25 Aug 2012 漫遊博物馆

在8月最后一个周末，肥猪和我决定在新加坡国家和艺术博物馆都免费开放的时候去逛逛。 我很久没去博物馆了，这次是个很好的经验。

我们都喜欢Han's 这个老牌餐厅，先在Han's吃了顿丰盛的午餐，再出发。

我们先到国家博物馆闲逛，看了很多六七十年代的生活方式，怀念小时候的一景一物。看到妈妈年轻时在家里辛劳的踩着Singer的缝纫机，过年时在外公家一定要喝的花沙尼橙汁汽水，红色的木屐，旧电影海报。 仿佛一下子我们都老了，人到中年了，好多感触。

碰巧，博物馆也有乌克兰的古董金器展览和婚纱历史展览。我对婚纱没什么兴趣，到是金器展览比较对我胃口。

逛完了国家博物馆，接着就去艺术博物馆。 没什么惊喜，除了贾蔼力的现代油画和吴冠中的水墨画比较迷人，其他的装置艺术真时不知所云。

走了一天，我们快累趴了，心情却极好。回到家，睡得像头猪一样。

Darby

Nigella s mother recipe Praised Chicken

I am uploading this to my blog as i have tried it and love this recipe from Nigella s mother. Guess who finished the chicken with me.

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/my-mothers-praised-chicken-5155

Ingredients
•1 large chicken (pref organic)
•2 teaspoon(s) garlic infused olive oil
•100 ml white wine
•3 Leeks cleaned trimmed & cut into 7cm logs
•3 carrot peeled & cut into batons
•2 stick celery sliced
•2 litre(s) water cold
•1 bouquet garni (or 1 teaspoon dried herbs)
•1 bunch Parsley
•2 teaspoon(s) sea salt
•2 teaspoon(s) Pepper (or 2 teaspoons red peppercorns)
•1 pinch of English mustard
•1 pinch of Dill chopped


Method
1.Get out a large, flame-safe cooking pot (with a lid) in which the chicken can fit snugly: mine is about 28cm wide x 10cm deep.
2.On a washable board, un-truss the chicken, put it breast-side down and press down until you hear the breastbone crack. (As you may imagine, I like this.) Then press down again, so that the chicken is flattened slightly. Now cut off the ankle joints below the drumstick (but keep them); I find kitchen scissors up to the task.
3.Put the oil in the pan to heat, then brown the chicken for a few minutes breast-side down, and turn up the heat and turn over the chicken, tossing in the feet as you do so. Still over a vigorous heat add the wine or vermouth to the pan and let it bubble down a little before adding the leeks, carrots and celery.
4.Pour in enough cold water to cover the chicken, though the very top of it may poke out, then pop in the bouquet garni or your herbs of choice, and the parsley stalks (if I have a bunch, I cut the stalks off to use here, but leave them tied in the rubber band) or parsley sprigs
5.The chicken should be almost completely submerged by now and if not, do add some more cold water. You want it just about covered.
6.Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, turn the heat to very low and leave to cook for 1½–2 hours. I tend to give it 1½ hours, or 1 hour 40 minutes, then leave it to stand with the heat off, but the lid still on, for the remaining 20–30 minutes.
7.Serve the chicken and accompanying vegetables with brown basmati rice, adding a ladleful or two of liquid over each shallow bowl, as you go, and putting fresh dill and mustard on the table for the eaters to add as they wish.

Darby