Meat-ona-stick

9 hours into a 12 hour shift the other day, and I got my lunch break. Utterly starving what do I get to eat as we travel back to station? Well on the day in question I found a new Turkish restaurant and takeaway on Narborough road, 'Istanbul'. I didn't have much time so I couldn't choose one of the really tasty kebabs sitting there waiting to be grilled over the charcoal, but the nice family guy serving suggested the schwarma, lamb or chicken. I said yes please, lamb please.
To the uninitiated, schwarma looks a bit like Donner kebab. And I have a place in my hear for donner, but at three in the afternoon... Schwarma is different in that meat is sliced thinly, marinated and spiced then arranged on the big vertical spike for grilling. This is different from the thoroughly minced fat rich and often industrial product that is the Donner we know and secretly love. Schwarma are usually made in house and as such differ in flavour wherever you get it.
Istanbul serves its schwarma on a bed of really tasty shortgrain rice, with a separate tray of salad and pickles and half of a substantial flat bread which was moist and chewy coated in sessame and tasty. The lamb was so rich and flavoursome I'm thinking it was hogget, but all the better for that in my book, lightly spiced but with good flavours.
£7 for a whole takeaway meal? It was worth it. And for the same price I could have eaten it there if i'd had more time. Another day another kebab. Happy days.

Fasting for Life

Since watching Michael Mosely on the BBC's Horizon telling us, with scientific evidence, why having the odd day a week off eating, or with minimal minimal intake will be good for her longterm health, I have been intermittently fasting.
I have tried the odd diet in the past when feeling a little on the porky side, gorging on meat while reading the work of doctor Atkins, or avoiding mixing carbs and protien or even, shock eating less and doing more! With all the diets I tried I did lose weight, though with the exception of the eat less do more diet, it all involved constant denial. Whilst the eat less do more didn't ask me not to eat less just to climb mountains each day if i wanted to enjoy my food. Happily for me at the time I was living and working in the lakedistrict as an outdoor instructor and so found this disciplin doable.

These days my work is much less physical, and becoming a gym rat, well I tried it but... Nah.

I am  very food focused, it occupies my thought most days  from early on, and by the time Phil asks me if iv'e any thoughts on 'whats for dinner?' I tend to give some quite detailed suggestions. This leads her to letting me know in no uncertain terms, that if I  fancy  prawn and pork potstickers, or calamari, or Smoked low 'n' slow beef brisket on the bbq, then i'm doing the cooking...
It can get a little tireing, constantly thinking of what to eat, what I need to get in and how to prepair it, especially as we rarely have the same meal repeated.
For all these reasone intermittent fasting has been a sucessful part of my life for a few months now. The weight loss is slow but steady and the process pretty painless.
Two non consecutive days a week  I eat less than 600 calories generally in one large veg or salad fest'.
Doesn't that hurt? or leave me all wobbly and faint? nope. hunger comes and goes, the urge to gorge on a mighty burger or stuff cheesy pasta down my neck, (or bag of doughnuts) doesnt happen.
Due to the whole 'intermittent' thing i know that Burger, bun, bagel, beef, beer or backlava are all mine tomorrow.
So here's to intermittent fasting, long life and a healthy appetite.

Getting cooked for.

Tonight Phil cooked for me. Roasted marinated chicken thighs and drumsticks, garlicky herby potato wedges and tahini harrisa mayo with a good load of salad and some Spanish red. Super tasty comforting and satisfying food. Thanks Pippa!

One of the best breakfasts?

Lazy day before back to work tomorrow so whats one of the best ways of setting yourself up for a day of lazing about and maybe some light gardening?
The answer today was toast. Unfortunately the bread bin was bare, but when I have a toast head on there's no stopping me, and I'm just glad we have a waitrose down in the village so good real bread is available every day.
Today big French white was called for. All toasted under the grill, and served with home made jams, Turkish 'gul receli' a rose petal jam, and of course Marmite! Washed down with a gallon of tea and the 'I' crossword.

Heavily buttered toast, your mums marmalade, tea and the paper... heaven? close.

Phillipas' 'Marmalion' a dandylion marmalade? sounds odd, but tastes great.