The taming of the mew*

A few days ago, while reading my weekly edition of The Economist, I came across a delicious sounding word: “bratophobia”.
I stopped like a pointer dog and wagged my tail to express my delight.

Bratophobia is of course the clever juxtaposition of “brat” (a badly behaved child) and “phobia” (a fear or aversion to something).
The word cannot be found (yet) in a dictionary but it should, and I hope that it soon will.

I wholly empathize with this expression because I am a confirmed “bratophobe”.
This does not mean that I hate kids; au contraire mon frère!
I simply dislike ill-behaved children. My worse nightmare is being stuck anywhere in the immediate vicinity of an out-of-control mini-hooligan.

I don’t blame the little whippersnappers directly. They are the product of their environment.
Indifferent, overindulgent parents are responsible for producing such hellions.

I firmly believe that the brats of today are the bullies of tomorrow.
They are like pit bull pups. If not carefully monitored and controlled, they can become aggressively unpleasant, even dangerous.

Children above all need socialization, a process by which they learn how to behave responsibly in a polite society. And this process is the parents’ responsibility.
Without boundaries the kids are very likely to end up on the wrong side of the law.

Bratophobia is spreading, and some institutions are scrambling to cash in.
Restaurants, pubs, and various businesses are jumping on the bandwagon and establishing small oases of peace known as BFZ’s (brat-free zones) where weary customers can take refuge from the rowdy hordes.

According to the Economist, Malaysian Airlines is already banning kids from their first class sections.
They are only allowed in economy class… the only section that I can afford.

Drat! Crap! Brats!

Alain

*the high-pitched crying noise made by a cat or bird

Plaisirs oubliés (forgotten pleasures)

When I was a young lad, one of my most thrilling discoveries was the soft-boiled egg.
Later on, I came to appreciate more complex dishes but for sheer satisfaction nothing ever eclipsed “un oeuf à la coque”, a perfectly timed soft-boiled egg.

It is a very simple yet sophisticated fare that can be prepared in minutes, but few people are skillful enough to cook this item properly.
Restaurants are utterly incapable of preparing such delicacy.
In spite of my repeated admonitions, kitchen jocks proved totally unable to turn out decent “over-easy” eggs, let alone “oeufs à la coque”.

soft boiled eggs 050The perfect soft-boiled egg should have a firm white, a warm runny yolk and should be savored with “mouillettes” (thin fingers of bread that are delicately dipped into the warm yolk). To be properly savored, it should also be eaten in a “coquetier“.

Ultra-suave James Bond (MBE), when not bashing heads or making love to beautiful women, was known to be fond of SBE (soft-boiled eggs).
Shaken not stirred.

Before being able to produce the perfect soft-boiled egg, I fumbled with various methods, without ever being completely satisfied with the results.
The yolk was always undercooked or overcooked.

But one day a came across a set of instructions that changed my life.

And I owe it all to Jennifer Farley*.
It is on her blog (Savory Simple) that I discovered her foolproof recipe.

Since that fateful day, and after successfully producing a series of perfect “oeufs à la coque”, I stopped drinking and beating my wife.
I am now a new man and a better pétanque player.

Here is Jennifer’s simple but extremely effective recipe:

  1. Add ½ inch of water to a saucepan and bring the water to a boil on medium-high heat.
  2. Take the eggs directly from the refrigerator. Use tongs to VERY gently lay the eggs in the bottom of the pan.
  3. Cover and allow the eggs to steam for 6½ minutes.
  4. Run cold water into the pan for 30 seconds. Peel and serve.

Bon appétit you all, and check out Jennifer’s blog!

Alain

*Jennifer graduated from L’Académie de Cuisine in December 2010 and has been cooking and baking professionally ever since. Her blog, Savory Simple, began as a journey through culinary school and has evolved into a home for her recipe creations and food photography.

 

Karma

buddha-1369081592xqnLet me start by saying that I am a confirmed atheist and that I consider all religions to be a bunch of malarkey.
But, if I adhered to any faith, my beliefs of choice would be those of Buddhism.
Buddhism, because I like the idea of Karma.

“Karma is the sum of a person’s actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.”

Basically you can look at Karma as your credit score. It keeps track of your good and bad deeds, and in this existence or the next one, you will be confronted with a tally sheet. It would behoove you to be in the black.

All together it pays to have good Karma.
Good Karma is when you miss a plane that two hours later disappears from radar screens.
Bad Karma is when after kicking a small dog you come across his cousin. He is big and he looks angry.

As a believer of Karma I subscribe to the idea that all good deeds should be rewarded.
But sometimes, the Righteous among us are so discreet that their achievements go unnoticed.
They do good things because they feel like it. They seek no rewards.
Their actions come directly from the heart, without any afterthought.

I consider it my duty whenever I can, to publicize their accomplishments and give them the credit they deserve.

But this task should not be entirely up to me.

Whenever you come across somebody doing something praiseworthy, you should not hesitate to acknowledge it.
An unexpected “merci” often feels like a spontaneous kiss. It is greatly appreciated because it is genuine.

Moral:

Do good, and good will come to you!

Alain