“I’m too old to fall in love, but I ain’t old enough to die. I’m too old to run, but I can outwalk you because I know how to pace myself. I know when to work and when to rest. I know what to eat and what sits heavy on my stomach. I know there ain’t any point in trying to drink all the licker in the world, because they’ll keep on making it. I know I’ll never be rich, but I’ll never be stone-poor, neither, and there ain’t much I can buy with money that I ain’t already got”.
Pörkölt and Lecsó
Having quite a lot of venison in the freezer, and having taken advantage of some Fruit & Veg special which left me with lots of green and yellow bell peppers, I made Pörkölt (Hungarian venison stew) and Lecsó (Hungarian vegetable stew with bell peppers). Both are heavy on the paprika, I shall have to stock up next time I’m in Hungary (which will be early August, assuming the world doesn’t again go mad before then).
For the Pörkölt, I used duck fat instead of lard, I still had some in the freezer. Did not add marjoram because that’s unobtanium at the moment, oregano had to suffice. I also didn’t add the 2 cups of stock but used a stock cube instead, because I stuck it in the Instant Pot (pressure cooker) for 20 minutes instead of simmering for 2 hours.
The Lecsó really does compliment the Pörkölt, so do them both. And rice. I like rice.
Middelburg 2022
Episode $NEXT in our quest for affordable free-range meat.
Jägermeister at 07:30 before heading out.
Stronger than he looks
I have an SX-28, and no, your face does not look like that when you are holding an SX-28 like that — or at least, mine doesn’t.
(From Radio Craft, March 1942)
There is nothing as permanent as a temporary emergency*
2020-03-15
On 15 March 2020 President Ramaphosa declared a State of Disaster. He has just renewed it, officially into the third year.
The State of Disaster gives Government the right to make rules as they seem fit, and we went into lockdown from March 26, supposedly for 21 days — three weeks.
President Ramaphosa on Monday (23/03) announced the lockdown in South Africa for 21 days from March 26 to April 16, 2020, to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Yea, right. It lasted into May, when they eased it a little bit, but parts of it are still with us, two years later. And here we are. They’re not letting go of that sweet, sweet power.
There is obviously still some money left to steal.
* Robert A. Heinlein, The Man Who Sold the Moon.
Flea Market Find
The Cape Town Amateur Radio Club traditionally has a flea market at the beginning of March. This year I didn’t take anything to sell, and strictly speaking I didn’t buy anything either — I said “ooh nice!” the fellow said “take it” so I gave him R20 and said “take it”.
“SEC” is probably Something Electronic Company, there’s a “JAPAN” sticker on the back.
Inside is fairly mundane, a tapped transformer, a selenium rectifier which dates it to the late fifties / early sixies, a pi filter with two caps and a resistor, a series light bulb “O.C.L.” and a couple meters and associated resistors.
It’s pretty, it’s going on the shelf.
Easy mince curry
Let’s say you have some mince, and you feel like a curry. Get out your Dutch Oven.
- Oil, onions, red or yellow bell peppers, quick heat, slow heat, leave onions to caramelise a bit. Maybe add garlic.
- Add mince, heat, brown.
- One or two tin(s) chopped tomatoes, one packet Ina Paarman Tikka Curry. Simmer for as long as you want to.
- Maybe add halved baby or cubed potatoes, simmer until cooked.
- Maybe stir in some frozen peas at the end.
- Serve with rice, or wrap it in a roti, or stick it on a bun and call it a Sloppy Joe.
Kafka, Facebook. Facebook, Kafka.
- If I do think it was me (it was), what do I do?
- If I don’t think it was me, how do I log into Facebook, seeing as how they’re blocking my logins?
I blinked
Sometime yesterday. I only noticed when I reset the odo when I filled up. Yea, the price of fuel is going up again :-/
Next target, the second light-second.
