Sophie Mitchell Summer Recipes; Tweet yourself thin: Friday

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Pancetta, cherry tomato and ricotta frittatas
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Makes 12 mini frittatas
12 slices of pancetta
6 cherry tomatoes
200g ricotta
25g watercress
10 eggs
100ml milk
Sea salt and black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Oil a 12 cup mini muffin tray or a 6 cup larger one.
2. Line each muffin cup with a slice of pancetta. Then halve the cherry tomatoes and add one half to
each cup. Divide the ricotta between the cups as well.
3. Whisk the eggs and milk together, then season. Roughly chop the watercress and mix in with the
eggs. Pour the mix between the muffin cup and pop in the oven 10 minutes, until just set.
4. Then cool slightly, remove from the tray and serve.

Wholemeal linguine with crab, chilli and white wine
Serves 4
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 20 minutes
400g wholemeal linguine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 dried chilli
2 lemon, zest and juice
Small handful of chopped flat leaf parsley
400g of white crab meat
1. Place a large pan of water on to boil, when at a rapid boil, add salt and then the pasta.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil up in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, then crumble in the
chilli, fry for a couple of minutes, but do not get any colour on the garlic.
3. Add the crab, lemon and parsley then season well.
4. When the pasta is done (this should take about 20 minutes, but read the individual packet
instructions and cook al’dente) Then drain off the pasta, retaining about 1 tsbp of pasta water and
add both to the frying pan. Cook for another 5 minutes and then serve with an extra drizzle of
olive oil.

Pan Fried Salmon with fennel shavings and saffron aioli
Serves 4
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
4 skinless salmon steaks (about 200g each)
2 bulbs of fennel
1 tbsp capers
1 red onion, sliced
Juice of lemon
2 tsp olive oil
Saffron aioli;
1 clove of garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 free range egg yolk
1 pinch of saffron
100ml olive oil
1. Firstly trim the fennel and then cut it as thinly as possible (I use a mandolin for this) then mix with
the lemon juice, capers and onions finally add the olive oil and season. Do this about 1 hour
beforehand if possible.
2. Then make the aioli, place the garlic in a blender with the egg yolk and saffron, then blitz for 2
minutes. Then very gradually pour the olive oil, while the machine is still on. It should become pale
and thicker. Season and add some lemon juice.
3. Heat griddle pan or a frying pan up hot and then add a little oil, season the salmon and cook for
about 4 minutes each side then serve up with the salad and a drizzle of aioli.

Our Handout Culture Is to Blame for the Rioting

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I have read today that the cutting of the EMA grant is the cause of the recent riots. What a ridiculous and offensive suggestion. In my opinion it is EMA and a string of policies and attitudes like it which are to blame for the recent disorder. The looting was nothing more than mindless self-gratifying violence and selfish opportunism. To think there was any political motive would be naïve. It happened because people were selfish and didn’t give a damn about the consequences. Not for themselves (because they knew there wouldn’t be any), and not for others (because they didn’t care).

This country is in trouble. Our Education system is failing, parents are failing and the state is failing. The root of our problem is the culture and ideas which this country has brought young people up with. Firstly the idea that you can get something for nothing, that this world owes you a living.

EMA sums this up. We’re going to give you something for nothing. That’s unsustainable in the real world (as it has in fact proven). If we want kids to stay in school longer, make it compulsory. Apart from being a waste of money it’s a terrible attitude to instil.

The benefits system is another example of this. It is not uncommon today to see people claiming over £20,000 a year in benefits once you add all the different ones up. This says nothing for the free travel, prescription charges and other benefits.

Most of my friends earn around £10,000 a year and yet we are paying tax to give benefits to people doing nothing. The average salary is only just over £20,000 a year. Something is deeply wrong here.

If you want to be successful you have to work hard. There’s no other way. But that’s not the attitude we bring people up with.

Another idea young people are brought people up with is that; there are no consequences for your actions.
Do what and say what you want to your teacher. They can’t do anything back to you. British teachers face acts of violence and abuse every day and no one helps them. Many have been forced to leave the profession. We could easily solve this by giving our teachers a few more powers.

You can break the law. There won’t be any consequences other than a slap on the wrist. Rob and steal, you won’t go to jail. It’s not like we have any prison places left anyway. The British justice system will do whatever it can to keep you out. After all we need to keep costs down to pay you your benefits. Do what you want who cares if your actions impact on other people. Play the system, it will always defends the perpetrator.

