Polydactls also known as The Hemingway Cats

Most cats have four toes on their back paws and five toes on their front paws.  Exceptional cats can have six toes, or more rarely, seven toes on each paw, making 28 toes.

Ernest Hemingway had more than 50 cats at his Florida home, about half of which were polydactls, cats born with extra toes.

The word is Greek in origin, "poly" meaning "many" and "dactylos" meaning "digits."

Polydactls were popular on boats with fishermen.  With their extra toes, they had a better grip on the deck if the sea turned rough.

Spanish Style Roast Lamb - Castilian - with Potatoes and Onions

This is a popular dish in Spain when eating at home or outside.  Each person is often served a whole baby leg of lamb but a large one between a family will do just as well.

Ingredients:

Large leg of lamb (3-1/2 pounds) or 1.5 kg.
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of fresh thyme (or dried)
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
A wine glass of white wine
1/2 a pint of water (300 ml)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of wine vinegar
Juice of a lemon
6-8 large potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1cm thick rings
2 large onions, peeled and sliced into rings

Method:

Rub the olive oil into the lamb along with the thyme, salt and pepper.  Make slits in the lamb and insert the sliced garlic slivers.  Set aside for about an hour for the lamb to absorb the flavours.

 

Put the onion rings and potatoes in a roasting tin, together with the garlic cloves.

Put the lemon juice, wine vinegar, water and white wine into a pan and bring to the boil.  Pour half over the meat and place in a preheated oven at 230C/450F (gas mark 8) for 15 minutes.

Then reduce the heat to 180C/375F (gas mark 5) and continue to cook allowing 15 minutes per pound if you like it rare or 25 minutes per pound if you like it well done.  Baste with the remain liquid occasionally.

Serve the lamb on a platter with the potatoes and onions.  Green vegetables would be a great accompaniment as would a bottle of Faustino red wine.

Fried Emperador or Swordfish in English

Swordfish is a straightforward way to eat fish without worrying about bones.  The Spanish word for swordfish is emperador.

Ingredients:

2 swordfish steaks
A little olive oil
A few threads of saffron soaked in water or milk
Salt and pepper
Juice of half a lime or lemon

Method:

Pour the olive oil into a shallow frying pan and when warm add the swordfish and fry slowly, adding the salt, pepper and saffron.  After about 4 minutes turn the fish and add the juice of the lime.

Serve with white rice or baby potatoes with fried tomatoes and fresh herbs.

Spanish Style Tuna Stuffed Eggs

Ingredients:

5 eggs, hardboiled and peeled
Half a tin of tuna
1 tablespoon of salad cream or mayonnaise
A dash of salt
Paprika to decorate

Method:

Cut the eggs in half.  Snip a little off the bottom so they sit flat on a plate.  Take the yolks out and place in a bowl to mix with the tuna, salt and salad cream.  Spoon this mixture back into the egg whites and sprinkle with paprika.

As an alternative, mix a little curry paste in the stuffing and leave out the paprika.

A Simple Salmon Salad

When summer is just around the corner, this is good for a light lunch or supper.

Ingredients:

Some lettuce, washed and drained
Cucumber slices
Tomato slices
Mooli (washed, peeled and sliced)
Boiled baby potatoes, cooled and sliced in half
A few olives
2 slices of Haloumi cheese
1 portion of salmon
Juice of half a lemon
Cumin powder
Pickled cucumber
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place the salmon in a tin foil parcel....sprinkle with lemon juice, salta and pepper, followed by a teaspoon of cumin powder.  Cook in a preheated over at 180c for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile roll the Haloumi cheese in seasoned flour and fry on a griddle pan with a little olive oil and sprinkle with chopped coriander.  Cook until crispy, about 2 minutes each side.

Serve the salmon and cheese accompanied by the salad ingredients.

Chicken with spinach and egg

Ingredients:

1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 breasts of chicken, skinned and cubed
Half a tin of chopped tomatoes
2 spoons of curry powder
Half a bag of frozen spinach
Small amount of water to cook with
Salt and pepper to taste
Boiled eggs (1 per person)
A little oil to fry

Put a little oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions, until translucent.  Then add the chicken and cook until sealed.  Add the curry powder, salt and pepper and stir together.  Then add the chopped tomatoes with a little water to cover the meat.  Leave to simmer for half an hour before adding the spinach and peeled boiled eggs.  Simmer on a low heat for another 10 minutes and serve with slices of toast.

Let's remember our Welsh Poet W.H. Davies today

It has been a lovely warm spring day over much of the UK.  So a timely reminder of his great poem:

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep and cows....."