Do You Like Your Neigbours?

I’m very annoyed with our two new neighbours living in 'to let' flats – below and on the side.  First the ones directly below, sadly the Malaysian family moved back to Manchester about four months ago and a young couple has moved in with two dogs: a Boxer and a Shih Tzu, oh and I mustn't forget the cat that has scared all the birds away.  The couple are okay, but in relation to their dogs – really, really lazy.  I have hardly ever seen them take their dogs for a walk, using the garden as the doggie toilet.  And recently, because its been pouring heavily, their laziness has taken another step. Now their front door opens, the dogs run out and poop in our driveway, because they cannot be bothered to step out and walk round a couple of steps into their garden.  This has really annoyed me.  This does not do us any favours, especially as our flat has recently gone on the market, this could potentially put of interested parties from buying.

I would say something, I can be very blunt at times but I think is it worth the aggro?  We will be moving home early next year: sale of the flat or not.  Is it worth getting into a conflictual relationship, I bite my lip as we are the ones with a vested interest in this property.  But it can't continue.  Fine if that is the way they wan to treat their part of their rented garden, but they should not be extending that liberty to our space.  So I will get D to speak to them if it continues to happen, he is much more considered in his approach than me.

Photograph taken in Liverpool 2010

The other neighbour who moved in about the same time, into Nessie’s home, are selfish in the way that they always block our driveway with their big vehicles.  We don’t have much benefits in the way of this flat, but what we do have is a driveway that we never seem to be able to access.  always having to bang on neighbours doors, give them a dirty look and tell them politely to move their vehicles so that we can get into our home. 

I really cannot wait to move now.  I can’t wait to have a house – the benefits of a house are huge, but one that comes to mind is around noise.  I look forward to hearing noise that will only be ours, not from the thin walls of people above and below.  Silence is a commodity afforded to some people.  I am not one of those people.  Ah can you tell I am a bit peeved today?! I got other worries on my mind, the last thing i want to be thinking of is irresponsible and selfish neighbours around me.  Sometimes just closing the doors at home, just doesn't seem enough.

Chilean Stew with Corn and Beans

What I love about cooking ethnically diverse and world wide cuisines is that I always learn something new, not just about the culture, country and its people, but about certain ingredients that I would otherwise not see or hear of.   Recently, I have been introduced to Calabaza squash, anasazi beans and pebre - a Chilean sauce.

This Chilean Stew which I am told is known as 'porotos granados' is recommended to be made with a Calabaza also known as West Indian Pumpkin.  Calabaza is popular through the Caribbean and South America.  There is an Afro-Caribbean grocers in Glasgow - Sollys African Village in the west end and I could have gone there and checked out there colourful selection of pumpkins and squashes, but I read that the flavour was similar to both acorn squash (and butternut squash), so that is what I have substituted here.   Acorn squash like carrots is rich in beta-carotene.  Another ingredient that was recommended was anasazi beans.  I have never seen them in my life, let alone heard of them.  These are apparently small purple and white kidney shaped bean from the same family as the pinto bean, so you can guess what I used for the recipe. And all these modifications still made for a good hearty stew.  Despite the large amount of paprika doused in this, this is not an overly spicy stew, not like Vegetarian Chillis!

Chileans like to serve this stew with a spicy herby pepper sauce called pebre. Well I have no pebre, in place of it though I made some salsa instead.  I wonder what my fellow blogger Chilean Woman will think of this recipe?!

UPDATE:  Ah I requested and Chilean Woman was happy to oblige.  Here is a link to her authentic Chilean Porotos Granados - go on, you must check it out!   And finally, I don't know how I missed it but my good friend Little Black Fox also made this dish - see here.

Thanks to Johanna at Green Gourmet Giraffe for introducing me, this is my first contribution to Ricki at Diet, Dessert, Dogs for her Wellness Weekend: 1-5th December . 

Chilean Stew with Corn and  Beans
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1½ tablespoons paprika
4 large tomatoes, cored and diced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
300g onion squash, peel and chopped into bite size cubes
1 x 400g tinned Pinto beans, or freshly cooked
150g corn kernels, fresh, frozen or canned
Method
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft,  Then stir in the paprika and sauté for a couple of minutes before adding in the tomatoes and the rest of the seasoning.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken.  Add the beans,, stock and squash and cook for 20 minutes until the squash is tender.  Stir in the corn and simmer for a few minutes more.  Serve with rice.  Adapted from Lean Bean Cuisine by Jay Solomon.

Banana and Darjeeling Cake

I drink black coffee first thing in the morning, then the rest of the day its lots of herbal fruit teas.  What I don't drink is traditional tea or what I like to call posh tea like Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong or Darjeeling.  So this Darjeeling cake recipe appearing on my blog is a bit unusual to say the least. 

The one reason it is making an appearance here is that we do have some Darjeeling teabags floating about in the kitchen, courtesy of D who now and again likes to slurp a bit of Darjeeling tea.  I thought I'd try some of his teabags for this banana cake.   

Its not half bad. It's a very sweet cake, the sweetness can easily be reduced by leaving off the icing. As for the Darjeeling, I have to admit I am not a tea connoisseur, so its floral subtlety was completely lost on me, it did however taint the colouring of the cake sponge toa walnut brown.  As for the banana - well it certainly is bananarey - umm is that even a word?!

Because natural lighting in the evening is bad, D did say to me not to ice the cake and leave it for the following day to be photographed, but I wasn't listening and was keen to coat it with the golden Darjeeling icing.   I know I should have put it in the fridge, but it was pretty cold so I decided to leave it out.  And during the night, in the warmth of the kitchen the icing fell away revealing the banana slices that would otherwise be covered.  I can pretend and say its kinda of a volcanic effect but I would be fibbing.  Still its rather yummy and sweet.

Banana and Darjeeling Cake
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 – 8 Darjeeling tea bags
250ml boiling water
1 large banana
125g soft butter
125g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
200g self raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
For the icing
175g icing sugar
1 teaspoon butter
Method
Add the tea bags to the boiling water in a measuring jug, making sure they are all submerged.  Allow to stew until cold.  Then squeeze the tea bags to get as much liquid from them as possible.  Discard the tea bags and measure out ¼ pint of tea, saving the rest.  Mash the banana with the butter and brown sugar, then stir the measured tea, the eggs, flour and baking powder and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Line an 8 inch cake tin with non stick baking paper, spoon the mixture in and gently level the surface.  Bake in a preheated oven gas mark 4 for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.  Cool for a minute or so in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave until cold.
For the icing
Put the icing sugar into a saucepan with the butter and 2 tablespoons of the remaining tea, discarding the rest.  Stir over the heat until the butter has melted.  Pour over the top of the cake and leave to set.  Adapted very slightly from Rose Elliot's Veggie Chic