This seems to have been proven in the rioting case, as many have walked away free despite thieving and vandalism.

Public and Police Fury as Rioters Walk Free

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Angry members of the police and public today accused the courts of being too lenient on rioters as many were simply allowed to walk free.

According to the Evening Standard, Deputy Commissioner Stephen Kavanagh said officers ‘were disappointed by some of the early sentences’. It was feared the lenient sentencing would have a further impact on police moral, already severely damaged by phone hacking corruption allegations and criticism of the recent rioting not to mention budget cuts.

An example of an offender who walked free was an 18 year old who admitted stealing two Burberry T-shirts. A magistrate gave him a verbal slap on the wrist telling him, ‘don’t get in trouble again’, before letting him walk free. Many lives have been destroyed by these violent thugs and yet as usual the British legal system appears to side with the criminal. The offender who was allowed to walk free was told by magistrates,’ he had a bright future’. The courts obviously haven’t considered the futures of the thousands of small business owners who have had to helplessly watch as years of their work was torn apart.

The short sentencing is yet another example of a culture which this country has been sowing in its youth for many years. The idea that your actions have no consequences. You have no responsibility and you can do what you want.

Riots Update: Ealing Man Left Fighting For Life; Backlash Continues.

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A 68 year old Ealing resident is still fighting for this life today. Police have expressed worry for the pain who is still on life support. He was attacked on Tuesday after confronting rioters who had set fire to a bin. He was trying to put the fire out. He was attacked and has ‘savage’ head injuries that left the police unable to tell his age, he has since been identified and the police are looking for his family.

On Wednesday morning three young Asian men were knocked down and killed while trying to defend their properties. Police in Birmingham have launched a murder inquiry. A man was arrested and had his car impounded following the incident near a mosque in the Dudley road area.

The father on one of the victims, Haroon Jahan, 21, called for peace and asked for their no be no more violence or retribution for his son’s death. He stated that this was not a ‘race’ issue.

A spokesman for the West Midlands force said: “The incident took place close to the Jet filling station on Dudley Road in Winson Green at approximately 1.15am. Three ambulances, two rapid response vehicles and an incident support officer was sent to the scene.

“When crews arrived, they found around 80 people at the scene with resuscitation ongoing on three men. Crews used their advanced life support skills while police officers provided support.”

Violence in Birmingham on Tuesday was not as bad as Monday but it spread to West Bromwich and Wolverhampton. London was relatively calm after 16,000 police officers hit the street with rubber bullets.

Independent record labels and filmmakers have been left devastated after a fire destroyed a blaze in a Sony warehouse in Enfield. The Pias Group feared a ‘ruinous’ stock loss. The three-storey, 20,000 square-metre building in Enfield, owned by Sony DADC was burned to the ground.

The fire affected Domino and film production companies with DVD stock. Pias is the UK’s largest independent sales, marketing and distribution company.

Other labels that might be affected include 4AD, Warp and Beggars Banquet.

A on Pias’s website said: “There was a fire last night at the SonyDADC warehouse which services the physical distribution for Pias in the UK and Ireland. Pias is working closely with SonyDADC who are implementing their emergency plans. Pias’s UK offices in London and all other areas of our business are unaffected. More information will be communicated shortly to all our labels and partners.”

The release of Arctic Monkeys’ new single, The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, was affected, all stock going to retail outlets had been destroyed in the fire.

There has been a lot of debate about the riots from various sources, including Darcus Howe, a West Indian Writer and Broadcaster. His controversial interview has been seen by millions of people.

I disagree with him on three counts, 1) Not all of the rioters were black 2) Working class white people are just as disenfranchised as blacks. 3) There is never any excuse for this behaviour, no matter where you are from.

The student who was mugged while bleeding has spoke of his ordeal. Ashraf Rossli said: “They threatened to stab me, they told me they had knives,”. The student from Malaysia only arrived in England a month ago.

He went on to say:

‘Some of them were quite young, maybe still in primary school. They had their hoods on and demanded my bicycle.’

In the YouTube video he is apparently helped to his feet by a Good Samaritan but the thieves took his wallet, phone and Sony PSP games console.

The video was even mentioned by David Cameron today in his address to parliament.

‘When we see children as young as 13, looting and laughing, when we see the disgusting sight of an injured young man with people pretending to help him while they are robbing him, it is clear that there are things that are badly wrong in our society,’ said the Prime Minister.

The 20-year-old finance student had his jaw broken but said “Britain is great” and said he felt sorry for this attackers.

