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Don't we hear about eggs being contaminated by something or other from time to time? Lehaut, would you remember about Edwina Curry and her statement that all eggs carried salmonella or words to that effect? As Lori has said, I could read the article only insofar as it concerned the Paris agglomération but not as far as the next bit about generalised contamination. If it's polution around us, then there is nothing to be done unless you give up eating eggs altogether. If it's just something like salmonella, then I believe only eating hard-boiled eggs should be OK. BTW I like the name oeufs mimosa.....sounds more delicious than boiled eggs with mayonnaise, doesn't it?😏

That is most interesting, kingfisher. I just hope they don't suffer any adverse consequences for being late. I do hope it will be fine this coming weekend because I plan to be looking out for them. I can usually see flocks of them from the house but I know of a couple of places where the flights are more frequent. Tonight, I thought I heard some grues but either they weren't grue cries or they were at some distance. I used to be enchanted to think that they'd fly by night as well as by day🙂

As opposed to NormanH's chants or songs or even poetry. You still need to use your ears but maybe not so much your mouth or vocal chords. Firstly, where are the sounds of the migratory birds this year? Has anyone who lives on a migratory route heard the cranes, for example? I took a walk, despite the light rain, towards open country and big skies. Yes, an occasional twittering of birds but not the raucous and urgent cries of les grues. There were other little, barely perceptible sounds: a brook tinkling somewhere, the very distant sounds of traffic, little plops of leaves that fall dryly (is there such a word?) onto the road. I don't mind the silence but I really, really do not like anything to do with this season. As for the short days, who could possibly like them?

Yes, Lehaut, I do that method too. AND the one for making gravy, when I used to eat gravy. I knew next to nothing about cooking way back in the 70s and she was HUGE.....on TV, the papers, as everywhere as there was everywhere in those days. Her recipes never failed and her portions were ample.

Gardian, the trick is to hold the egg up at say 12 inch height and drop it into a bowl. Yolk whole and no bits of egg shell.

Lori, this lady is not nicknamed the Sainted Delia for nothing. All of us of a certain age will know immediately her name. When I was a newly married young woman, her book was my cooking bible and I learned absolutely all the basics from her and she has my eternal gratitude. So here is her short video about poaching eggs: https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/occasions/mothers-day/mothers-day-breakfast-and-brunch/poached-eggs

Well done, DL! We all have to be vigilant. Goodness knows the Forum has gone through some shaky times and it doesn't need the input of scammers to put the last nail in the coffin.

Wools and DL, I have been wondering if the following could be easily done so bear with me while I explain. I find that recently, more and more people seem to sign on and then immediately proceed to abuse the Forum welcome by putting up an inappropriate post. They use the Forum as an advertising board to sell their questionable goods and services or push their agenda which none of us is interested in. So, my question is this: Is it possible when Joe Bloggs signs on with the specific purpose of using the Forum in this way to be banned as well as having their post cancelled? I am talking about people signing on for the first time with the obvious intent of, say, selling something. I know they can easily sign on again using another name but removing them AND their post might show them that their action is intolerable and that they will gain nothing by trying it on? What do you two and others think, svp?

Yes, Wools, I have a too big freezer also. I manage to freeze a lot of bread and cakes (when I make them) and these days a lot of veg like different sorts of beans and semi-cooked legumes because they are both cheaper and more available than the fresh version. I also tend to freeze soups in the winter as it's an easy go-to something warm to eat in the evenings, our main meal being in the French lunch time. I had considered getting rid of the freezer but it 's not easy to sell a large American style fridge freezer and I'd only end up with a smaller freezer and paying a goodly price for it. So not definitely pas la peine. Would also like a smaller house but, again, the cost of buying something smaller will inevitably mean a smaller property with little change from selling our bigger one. Sometimes, whatever way you try to work something out, it ends up being a cleft stick.

Wools, it's a pity you couldn't have cooked the meat up in stews and casseroles and then portion them and refreeze? That would have been my first thought as I'd hate to have to throw out something as expensive as meat. Shellfish and fish generally would be a different matter. They don't like sitting around, cooked and refrozen or anthing else. It's just cook and eat ASAP.

That's OK, cajal, IF you liked the taste of vinegar in your eggs! There are lots of tips, including swirling the water around the egg with a spoon or something after you drop it in the water. I can no longer get fresh eggs since both friends who used to supply them have given up keeping chickens so no more poached eggs. Only hard-boiled, rarely omelettes and only used in cakes and pastries.

