A stew by any other name...

Posted on 2006/09/30 08:12:43 (September 2006).

[Wednesday 27th September]
Having worked at home last Friday, and taken the first two days of this week off to have a long weekend in Hiroshima, it meant that in total I hadn't been out of the office for five rather glorious days. I think one of the things I dislike most about my current job is literally just the office itself - it is such a gloomy and unpleasant place to work, with a perpetually oppressive atmosphere hanging around in the air.

So having had a really good break from that environment felt really great, and today was actually pretty manageable as a result - besides anything else it's a lot easier to be in good spirits at the start of your working week when you are already half way through it!

The weather seems to have skipped autumn and gone straight to winter here - it was pretty cold and wet today, and for the first time for probably six months I decided to wear a jumper. As a result of this, in the evening I fancied something hearty and warming for dinner, so I made what I loosely describe as a mediterranean stew. I have a few different stew recipes I've been refining whilst here in Japan. In terms of the actual vegetables that go in, they're generally all more or less the same - just whatever comes to hand really. It's only really the sauce that varies. Tonight's was what I call a mediterranean stew - not sure if this is any kind of real dish. So for this one the sauce is largely olive oil and tomatoes, perhaps a splash of red wine, and lots of Herbes de Provence (actually really lots this time - I had a bit of an accident whilst administering them, and they're kind of hard to take back out again!). Anyway, as my Dad would say, "although I say so myself" it was rather good. Just what the doctor ordered on a cold and wet September evening.

In Pizzaland the weather has goten pretty bad too... But still Autumn seems to hold tight and we have sunshine most of the days...Oh I HATE WINTER!

Posted by Lox at 2006/09/30 09:20:15.

I like winter! That crisp clean air, nice hot baths, log fires, cocooning yourself in the duvet, mulled wine, taking a sip of whisky from the hipflask whilst out on a frosty walk.

Just the lack of daylight is a bit depressing, but having spent this last summer in Japan feeling like I was going to die of heat exhaustion every day, I'm really looking forward to a bit of cold weather now!

Posted by John at 2006/09/30 14:54:31.

Well you are English after all!!

Posted by Lox at 2006/09/30 18:45:26.

Lorenzo - the rest of the family like to be considerably warmer! John has been a cool body since he was quite tiny.

Posted by Mum at 2006/10/02 09:11:53.

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