, email me or comment here if you’d like. . . .)

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You might find this interesting. If you want to play the game on a larger screen click here.

Thanks to Planet Raw Milk for the tip.

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A rough look at rough weather:

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A few days ago, Heather of Wiggly Wiggler’s asked me to do a top five of my favorite Wiggly Wiggler’s Podcast. No Problem,. . . or rather too many choices. In fact today’s show goes right up there as well.

So this morning I was honored, again, when Heather rang me up for an interview on Bokashi, EM, farming, food issues, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and The Gastrocast. I’ll let you know when the interview airs–probably in a few weeks. It will be a miracle if Heather can get the whole thing in one episode of the Wiggly podcast. I can’t speak for her, but it was a great pleasure talking with her and answering her questions.

I’ll cross post this to the forum so when and if it airs there can be a discussion on whether people agree with what I am saying, or if  I am talking utter bullocks as usual.

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This week’s show is here despite hell and high tide. . . .
After a very stormy week I am finally able to bring you tales of gales, news from the island and a Spanish Tortilla.

I encourage you to go join us at the Gastrocast Forum

Flickr Photos

Music care of The Podsafe Music Network–
    Intro: Recess After Rain by V Prime

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Yes, it sounds like He’s a immigrant hair dresser, but really He’s a lot more hands on than that, wink wink. . . .

Today we spent most of the day without power, being hammered by winds and rain which cut like icy knives. Out in the bay, the normal seagreen became a turgid and foamy brown as  high, surging waves tore up the muddy floor and smashed it against anything in its way. Moorings were torn loose, and in a real surprise a willow tree holding our bank together split in two in the middle of the trunk–I’ll have to post a picture, it’s too crazy and a miracle it wasn’t uprooted.

At one point today we were definitely Gale Force 9 verging on 10. I can’t quite quote actual figures other than visual and physical observation, because we are in a wierd zone where Seattle weather never matches ours, nor does Vancouver, BC which is only 20 miles away. Needless to say, with the roof now leaking, the breakwater torn loose and a yard strewn with broken limbs and tree bits it was a bit of a rough day.

I’m off to the mainland tomorrow, weather permitting to re-supply and get some repair items. I am glad I didn’t schedual to go today–it might have been a bit of a gill-greening ride. As it was, with the power out and the sky very dark and visibility obscured both by salt spray and driven rain, it was a good day to curl up by the hot woodstove with a few candles and some reading.

When I did venture out a few times to get soaked within minutes the rain was as if the sea were falling. The air was thick with a salty tang and every drop was distinctly kelpy. This was the third storm like this in a week (well, a titch more violent than the previous two). That’s two more than we ever get in November and already surplussing the winter’s total of violent storms. I hope we get a bit of a break before there are more.

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It’s blowing a Gale here–Gale Force 8 for those of you wanting the Shipping News, even though were far from Cromarty, Dogger or Heligoland.

So, I’m after surfing for books to read during a storm such as this with the sea beating in the windows and the salt spray billowing by like summer clouds when in Skype’s Lloyd.

In a rather echoy, far off, This is London Calling, sort of conversation I mentioned to Lloyd that I had launched The Gastrocast Forum, emailing the link to a small group directly at first. What I forgot was that I hadn’t posted that link here yet. The original plan was to mention it on this week’s show and put it in the show notes–but with the winds a-blowin’ and the house creaking, even writing this is a tenuous business fraught with data crash possabilities.

So then here it is: The Gastrocast Forum.  Please join in and help make this community thrive as a place to talk about the intersection of food, cooking, the politics of what we eat and farming.

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A random selection of my most interesting photos:

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Something a bit different for this week’s show. Firstly, we do no cooking. But have faith! Secondly, there is no flickr set–but have faith! Scroll down and all will be revealed.

Links for today’s show:

The River Cottage Treatment
Horse Slaughter
E. Coli Cider

Cider Presses to die for.
Taste TV

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network:
Intro: The Long Walk Home– V Prime
Outro: Goodbye–American Catapult
Inbetweens: Let the Magic In–Boffius

Now for the Cider Making Video:

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The Democratic Victory on November 7th is claimed by the Republicans to be due to issues surrounding Iraq. The Democrats say that people are fed up with Corruption and Graft, but could the results of the election have been due to the much more fundamental issue of Net Neutrality?

Find out all you need to know here.

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And I don’t mean you Mr. Bush.

On the one day when American’s have their chance to speak out, albeit in a limited way, for Liberty and Democracy, the State of Washington is beset with torrential rains. Granted, Mid-Term elections are never heavily attended, nor are Presidential elections, but this year seems to matter more than usual. Yet, what could be worse Voter Intimidation than major flooding in 18 counties of a staunchly Democratic State?

In my county we all vote by Absentee Ballot. My wife and I  voted in the comfort of our kitchen with coffees in hand, while the rain poured down, the pond overflowed and yard became a sea of mud, and discussed the issues, the choices, and cast our votes. Most of the time we agree anyway so our votes don’t cancel each other out. We could have mailed the ballots in on Saturday, but we elected (ha ha) to walk the ballots in to the county courthouse and drop them off, thereby saving the stamp. I joked that the box where we dropped the ballots might as well be a shredder.

This morning I heard, but cannot find evidence of, a lawsuit against our county based on the barcode on the actual ballot. I noticed it while I was filling it out, but never thought much about it. Surely it would be too evil if that barcode actually linked my ballot directly back to me. It would involve more effort than it is worth in the long run. . .I hope. . . . So what then is it for? I hope they sort this thing out soon, as they are talking about switching the whole state over to absentee balloting–which in my opinion would be a good thing. It would stop intimidation and coercion and acts of God from preventing the people’s will.

It’s hard to think of America as the Great Nation it is supposed to be at a time like this when the worst in people comes out.

Whereever you are, what ever the weather–get out there and vote. The more the merrier, and the less chance of malicious control.

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