Somewhat original
Smoked ham: Cured and hung on the bone, then gently smoked using applewood chips.
I eat ham quite often, also to lose weight. I then avoid eating bread with it. I have some vegetables like tomatoes or pickles instead.
I bought cooked ham at the local supermarket one day, but I did not like it. It was so soggy and tasteless. They prefer raw ham in Italy – it is called prosciutto crudo. You can have it with melon as a starter.
We always eat ham with boiled eggs. Eggs on Easter are usually boiled in the same water and then the white gets a lovely pinkish colour. The yolk does not become discoloured.
In Scotch eggs, the yolk has to flow a bit. It is hard to meet the proper time if you cook the egg. It is difficult to peel them if they are not properly cooked.
Chefs’ advice: put the boiled eggs on ice for a few minutes.
Garden equipment
Electric long-reach hedge trimmer
When hedge trimming or pruning, these special tools may come in handy to avoid climbing ladders.
People involved in gardening do a lot of work in autumn, like planting onions or tulips or daffodils. You may need spades or hoes to do this. If you water them, you may use a watering can or a hosepipe. It is easier to deliver them to the place where you wish to plant them by wheelbarrow.
Weeding is done in spring or in the summer. It is prudent to wear gloves, as some weeds like nettles may trigger the development of small vesicles or hives. The latter may prove very itchy.
The wood-burning stove…perfected.
A product that truly lives up to its name and reputation, lifting your spirits, as well as the temperature.
It is fashionable to install an open fireplace in the living room. It is a lovely view and is also effective in heating the house. It may serve as a stove where water can be boiled to prepare tea. Some other types of ovens, also called kilns, are mainly used to bake bread. They may have had ledges where people warmed things up, in the ‘good old days’.
Electricity or gas is mainly used in modern times. Storing wood and coal were common in cellars in my childhood. Smaller amounts of them were carried up into flats, in a basket or a bag, daily.
Hand-picked blackberries turned into jam
Blackberries grow along the edges of woods. They don’t ripen after having been picked, so only pick the sweet ones.
Gloves may protect your hands against black discolouration.
Wear long sleeves to protect your skin from scratches caused by sharp thorns.
Use a walking stick to reach higher branches. It will increase your yield.
Store them in a fridge. Put them into a large pan, add sugar and lemon juice, then simmer gently. If the surface starts to wrinkle, it is ready.
Leave the jam in a dark place for about 24 hours.
Eat with buttered bread or pancakes. It is delicious with porridge, too.
Corrected
Smoked Ham: Cured and hanged by the bone, gently smoked using applewood chips.
I eat ham quite often—especially when trying to lose weight. I avoid eating it with bread and usually have it with vegetables like tomatoes or pickles.
One day, I bought cooked ham from the local supermarket, but didn’t like it. It was soggy and tasteless. In Italy, people often prefer raw ham, called prosciutto crudo. It’s commonly served with melon as a starter.
At Easter, we always eat ham with boiled eggs. Traditionally, both are boiled in the same water, which gives the egg whites a lovely pinkish tint, while the yolks remain bright.
With Scotch eggs, the yolk should still be a little runny. Timing the cooking right can be tricky, and peeling the eggs becomes even harder if they are undercooked. To put them on ice cubes or add bicarbonate soda to the boiling water may do the trick. The days elapsed from harvesting the eggs also plays a crucial role.
Garden Equipment
Electric long-reach hedge trimmer
Long-reach electric tools can be very useful when trimming hedges or pruning—they help you avoid climbing ladders.
Gardeners often do a lot of work in the autumn, such as planting tulip or daffodil bulbs; you may need tools like spades or hoes for this. A watering can or hosepipe will help with watering, and a wheelbarrow is handy for transporting materials to where you want to plant things.
Weeding is usually done in spring or summer. It’s wise to wear gloves, as weeds like nettles can cause small blisters or itchy hives.
The Wood-Burning Stove… Perfected.
A product that truly lives up to its name and reputation—lifting your spirits as well as the temperature.
It has become fashionable to install an open fireplace in the living room. It creates a cosy atmosphere and is also effective for heating the house. Some stoves can even boil water to make tea. Other types of ovens—like kilns—were traditionally used to bake bread. In the past, they often had small ledges for warming food.
Nowadays, electricity or gas is more commonly used. When I was a child, storing wood and coal in the cellar was normal. Smaller amounts were brought up to the flats daily in baskets or bags.
Hand-Picked Blackberries Turned into Jam
Blackberries grow along the edges of woods. They don’t ripen once picked, so only pick the ripe, sweet-looking ones.
Gloves can protect your hands from dark stains, and long sleeves will shield your skin from scratches caused by the sharp thorns.
Use a walking stick or a long tool to reach the higher branches—it will help increase your harvest.
Store the berries in the fridge. To make jam, put them in a large pan, add sugar and lemon juice, and simmer gently. When the surface of the mixture starts to wrinkle, the jam is ready.
Leave it in a dark place for about 24 hours to set. Enjoy it with buttered bread or pancakes—it’s also delicious with porridge.
