This is not a blog entry so much as a question to the world - why did my Masala Omelette blog, clearly written post election and not containing any electoral related rants at all (a small welcome home gift for my mother, who does not need to hear them, she implanted them all electronically into my brain at or before birth) appear as written and uploaded in April?
Anyway, it's about Slumdog Millionaire-ification of documentaries about India, it contains a picture of the most beautiful cinema I have ever had the pleasure of drinking fizzy wine in and there are eggs.
It's under April ("Masala Omelette for one").
Coming soon, something possibly about rubbish, or possibly about emigration. And the recipe options include: egg-free chocolate muffins; Tuscan soup; cantucci biscotti (those hard almond biscuits you think you won't like but turn out to be as more-ish as a more-ish thing); risotto; aubergine curry.
More when the sun goes down.
The Baker.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
The electorate has spoken apparently, or have we?
To go straight to the recipe, avoiding the politics scroll down the page to a yummy sweet mascarpone tart, written with help from a Miss I. Debbonaire of this parish
One of the more irritating cliches being peddled over the last 3 days is that the electorate has spoken, as if we have all got together in a room, thrashed it out amicably (with not a hint of negative campaigning, just everyone being nice) and agreed unanimously that we would vote in such a way as to produce the confusing chaos we are in now. How is that possible? Why would we do that? And yet so many people apparently did, seemingly, get together in a room somewhere in Broxtowe or St Andrews and find some way of controlling the voting system, persuading their friends to vote against their political views, failing to deliver sufficient ballot papers to polling stations in Sheffield, send the wrong postal ballot papers out in Bristol, find some bigot in Rochdale who can pass for a sweet old lady and then set up Gordon Brown to identify her correctly, etc. until we have the results and consequent situation we Brits are in now.
POLITICS FREE PARAGRAPH FOLLOWS
Apologies now to all non Brits and any Brits who aren't convinced that politics has been the most interesting story in town over the last few weeks not days. There will be something else shortly, involving mascarpone tart and my niece Imogen making her first ever pastry (a proud moment for us both, there were tears and photos and then complaints that the tart filling wasn't sweet enough) (or smooth enough - Imogen was not happy that when the smug-market down the road failed to supply ricotta to blend with the mascarpone and we had to make do with organic cottage cheese and a cup of thick cream instead; she correctly concluded that cottage cheese is too gritty).
AND NOW BACK TO THE POLITICS FOR A PARAGRAPH or two or three or seven
Am I alone in thinking that harping on about proportional representation is slightly weird? At least at the moment? At a time of an economic crisis we are all hiding behind the sofa from, increasing animosity towards so-called immigrants stoked up by misinformation, no, let's call a spade a spade, lies and yes, racism (I could be forgiving and call it ignorance but this is my blog so I can call it as I see it), impending back to the future re-runs of the 1980s if the Tories have their hands on the till (sorry, did I say on the till? I meant in the till, that's how you take the money AWAY from POOR people and give it TO the RICH people), why on earth are so many people getting together to demonstrate about our voting system? The Greeks are on the streets about public services and unemployment, we are shouting "what do we want? proportional representation by one of the many possible systems, but probably the Single Transferable Vote! When do we want it? As soon as we can say it quicker!"
Priorities?
Whether or not it needs changing, it seems pretty pointless to change it now, when we have already got the lack of overall majority which would surely result, and apparently that's what the voting reform supporters wanted anyway? The only party that benefits from this will always be the party of the centre, their supporters the only beneficiaries. They came third and that includes all the votes of people who said that they were voting Lib Dem to keep the tories out. Contrary to popular opinion, moving politics to the centre does not inevitably bring about a more representative government. It doesn't represent the interests of the poorer pensioners, the low paid workers, the single mothers, the working families, the worker thrown out of work in a recession. Come to think of it, it doesn't represent the interests of the blindingly rich, the bankers, the workshy shareholders or the premier league footballers but they will probably manage to get by whoever is in power. It represents the views and interests of those who are politically at the centre or those from small fringe parties such as UKIP or the BNP. That's a minority of us. How can that be representative?