A petition calling on the Government to evict the looters from council houses and stop their benefits has had 83,000 signatures in 24 hours. It only needs 100,000 signatures to be debated in parliament.

Have your say below.

What Do Women Want? The Ideal Man Revealed.

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Forget Tom Jones, meet – the latest over-40s pin-up.Hugeremy Claurie

The 6ft 3in bearded ‘hunk’ has been voted the ideal man in a survey of middle-aged women.

He is said to possess the most attractive features of all male celebrities including “piercing” blue eyes, “kissable” thin lips and “sexy stubble”.

But on closer inspection, the greying 51-year-old may appear rather familiar…

In fact, Hugeremy isn’t even a real man – he’s a digital mix of actor and comedian Hugh Laurie, 52, and Top Gear frontman Jeremy Clarkson, 51.

Experts combined the blue eyes, forehead, mouth and trademark designer stubble of Laurie, with the ears, nose, bushy eyebrows and greying hair of Clarkson.

The result is the ultimate virtual heartthrob, according to a poll of 1,000 single women by mature dating site www.footloosedating.co.uk.

Its members said Hugeremy would be a “dream date with good looks, a big personality – and plenty of cash under the bed”.

Site co-founder Eleanor Selley said: “Hugeremy has all the characteristics of the ideal man. He’s tall, handsome and clever, and has bags of sex appeal to boot.

“Both men are attractive in their own right, but the idea of rolling the two of them into one sexy package is more than enough to raise a pulse.”

Site members aged between 40 and 65 were given a list of 10 “charming but not necessarily beautiful” middle-aged male celebrities and asked to pick the two celebrities they would most like to date.

The list included BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, broadcasters Phillip Schofield and Chris Evans, racing pundit John McCririck, chef Antony Worrall Thompson, comedian Hugh Laurie, journalist Ian Hislop, Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson, singer Mick Hucknall, and Dragon’s Den star Theo Paphitis.

Edwards and Schofield picked up six and seven per cent of the vote respectively, primarily for their “lovely personalities”. Radio 2 DJ Evans, and entrepreneur Paphitis, took nine and 10 per cent of the vote – primarily because of their “millions”.

Only four per cent picked Worrall Thompson for his skills in the kitchen.

Unsurprisingly, McCririck’s trademark side-burns put off virtually all members. Only two per cent picked him as their ideal man.

Simply Red frontman Hucknall fared little better. He was chosen by just eight per cent because of his “silly” red locks and diamond-encrusted front tooth.

Meanwhile, some five per cent were attracted to Hislop’s “cheeky smile” and “quick wit”.

But both Clarkson and Laurie were clear favourites, scooping 24 and 25 per cent of the votes respectively.

Respondents listed Clarkson’s height – he is 6ft 5ins – and Laurie’s “chiselled chin” among their best attributes.

Eleanor Selley, of FootlooseDating, said: “Hugeremy Claurie is the combination of these two men. To put it simply, men will want to be him, and women want to be with him.”

Sophie Mitchell Summer Recipes: Thursday

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THURSDAY
Pomegranate, Papaya, Raspberry and mint yoghurt bowl

Serves 4
Prep time 5 minutes
500ml 0% Fat Greek yoghurt
250g raspberries
1 papaya peeled, de-seeded and diced
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 tsbp of agave syrup
Squeeze of lime
200g pomegranate seeds
100g pistachios
1. Chop the mint leaves and mix with the raspberries, lime juice and the
agave syrup.
2. Take four bowls and divide the raspberries between each bowl, then add a layer of papaya, then
top with the Greek yoghurt and sprinkle over the pomegranate and pistachios.

Duck, lentil flat leaf parsley and apricot salad
Serves 4
Prep time 15 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
200g puy lentils
400ml vegetable or chicken stock
4 duck breasts scored
1 red onion
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
25ml white wine vinegar
57ml olive oil
1 small handful of flat leaf parsley
2 ripe apricots
1. Place the lentils and the stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil and then turn down and simmer for
30 minutes or until cooked. then drain and cool.
2. Heat a frying pan up to medium heat and the season the duck breasts on both sides. Lay the
breasts, skin side down in the pan and slowly cook. You don’t want to cook them too quickly; you
want to render the fat out. So cook them skin side down for about 10 minutes. Draining the fat off as
you go along. For the last 2 minutes turn up the heat to crisp the skin up. Then flip over and brown
the flesh side, cook for 5 to 8 minutes this side then take off the heat and rest.
3. When then the lentils are cool, mix in the mustard, vinegar, olive oil and parsley, season and stir
well. Then de core the apricots and slice.
4. To serve pile up the lentils on four plates then add the sliced duck and apricots.

