Volume 3, Issue 2, February 2009 Journalism as never before  

Contents

Front PageAround TownThis MonthFebruary FunSpotlightLifestyleLifestyle TooWeird WildlifeFun & GamesCommunityEnterprising LocalsClassifiedClassified TooThe Back Page

Current Issue

Contact UsArchive

The Bugle only
 

Lifestyle

Tulips and Snowdrops?

Rethymnon Coffee Morning Bugle - LifestyleCarnival aside, February tends to be a bit of a strange month here in some respects — and this month’s ‘Lifestyle’ page is certainly strange (we should be back to normal in March, whatever ‘normal’ might be)! By the end of February spring is definitely well on its way, so by all accounts it should be a good month to start thinking about the garden and getting those seedlings on the go. A good opportunity for the lifestyle editor to write a ‘gardening feature’, one might think. On the other hand, if there is going to be a really cold snap here at any point during the year, February will be the month for it (when we say ‘cold’ we mean ‘cold’ in Mediterranean terms, not in Arctic terms, though we have occasionally seen snow here in Rethymnon). Which of course may mean that the seeds fail to germinate and all those lovingly nurtured fledging plants fall victim to frostbite and people might get annoyed. So, what to do? Maybe sup another winter warming raki whilst looking for inspiration….

Rethymnon Coffee Morning Bugle - LifestyleBut we really shouldn’t grumble. If previous years are anything to go by, there will be some serious downpours this month, but unless we are really unlucky there are bound to be at least some sunny days too. OK, we won’t be thinking about beachwear for several weeks to come, it is true…. But when the weather is good in February, it’s a great time to be out and about exploring all that there is on offer in Rethymnon and the surrounding area. As you can see from the photo, the Venetian Harbour in Rethymnon is lovely and peaceful at the moment. This is a very different scene to the one in high summer, when a ‘romantic stroll’ from one end of the harbour to the other involves negotiating an obstacle course of restaurant tables, dodging tourist groups and running the gauntlet of waiters competing for business in the blistering heat. Enjoy it while you can!

Recipe: ‘Surreal Seasonal Omelette’

As spring is about to spring (as we have said, winter is short here, though sometimes dramatic) it is time to think of some seasonal recipes. Well, chickens are always in season, aren’t they? (Pedants, please don’t start on the unusual mating habits of the Attwater Prairie Chickens, fowl as they may be.) As they say, you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs (and, yes, in case you were wondering, we are going for the ‘just how many clichés can you fit into a recipe’ prize). So, a ‘bird in the hand’ may not necessarily help (especially if it is an albatross), but a ‘stitch in time’ might save nine bald headed eagles. Some of you cynics out there may be wondering whether the cookery correspondent really knows how to cook an omelette, or is just engaging in a bit of displacement therapy. Time will tell….By the by, the editor’s favourite joke of all time goes like this — Question: ‘Why is a duck?’ Answer: ‘Because one of its legs is both the same’. Which isn’t really relevant if you are talking about chickens, though duck’s eggs are nice too. For those Magritte fans out there missing the surreal point, try thinking about umbrellas. But seriously folks….

Rethymnon Coffee Morning Bugle - Surreal Seasonal OmeletteYou will need:

Eggs. We prefer eggs from happy chickens. How do you tell if a chicken is/was happy? We could quote various philosophers on the subject of ‘happiness’ (rather fewer on poultry, it has to be said). When asked, Gertrude, our Red Rhode Island Hen, had this as a response: “When your rooster don’t need no booster, you go cluck cluck cluck”.

Milk. Don’t get me started on the laughing cow (though see our piece on ‘happy milk’ on our Weird Wildlife page) or goatherds, and don’t even mention musicals with hills or singing nuns.

Mediterranean Herbs, seasoning, a little olive oil. This is pretty straightforward, we think you will agree. Cayenne and paprika add a little zing.

Things to go in the omelette. The world is your whelk?

NEXT MONTH: A SENSIBLE RECIPE, HONESTLY!

Cocktail of the Month: ‘Flipping Out’

Rethymnon Coffee Morning Bugle - Flipping OutShrove Tuesday — Pancake Day, is on the 24th February this year. For those of our readers who are unfamiliar with this concept, Shrove Tuesday is the English equivalent of Mardi Gras. In some parts of the UK it is customary to have pancake races and ‘pancake flipping’ contests on this day. So it seemed appropriate to choose a type of ’flip’ as our cocktail of the month. Apparently (thanks to Wikipedia, yet again!) the word ‘flip’ was first used in 1695 to describe a mixture of beer, rum and sugar heated with a red hot iron: “Thus we live at sea; eat biscuit and drink flip”. Aye, aye, captain! As time went by, people stopped using beer and started to add egg to the mix.

Rethymnon Coffee Morning Bugle - Flipping OutModern flips can be served either warm or cold, though you don’t really need to have a red hot iron to hand in order to heat up the drink.

For a classic brandy flip you will need: brandy, water (hot or cold), beaten egg, sugar and nutmeg and/or ginger. Variations include the addition of cream, and substituting brandy for gin, rum or whisky.

The source we consulted didn’t give us information about relative proportions of ingredients to be used, so why not experiment? Carry on flipping until you flop (well, perhaps not!)…..

  Mrs Beeton Groupies