First past which post? Where is the post?
Our European colleagues and friends can look on aghast or amused at our quaint system but at least first past the post means that we have local MPs who have to know their constituency in order to win, as they will have had to pound the streets themselves, understand local concerns and also make the case strongly for the electorate in their constituency that their political values best serve the majority of their interests. It also means that we get to vote for who we want - yes it does! I get my ballot paper, and I mark a cross next to the person I want to represent me. If he or she hasn't made the case strongly enough to my neighbours, or is plagued by missing ballot papers or closing polling stations, or if I live in a constituency where most of my neighbours have very different priorities to me, then someone other than the candidate I wanted will get more crosses and she or he will win. She or he will represent the whole constituency and will do so knowing that the majority of her or his constituents will agree with most of the decisions they make. My vote isn't wasted, in my opinion, simply because the person I voted for didn't win. My rights will be wasted, however, if the British National Party gets a foot in the corridors of Westminster, because we have come up with some voting system which allows this.
Some proportional representation systems someone invented earlier
Under proportional representation, I could mark the candidates in order (Alternative Vote) - very difficult for anyone who genuinely doesn't support or share the priorities outlined by most or all of the other candidates - or I have my vote transferred if the candidate I like the most has enough votes to pass a certain quota and win a seat in my area or not enough to stand a chance (not actually my own constituency, my area, from and for which a number of MPs will be chosen) (Single Transferable Vote or STV). Again, lots of us really do not want to have our votes transferred to another party other than the one we are members of or whose principles, priorities and practices we most agree with most of the time or are prepared to argue about. And actually I am not that keen on simply voting for all the candidates from my preferred party in my area - which is what I would personally do - because I want the mixture of party and local representation which our current system gives us. I am not alone.
Can sarcasm dilute the strength of a good argument?
The Electoral Reform Society (http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/index.php) recommends the STV and amongst the very curious reasons it includes "Candidates don't need a majority of votes to be elected, just a quota, or share of the votes, determined by the size of the electorate and the number of positions to be filled". Don't need a majority of votes to be elected? Then how, pray, are they really representing their electorate? If I am represented by a collection of people, whose constituency surgery do I visit to get my illegal eviction notice dealt with? If it is a group of people, this is highly likely to mean my case gets lost somewhere in the middle, as so often happens in social care organisations without a named key worker system - when I am everybody's problem I am also nobody's problem.
Warning, may contain left wing ranting against the press, what a surprise
If I sound angry, it is because I am. I am as angry that the ERS published a map with certain seats marked as unwinnable for two parties - including the one I was campaigning in, so admittedly I am biased (or emotionally charged and footsore) on this matter - as I am at the party leaders (of all parties) for failing to back great candidates and leaving them open to the vagaries of protest and tactical votes. I am angry that polling data gets to influence how people make up their minds, rather than actual policies and track records. I am angry that the party leader TV debates took over the campaign and reduced it to three white middle aged men, who would be no more representative of us under PR than they are now. I am furious at the biased, inaccurate, racist, ill-informed and often badly written sraps of paper which pass for newspapers, many of which are owned by not just non-doms but non UK citizens. There is a law against foreign money influencing our election. I think this should mean that any newspaper or TV channel owned by Rupert Murdoch should not be allowed to report on politics at any time, but that's just me, call me a bad loser if you like just don't call me a Guardian reader.
Fairness in voting does not equal fairness in general
Finally, some people appear to be confusing a so called fairer voting system with more fairness in society in general. If you want progressive politics, with more equality of opportunity, you generally vote for a progressive party. If the voting reform gives a platform for a wider range of politicians to get elected from, this does not necessarily result in more fairness, a progressive society. If more right wing politicians get a space at the table, particularly in systems where the smaller parties wield disproportionate amounts of power because there is no overall majority (the hung parliament we are in now or the results of most elections by proportional representation), this means more right wing power in politics and an increased public platform from which they grow, simple as that.