Quinoa, broad bean, pea and radish salad with pan-fried lamb fillet
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes
Cooking time 30 minutes
200g Quinoa
400ml water
4 lamb fillets (approx 6oz per person)
3 cloves garlic
1 lemon
150g frozen peas, de frosted
4 spring onions
150g pink radishes
2 tsbp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Small handful of mint
1. Pour the quinoa and the water into a saucepan and then bring to the boil and cook for about 30
minutes, or until cooked according to the packet instructions. The water should be evaporated, but if
not cook off the rest and then cool.
2. When the quinoa is cool, slice the spring onions and radishes, then add along with the peas, mint,
lemon and olive oil. Mix well and season.
3. Then heat up a frying pan and add some oil, season the lamb fillets and then add to the pan along
with the garlic cloves, squashed. Cook for about 10 minutes on all sides until golden brown, add a
squeeze of lemon then take out of the pan and rest for 20 minutes.
4. Slice the lamb and serve with the quinoa salad.

CLA Game Fair Report – GunMakers Row

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The Blenheim CLA was generally judged to be a success by all who attended I think. I got there a bit late but went to an excellent dinner party at William Evans with Charlie Jacoby and his banjo in attendance. It was, as ever, great fun and wonderfully organised by Sally et al.. I did not do the cocktail party circuit this year because I missed most of them on Friday. I am not really a social animal in that way anymore (boring old bugger). If someone is offering bubbles, however, I will occasionally make an exception! [There was one year when just about everyone in Gunmakers Row offered me a drink of some kind and I never did make it to the end – I woke up the next morning on a collapsed papering table looking at someone’s canvas ceiling – never again.]

So, while others were having – “partying the night away” – I was primarily interested in catching up with old chums and keeping an eye out for what was genuinely new. First, though, I want to thank my mucker Mark Curtis of Pigeon Mania for being an all-round nice guy and for putting up with me camping on his stand yet again (damn this business of getting on site by 7.30 now – hell, one has to get up early). Mark’s business, meanwhile, is deservedly going from strength to strength – pigeon magnets at just over 50 quid, flappers, some fantastic, well-priced, rechargeable hand lamps for foxing and similar. He has got his act together and sold a huge amount of kit.

I also want to thank Mike Ladd who offered space for my gunfitting service but which I did not take up this year (but which I may take to the Midland and/or Bisley Live). As well as the usual massive stock, Mike had his new range of Turkish made true sidelock over and unders on stand which look good and cost under 4K. He also had some presentable Turkish boxlocks – these guns get better and better although there are still a few details to work on. Mike also had a beautiful handling Abbiatico and Salvinelli 20bore over and under which caught my eye. It had a titanium action which gave it a similar magic quality to the Kemen titaniums.

Boxall and Edmiston launched their sidelock gun which looks great for 25K or thereabouts. Peter Boxall, their engineering genius, is ex Holland & Holland and Jaguar, and is a perfectionist. His firm’s guns are extremely well made and now offer exceptional value whether boxlock, side-plated or true sidelock. I am working on a new gun project with this company and details of it will be announced in due course. It just might have another barrel configuration and it will be English made.

Anglo-Italian Arms (formerly Guerini UK) had their new Fabarm range on stand. But, the gun that really excited me – and upon which there will be a full report somewhere very soon – was the round action 32” 20 bore over and under – the first specimen of which was on display. It felt spendid. I shoot 32” Maxums at the moment and this felt as good as better.

Holland & Holland had their centenary take-down .375. It was a wonderful gun, I have always wanted a Holland bolt rifle, but I would make do with a straight .375. It would genuinely be a gun that one could do just about everything with. It is no secret that I have a lot of respect for this grand old firm and the shooting qualities of its products. I also managed to have a fascinating discussion with David Little of Kynoch about why some old H&H .375s seem so soft in recoil in spite of their light weight – David believes it is because of two things – their slender, steeply angled, stock shapes and the progressive lead into the rifling. The former is an interesting point because I usually feel it has a negative effect in shotguns – David’s opinion is that it may work on a rifle because the time pressure curve is different. He also favours light long barrels.

