Desperate for Prawns

We made our own recipe for a rice dish that we make with chicken, prawns or both. Originally we bought a shrimp ring as it was the cheapest way but then we started seeing BOGOF or half price deals for bags. Same thing of course.

It worked out cheaper and the bonus was the prawns were bigger.

These deals came around so often we'd buy a few bags and when stocks were low we'd look for another deal to top up. We got used to paying $8 or £9 for 900g worth. Somewhere around $1 for 100g became a very common price, the deals came around to one of the four supermarkets so often. Funnily enough the generally most expensive one usually had the best prawn deal.

But over the last year, the good offers have stopped. The "normal" price has increased and package sizes have been reduced too.

$9 worth that used to provide for 2 or 3 dinners for five, according to whether we had chicken as well, might just about do one now. If padded out with chicken.

It's become a bit of a luxury. But the meal has always gone magnificently with a Rosé wine. And these days I rarely enjoy a red wine and even my favourite white doesn't taste right.

I read something recently about Prawns from Thailand being the product of slave labour. Perhaps that's the reason for the higher cost if nations are boycotting that product and paying more elsewhere, passing the extra cost on.

But there appears to be something of a shortage too.

Now, of course, if I see something that's only expensive rather than a bank breaker, it stays in the shop if it's from Thailand.

There's something here called popcorn shrimp - just as there is chicken popcorn. They're not expensive. I have no idea if it's available in the UK. It's just shrimps (or chicken) in breadcrumbs. Like that old staple pub meal of Scampi (in the basket).

Now I've previously cooked breaded salmon in meals with sauces and you'd never know the salmon was anything but normal salmon. Even the breadcrumbs just disappear. Probably they thicken the sauce a bit.

So I hit upon the idea of doing the same with the popcorn shrimp I found in the bottom of the freezer; I was that desperate.

They worked very well. These were already cooked, unlike the salmon, so I only added them at the end. The breadcrumb coating remained attached and there was a little but of mushiness to them.

But it was fabulous to have our prawn dinner and a large glass of rosé again.

Breakfast

Today's Guardian has a 10 of the best B&B's in Britain.

From one of the 10: "Snuggle up in the kingsize bed, complete with Hungarian goose down, before ambling out into the pretty south-facing garden for a breakfast basket of organic goodies."

So typical of the guardian! I love the paper, but come on.

One of the joys of staying in a B&B is having the 'full English" in the morning. Having it cooked for you makes all the difference and it is a rare treat, whereas I imagine the person having the organic goodies probably does that as a matter of routine anyway.

That's as bad as the Brits I remember holidaying in Austria and getting out their 'British' tea and jam at the breakfast table - along with the more 'familiar looking' sliced loaf they bought in the local shop in readiness.

It's just so wrong

A very heartwarming story in the paper today. A couple, both 41, have discovered they have cancer. Just days apart.

While she awaited a biopsy result, he had a colonoscopy which identified inoperable cancer and then her result indicated cancer too. Both face a ton of treatement including surgery as well, for her. He has a likely two years to live, her prognosis is not stated.

They have kids of 6, 10 and 12. It's terrible.

Someone decides to raise funds for them and it's very moving reading of some of the donations. Over $60,000 has already been raised and the money, initially declined, may be needed for any number of things. Loss of earnings when having treatment; costs of attending hospital if some distance involved, perhaps out of province; prescription drugs - even if they have a good plan, co-payments will mount up. This is Canada and drugs cost a lot.

It really does portray people in a good light.

But then I remember where I come from and, despite all the cuts made by UK governments, all this is taken care of back in Britain for people in their position.

Canadians are very caring and all that. But why the fuck are they not putting these efforts into getting their government to take care of the people properly?

In terms of treatment within hospital and it being free at the point of service with nobody worrying about paying for it, it's on a par with the UK. That must have been fought for once upon a time. I can't imagine government just did it out of generosity.

Canadians are always complaining about "their tax dollars" and tax gouges, yet they are rightly proud of Medicare. But why does that not extend to enabling full treatment and the necessary safety nets to prevent hardship?

Season Preview

Obviously Chelsea and Man City will be battling for one and two.

I thought Chelsea blew it last season and should have won. City followed their first title (under Mancini) with a disappointing season and I think the same may happen again and that lets Chelsea in. But...

I'm unconvinced by Chelsea's signing of Diego Costa. Looks a good football league forward but not Premier League material.

Lack of European football last season massively helped Liverpool. It doesn't follow, though, that it will be a massive hindrance this season. Even without Suarez.

The thing is, they've been so long out of the picture that they are in the third seeds pot. This means that, like Man City previously, they face a ridiculously tough group stage.

Assuming Arsenal win their play off match they will be one of the pot one seeds again. Chelsea are already there so that means there are only 6 pot one opponents for Liverpool and that will be Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern as teams to really avoid and then Benfica, Atletico Madrid and Schalke/Dortmund.

Hard to say what Atleti will be like after losing a few players but it's 50/50 that Liverpool will draw one of the super three and you wouldn't bet on  them against the others.

Pot two could see Schalke/Dortmund, Juventus or PSG, so again 50/50 for tough opponents. Others could be Ajax and Olympiacos. Even Basel have proved difficult.

Supposed 'whipping boys' could be Roma, Anderlecht, Monaco.

Porto and Napoli will be somewhere too.

There's every chance that Liverpool's CL 'run' will end early and maybe no parachute into the Europa either.

If that happens, they may be just as free to concentrate on the league as last time, just missing Suarez but with a little more strength in depth.

Arsenal got off to a great start last season and then fell away mainly because of a poor record against the other top teams. Will that poor record change?

Alexis Sanchez should be good for them but may 'replace' rather than add something. Rotation and how Wenger handles it will possibly be an issue, but the main thing is likely to be their record against the rivals.

ManU were atrocious last season. Having said that, they still did okay in Europe and were decent away. They also won and drew against Arsenal. There have already been massive signs of improvement and without Januzaj and van Persie too. I see them as having a psychological edge on Arsenal and early fixtures may see ManU tot up some points advantage.

When the more difficult games come, they may have built some confidence that sees them through, especially as there's no European distraction.

I see ManU coming third to Chelsea/City and Liverpool battling with Arsenal for 4th. Arsenal to edge it if Liverpool make the CL knock out rounds.