So here are the Bakery Window Suggestions for a fairer voting system:
I have pored over the results of last week's election and one thing is clear to me: most people's priorities and values do not lie in the centre, most of us did not vote for the centre and at a time when the predictions through the campaign had been for the party of government to be thoroughly thrashed by the party of the posh boy and getting a fairly firm spanking from the party of the other posh boy. If so many people support voting reform how come most people didn't vote for the party which can't stop going on about it, the one which scored THIRD in votes but appears to have the most power in the current negotiations? People, with proportional representation, this awful insult to democracy would happen MORE OFTEN - my Euro colleagues assure me that this is normal to them, is this what we want? Do the people who voted LibDem because they wanted PR understand that this will also help the BNP to get elected? Are they OK with that? For more fairness, vote for a party with progressive politics at the core, periphery and surrounding atmosphere. If you can find one...I know there was one here somewhere...is that it coming back into view? To be continued...
and BACK TO THE RECIPE
Mascarpone and fruit tart, using Imogen's first sweet pastry - in her own words, as dictated by her
First of all, you measure 250g flour (plain) but you don't have to seive it if you don't want to. Then you add 50g caster sugar. Next you cut up 125 block of butter and chop it up into little pieces on the chopping board. And then you tip it into the bowl which has the flour and sugar in and then chop it up into more little pieces. Once you have got it into as little lumps as you can, you have to rub, using only your finger tips as they are the coldest part of your body. It's important to keep it cold, so that the butter doesn't melt and go funny. It's something about a chemical reaction.
Question: How do you know when you have done enough rubbing in? Answer: when you shake the bowl there aren't any big lumps on top.
So after you have done that, you have to make it into a bowl, no a ball, using only a spoon, because of the whole heat thing, oh adding cold water to make it stick. ONly a bit at a time. You get all of the flour/butter rubbed in mixture that's not been added together and bring it together, using spoon or knife to press it into a ball. Only add the water a little bit at a time, because although it can be solved (the problem which occurs if you add too much) you are less likely to make mistakes.
Then, once it is in a firm smooth ball, you have to wrap it up in greasproof paper and put it in the fridge. Then you make the mascarpone stuff and then you can take it (the pastry) out.
Mascarpone stuff
First of all you get a seive and you get 200g of cottage cheese or really it should be ricotta. You get the cottage cheese or ricotta in the seive and you use the back of a spoon to push it down so that it comes out all smooth. You have to keep on doing that until all of it has gone through and is a smooth paste in the bowl.
Then you add your mascarpone (200g) and your double cream (100g). And you scrape out the seeds from half a fresh vanilla pod and you scrape the zest of a lemon (that's the skin, but not the white stuff under it) with a good zester or a fine grater and you mix it all together. You add about 50g icing sugar (check that it doesn't have any egg whites in it if you have brothers or sisters allergic to eggs), or some more if you want it sweeter. YOu can add some sweet dessert wine or perhaps some grape juice but we didn't.
Pastry shell - see previous blogs
The rolling, lining and baking has been explained before. For this much creamy stuff you will need the amounts listed above and a 12 inch tart tin with removable bottom. Just remember, 20mins with the baking paper and baking beads on, then remove beads and paper and bake for 10 mins more till just golden. Allow to cool fully.
Smooth the creamy stuff in.
Then put loads of fruit on the top - raspberries or strawberries or something like that - make it pretty. Put it in the fridge for a while to chill and firm. You should then be able to remove the tart from the tin and onto a pretty plate.
And serve with a raspberry coulis (squish raspberries through a seive and add icing sugar to taste) or if you have finished the raspberry coulis a raspberry sorbet will do nearly as well.
By Imogen D.