Alan Rhone had a very interesting new straight-pull rifle from Finland – the Lynx. It felt really solid. It appears extremely well engineered too and the cycling is very quick. The Lynx is available in various forms including a laminate model (my favourite), standard hunter, and a deluxe model with all the bells and whistles of special engraving and gold inlays. Price from about 4K. Alan also has some excellent new QD mounts on offer made by a firm called Ziegler. These offer repeatable zero “again and again.” They’re neat, extremely well designed and available for a wide variety of guns. I am sure he is destined to do well with them, and I am having some fitted to my Sako 85 in .375 H&H.

Anderson Wheeler of Mayfair impressed me first because they are a young company with lots of ideas and energy, but also because they have created such an impressive product line so quickly. They make a good 20 bore side by side based on an AyA action, they have an over and under built on an Italian action, but these guns have a lot of London finish in them. A&W also offer the normal bespoke big bore double rifles (they had a .470 which was a beauty) and bolt guns as well as London made shotguns. Just to see two tables crammed with so many new made rifles and shotguns shows how much effort they have put it.

I had fun seeing Ian Tomlin of Traditional English Gun Cases and bought a beautiful 250 cartridge magazine from him. Ian has a great range of cartridge bags too. Bill Blacker was not far away, being his normal inimitable self. And, I also enjoyed stopping in on Croots who seem to be going from strength to strength with their bags and gun-slips too. They made a canvas safari bag for me last year which has proved to be invaluable – like the brilliant Barbour canvas shoulder bag (and they make something similar too).

Browning did not have a great deal of new product this year (2012 is rumoured to be their big launch year). One exception, though, was the wonderful, well priced, 525 Sporter (which I choose to call a MK2 because of its radically changed handling qualities thanks to the new lightened, Investor Plus back-bored, barrels). It might well be my gun of the year. I also really like the Winchester ‘Red Performance’ semi-auto. This is simply one of the best handling guns that I have ever shot – soft in recoil, relatively light in weight, and natural pointing.

Beretta have their new Silver Pigeon 1 which is Opti-bored and another performer as noted on this site recently. And, at the CLA, they launched a new small bore range of Silver Pigeon 1s, a new Beretta Jubilee, a Help for Heroes EELL (at £5,995 with a £100 going to this magnificent charity), and no less than 2 new A400 semis. These included the Action which is available with a Gun Pod ‘on board computer’ which notes the number of cartridges fired, their power and temperature, and, a blue actioned Excel (also available with the Gun Pod gizmo not mention Kick-Off recoil reduction). There is a Silver Pigeon 1 with game scene engraving as well, and, a new version of the Benelli Vinci.

ASI now have a round bar boxlock on offer – Edward King has a fondeness for better quality boxlocks – and, a deluxe model of the popular No.2. There are also a couple of new Rizzini Artimis sideplated guns. These are available in proportionately scaled 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410 actions, all with selective single trigger and multichokes as standard. Edgar Brothers had lots of new stuff. I saw the Remy Versalite shotgun for the first time and the new Zoli Black Magic rifle. Viking Arms have the Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle in .308 with a detachable box mag and various extras except the flash hider (which current US law does not allow the export of in our all too mixed up world).

What have I forgotten? The new Powell Marquis – a sub 3K, hand engraved, Spanish sidelock made by Arrieta (though my favourite in their line is the Lindhope high bird gun coming in over £7,000 mark which is based on an old pigeon gun). There is also their ‘Juvenis’ sidelock for (better off) young shots. E.J.Churcill have an extensive new line of over and unders inlcluding some finished in France, and, a 32” Churchill badged Perazzi. Finally, my thanks to Fiona Eastman for getting my Press Passes through in the nick of time. Without her effort, I would not have got to Blenheim at all.

Have Fun On The Cheap

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In this economical climate you would be foolish to pay full price for anything. However, it can be hard to find inexpensive stuff to do now that the recession has kicked in. The answer is to have fun on the cheap. There is still fun to be had, and relatively cheaply if you look around. Frost has done the searching for you and has come up with a number of things to do without breaking your budget.

You can buy Peter Pan Tickets. I have seen it and it is an amazing experience. If you are a sports fan you can get San Diego Chargers Tickets at a reasonable price. There are few things more fun than a night of American football.

If sport is not your thing, music fans can get Celine Dion Tickets
Celine is quite the performer and that will be an experience you will never forget. If Celine is not your cup of tea you can get Rascal Flatts Tickets

If you are feeling more cultured then you can get Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tickets cheaply.

Everyone deserves to have experiences they will never forget, so just buy them at a price you can afford. Have fun!