Category: food

Contagion (2011 film)

Contagion is a 2011 American thriller film directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Its ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Bryan Cranston, …

Jude Law is the conspiracy theorist flogging a fake cure.

… The film has received renewed popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are many parallels between the fictitious MEV-1 and COVID-19. 

But MEV-1 is much more severe. More like the 1918 Flu.

In a flashback, a bulldozer razes palm trees while clearing a rainforest in China that disturbs the natural habitat of some bats. One bat finds shelter in a pig farm and drops an infected piece of banana, which is eaten by a pig. The pig is slaughtered and prepared by a chef in a Macau casino, who transmits the virus to Beth (Paltrow) in a handshake.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Our NEW gas stove / convection oven

My brother installed the same new stove in his house and my parents house.

  • GE’s Profile series
  • stainless steel knobs
  • 5 different sized burners
  • large LED display
  • extra-large integrated reversible cast iron grill and griddle

Profile 5.6 cu. ft. Smart Slide-In Gas Range with Self-Cleaning Convection in Stainless Steel

We like it so far. It simmers at every possible temperature.

We locked the electronic screen so you can’t accidentally start or stop something.

The app — SmartHQ — is hilariously poorly done. 😀  Don’t bother.

Not many people would use an oven app, even if it worked.

Click PLAY or watch a review on YouTube.

Inexpensive home delivered meals

We joined a service called Better Meals out of Vancouver, Canada.

They offer free delivery with $30.00 minimum order to my parent’s house from an extensive menu. Cost is only CAD $7.50 / meal. Unbelievably inexpensive for what you get.

Main course with two side dishes. Soup. And dessert. 

sample $7.50 meal

Everything arrives frozen in recyclable containers. You can heat in the over or microwave.

You’d need trial and error to find the dishes you like best. 

For example, my Mom liked the Turkey dinner but did not like one of the chicken dinners.

For those not going out much, Better Meals saves shopping. Cooking. And cleaning. 

You could store some of the meals in the freezer, only pulling something out when it turns out you don’t have time to cook for yourself.

I’d recommend Better Meals. It’s available to anyone.  They deliver only certain days of the week depending on where you live in B.C.

Note that the food comes without seasonings. You’d add those to taste.

BetterMeals.ca 

related – In our town you can also get hot meals for CAD $7.50 from Meals on Wheels. But you have very little choice in menu.

 

U.S. States I’ve not yet visited

Years ago in a New Orleans restaurant, Dave Adlard pointed out the States he had already visited on a huge wall map. Most of them. Today he’s only missing one – Arkansas.

I’d been to only about 15 States at that time.

But today I’m only missing West Virginia, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Maryland Connecticut — one road trip visiting Barbecue spots.

Rathtrevor Beach, Vancouver Island at dawn

Most mornings I wake early. Head directly to Tim Hortons to pick up coffee.

Continue on to Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park, one of the most beautiful beaches I know in the Pacific N.W.

At low tide, it stretches nearly a kilometre out into the Strait of Georgia.

The park is an important stopover area for migratory birds, notably brant geese, which use the beach as a staging area from March 1 to April 15.

Birds stop in the spring for the annual herring spawn … which also attracts large numbers of seals.

There are plenty of friendly, feral rabbits too.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

 

 

I’m a Whole Foods buffet guy now

Dana always called the snooty grocery chain Whole Paycheque Foods, and I wouldn’t walk in the door.

What?! … No Diet Coke?

But in South Miami Beach where food of any kind costs $10, the best deal I can find is the food court at Whole Foods.

I spend $6-9 dollars for a great, tasty meal. Soups are good too.

Pizza excellent.

For another opinion, read Exposing the dark side of the Whole Foods food court.

For coffee I go to McDonalds.

And Subway is still quite a good alternative for about the same price as my buffet.