NEXT TIME ON BAKERY WINDOW: Will there be a government to rant about? Or will I change the subject? In any case, there will be food....
One of the more irritating cliches being peddled over the last 3 days is that the electorate has spoken, as if we have all got together in a room, thrashed it out amicably (with not a hint of negative campaigning, just everyone being nice) and agreed unanimously that we would vote in such a way as to produce the confusing chaos we are in now. How is that possible? Why would we do that? And yet so many people apparently did, seemingly, get together in a room somewhere in Broxtowe or St Andrews and find some way of controlling the voting system, persuading their friends to vote against their political views, failing to deliver sufficient ballot papers to polling stations in Sheffield, send the wrong postal ballot papers out in Bristol, find some bigot in Rochdale who can pass for a sweet old lady and then set up Gordon Brown to identify her correctly, etc. until we have the results and consequent situation we Brits are in now.
POLITICS FREE PARAGRAPH FOLLOWS
Apologies now to all non Brits and any Brits who aren't convinced that politics has been the most interesting story in town over the last few weeks not days. There will be something else shortly, involving mascarpone tart and my niece Imogen making her first ever pastry (a proud moment for us both, there were tears and photos and then complaints that the tart filling wasn't sweet enough) (or smooth enough - Imogen was not happy that when the smug-market down the road failed to supply ricotta to blend with the mascarpone and we had to make do with organic cottage cheese and a cup of thick cream instead; she correctly concluded that cottage cheese is too gritty).
AND NOW BACK TO THE POLITICS FOR A PARAGRAPH or two or three or seven
Am I alone in thinking that harping on about proportional representation is slightly weird? At least at the moment? At a time of an economic crisis we are all hiding behind the sofa from, increasing animosity towards so-called immigrants stoked up by misinformation, no, let's call a spade a spade, lies and yes, racism (I could be forgiving and call it ignorance but this is my blog so I can call it as I see it), impending back to the future re-runs of the 1980s if the Tories have their hands on the till (sorry, did I say on the till? I meant in the till, that's how you take the money AWAY from POOR people and give it TO the RICH people), why on earth are so many people getting together to demonstrate about our voting system? The Greeks are on the streets about public services and unemployment, we are shouting "what do we want? proportional representation by one of the many possible systems, but probably the Single Transferable Vote! When do we want it? As soon as we can say it quicker!"
Priorities?
Whether or not it needs changing, it seems pretty pointless to change it now, when we have already got the lack of overall majority which would surely result, and apparently that's what the voting reform supporters wanted anyway? The only party that benefits from this will always be the party of the centre, their supporters the only beneficiaries. They came third and that includes all the votes of people who said that they were voting Lib Dem to keep the tories out. Contrary to popular opinion, moving politics to the centre does not inevitably bring about a more representative government. It doesn't represent the interests of the poorer pensioners, the low paid workers, the single mothers, the working families, the worker thrown out of work in a recession. Come to think of it, it doesn't represent the interests of the blindingly rich, the bankers, the workshy shareholders or the premier league footballers but they will probably manage to get by whoever is in power. It represents the views and interests of those who are politically at the centre or those from small fringe parties such as UKIP or the BNP. That's a minority of us. How can that be representative?
First past which post? Where is the post?
Our European colleagues and friends can look on aghast or amused at our quaint system but at least first past the post means that we have local MPs who have to know their constituency in order to win, as they will have had to pound the streets themselves, understand local concerns and also make the case strongly for the electorate in their constituency that their political values best serve the majority of their interests. It also means that we get to vote for who we want - yes it does! I get my ballot paper, and I mark a cross next to the person I want to represent me. If he or she hasn't made the case strongly enough to my neighbours, or is plagued by missing ballot papers or closing polling stations, or if I live in a constituency where most of my neighbours have very different priorities to me, then someone other than the candidate I wanted will get more crosses and she or he will win. She or he will represent the whole constituency and will do so knowing that the majority of her or his constituents will agree with most of the decisions they make. My vote isn't wasted, in my opinion, simply because the person I voted for didn't win. My rights will be wasted, however, if the British National Party gets a foot in the corridors of Westminster, because we have come up with some voting system which allows this.