Ha! ha! Lehaut about not arguing with someone with sharp tools in your mouth! Agree wholeheartedly with that. There are some dentists who always insist on talking to you when your mouth is open and you are at your most vulnerable! Fortunately, my present dentist is not one of those. Thanks for the recommendation of Philips Sonicare model. I think I saw one on offer in Amazon. Thought I'd get one and then I'll have a toothbrush ready when the present head wears out on my present one. Sometimes I do wonder if it's cheaper eventually to buy one at low cost with say 3 heads included than to go for an expensive one and spend another small fortune for extra brush heads. Having said that, one head can last for months. I don't change them after 6 months as recommended. If all the bristles are still nice and straight, I keep the head until the bristles start splaying out. Thank you again, Lehaut, for being always patient and generous with your time and advice.

Have been using an electric one since I was in my early 30s so about 40 years ago and I couldn't go back to a manual now. It's like driving a manual car, no longer want that. No, the water jet thingy just do not appeal. But all those years ago, I asked my then dentist if an electric toothbrush would wear out my teeth more! Well, they'd just come into use then and there was little information on them. And he said no, the electric ones do the job properly and exert less pressure than you would yourself. In the old days, there weren't battery or rechargeable ones so you had to take the charger with you when you were travelling Nowadays, one charge easily lasts a month so unless you are going on a long trip around the world, you only need to charge it before you leave and you'd still have plenty of charge left at the end of your voyage.

Who'd have thought a toothbrush could cost over 100€? Just had a look on Amazon though I don't need to buy one until the brush head on my perfectly satisfactory Aldi one needs changing. My last 3 electric brushes were all from Aldi. Cheap as chips and last years. Only problem is, they keep changing the brush heads and it is next to impossible to get extra brush heads to fit your particular model of brush. I would also like to know if the "sonic" ones really work better? Has anyone bought an electric toothbrush recently and if so, what make and model and are you pleased with it?

Hey, Lori, I cooked it for lunch. Cooked it for quite a long time with one of those liquid stock "bubbles", so no need to add salt. Zapped some frozen peas in the microwave and added them the last 5 minutes. As I had no fresh veg in the house today (very rare occurence) I got out a jar of grilled red peppers and sliced one and stirred in at the last minute. Also no fresh herbs in the garden, all destroyed by the storms. But I grated some Parmesan to go on top. It was as you have said, the grains were nice and soft and there was enough flavour to make it interesting. Thanks Norman, will look up the recipes you mentioned. Haven't had ANY time at all and now looking forward to the music links, thanks again.

Thank you, Lori, for those great ideas for using épautre. I think I have a box of it somewhere and now that the dentist has left me 2 temporary gaps in my teeth and advised me not to eat anything hard, I will dig up my supply and try out your ideas. I guess after mashed potatoes, pasta cooked well past al dente and rice cooked with too much water, épautre would make a nice change. Mind you I could eat oysters as they don't need chewing and drink champagne to wash them down with? Only wishful thinking of coure....so don't mind me!

Ha! Ha! Loiseau, I hope the drill includes how to clean out the buanderie? Relieved and happy you got home in one piece. That rain where we are was like driving through a car wash. Even the French drivers were slowing down...so, that says it all?

Loiseau, if you'd stood behind the pan, pouring out the contents, it could have been a Vermeer. Except for the gas stove of course!

I think I have had that cereal before and I have certainly tried épautre flour for making bread. I think the Americans call it spelt but I am not sure what it is called in English. BTW, must say that at the end of my Compostelle walk, I couldn't wait to try octopus but I was not too enamoured.

Loiseau, you got home OK then? (Please excuse the digression, but this is justified?) Was thinking of you this evening. Driving back from the dentist took an hour and a half instead of the usual 40 minutes.

Well, that doesn't surprise me. Before we had "real" terrorists, the Corsicans were, only semi-jokingly, dubbed "les terroristes"!

Oh, YES! I love those places you have mentioned. I used to stay in a cosy but comfy and even a bit luxurious family hotel in les Contamines, summer and winter. So walking or ski de fond....happy memories! Looking forward to your photos, Lehaut.

After Norman's contribution, I thought about the pronunciation a bit more and I have revised what I said. I think the double c needs to be followed by h to make the k sound so, Ajaccio would sound as Lori and Norman have pointed out. I was thinking of how the Italian tennis player pronounces his name Cecchinato is therefore Checkinato. Also, the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. So for a k sound, h has to come before the vowels i or e.

I don't agree, Wools. IMO, virtually nothing is not improved by a bit of "wondering". Does you good to wonder. Finding out is enjoyable. In fact, I read somewhere that curiosity is the best thing going for you if you wanted to live a long and interesting life😁

I love how the French call Icarus "Icare". I'd never have known that if I didn't know the poem!