Some proportional representation systems someone invented earlier
Under proportional representation, I could mark the candidates in order (Alternative Vote) - very difficult for anyone who genuinely doesn't support or share the priorities outlined by most or all of the other candidates - or I have my vote transferred if the candidate I like the most has enough votes to pass a certain quota and win a seat in my area or not enough to stand a chance (not actually my own constituency, my area, from and for which a number of MPs will be chosen) (Single Transferable Vote or STV). Again, lots of us really do not want to have our votes transferred to another party other than the one we are members of or whose principles, priorities and practices we most agree with most of the time or are prepared to argue about. And actually I am not that keen on simply voting for all the candidates from my preferred party in my area - which is what I would personally do - because I want the mixture of party and local representation which our current system gives us. I am not alone.
Can sarcasm dilute the strength of a good argument?
The Electoral Reform Society (http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/index.php) recommends the STV and amongst the very curious reasons it includes "Candidates don't need a majority of votes to be elected, just a quota, or share of the votes, determined by the size of the electorate and the number of positions to be filled". Don't need a majority of votes to be elected? Then how, pray, are they really representing their electorate? If I am represented by a collection of people, whose constituency surgery do I visit to get my illegal eviction notice dealt with? If it is a group of people, this is highly likely to mean my case gets lost somewhere in the middle, as so often happens in social care organisations without a named key worker system - when I am everybody's problem I am also nobody's problem.
Warning, may contain left wing ranting against the press, what a surprise
If I sound angry, it is because I am. I am as angry that the ERS published a map with certain seats marked as unwinnable for two parties - including the one I was campaigning in, so admittedly I am biased (or emotionally charged and footsore) on this matter - as I am at the party leaders (of all parties) for failing to back great candidates and leaving them open to the vagaries of protest and tactical votes. I am angry that polling data gets to influence how people make up their minds, rather than actual policies and track records. I am angry that the party leader TV debates took over the campaign and reduced it to three white middle aged men, who would be no more representative of us under PR than they are now. I am furious at the biased, inaccurate, racist, ill-informed and often badly written sraps of paper which pass for newspapers, many of which are owned by not just non-doms but non UK citizens. There is a law against foreign money influencing our election. I think this should mean that any newspaper or TV channel owned by Rupert Murdoch should not be allowed to report on politics at any time, but that's just me, call me a bad loser if you like just don't call me a Guardian reader.
Fairness in voting does not equal fairness in general
Finally, some people appear to be confusing a so called fairer voting system with more fairness in society in general. If you want progressive politics, with more equality of opportunity, you generally vote for a progressive party. If the voting reform gives a platform for a wider range of politicians to get elected from, this does not necessarily result in more fairness, a progressive society. If more right wing politicians get a space at the table, particularly in systems where the smaller parties wield disproportionate amounts of power because there is no overall majority (the hung parliament we are in now or the results of most elections by proportional representation), this means more right wing power in politics and an increased public platform from which they grow, simple as that.
So here are the Bakery Window Suggestions for a fairer voting system:
- Candidates from any party and none can stand for election. They have to set out their stall on policies, their working histories, their track records in local or national government or on the school governing body or local neighbourhood action group. They do this on the doorstep, at public meetings, by phone, blog, facebook, email or carrier pigeon.
- We have a total ban on any opinion polls during the election or before it. At least on overtly political subjects, although I think that covers everything really.
- Respected organisations such as the ERS or any political party and less respected organisations alike are not allowed to publish maps, diagrams, bar charts or anything else which contain the words "this seat is safe" for any party.
- Our polling stations have enough ballot papers for the number of voters in that area, our postal votes go out well in advance so that people who asked for them, responsibly, because they knew they wouldn't be near their polling station that day or their home that week (it was a bank holiday on the Monday, lots of people went on holiday before their ballot papers arrived on the Saturday) can vote.
- We promise each other we will never EVER go over to a system which relies on computers or buttons or mobile phones or anything more technically sophisticated than a pencil and a piece of paper with the names of the candidates on, counted by trusted people who are watched by others who are allowed to say if they make a mistake.
- The electorate listen to the policies, pay attention to the arguments, take the time to read something and ask questions of the candidates - in person, on their blog, by twitter or phoning them up, it's not like they aren't accessible any more.
- Then we vote. And the votes get securely delivered to a counting station where they are counted by trusted people etc as stated in 5 above.
- That's it. The person with the most votes in one constituency earns the right to represent it. Fringe parties get to express their (sometimes hateful, sometimes beautiful) views and thereby influence other parties or in time, gather more experience and exposure so that they gradually stop being fringe parties and start getting elected (Green Party or for that matter the LibDems themselves, but dear me hopefully never the BNP).
I have pored over the results of last week's election and one thing is clear to me: most people's priorities and values do not lie in the centre, most of us did not vote for the centre and at a time when the predictions through the campaign had been for the party of government to be thoroughly thrashed by the party of the posh boy and getting a fairly firm spanking from the party of the other posh boy. If so many people support voting reform how come most people didn't vote for the party which can't stop going on about it, the one which scored THIRD in votes but appears to have the most power in the current negotiations? People, with proportional representation, this awful insult to democracy would happen MORE OFTEN - my Euro colleagues assure me that this is normal to them, is this what we want? Do the people who voted LibDem because they wanted PR understand that this will also help the BNP to get elected? Are they OK with that? For more fairness, vote for a party with progressive politics at the core, periphery and surrounding atmosphere. If you can find one...I know there was one here somewhere...is that it coming back into view? To be continued...
and BACK TO THE RECIPE
Mascarpone and fruit tart, using Imogen's first sweet pastry - in her own words, as dictated by her
First of all, you measure 250g flour (plain) but you don't have to seive it if you don't want to. Then you add 50g caster sugar. Next you cut up 125 block of butter and chop it up into little pieces on the chopping board. And then you tip it into the bowl which has the flour and sugar in and then chop it up into more little pieces. Once you have got it into as little lumps as you can, you have to rub, using only your finger tips as they are the coldest part of your body. It's important to keep it cold, so that the butter doesn't melt and go funny. It's something about a chemical reaction.
Question: How do you know when you have done enough rubbing in? Answer: when you shake the bowl there aren't any big lumps on top.
So after you have done that, you have to make it into a bowl, no a ball, using only a spoon, because of the whole heat thing, oh adding cold water to make it stick. ONly a bit at a time. You get all of the flour/butter rubbed in mixture that's not been added together and bring it together, using spoon or knife to press it into a ball. Only add the water a little bit at a time, because although it can be solved (the problem which occurs if you add too much) you are less likely to make mistakes.
Then, once it is in a firm smooth ball, you have to wrap it up in greasproof paper and put it in the fridge. Then you make the mascarpone stuff and then you can take it (the pastry) out.
Mascarpone stuff
First of all you get a seive and you get 200g of cottage cheese or really it should be ricotta. You get the cottage cheese or ricotta in the seive and you use the back of a spoon to push it down so that it comes out all smooth. You have to keep on doing that until all of it has gone through and is a smooth paste in the bowl.
Then you add your mascarpone (200g) and your double cream (100g). And you scrape out the seeds from half a fresh vanilla pod and you scrape the zest of a lemon (that's the skin, but not the white stuff under it) with a good zester or a fine grater and you mix it all together. You add about 50g icing sugar (check that it doesn't have any egg whites in it if you have brothers or sisters allergic to eggs), or some more if you want it sweeter. YOu can add some sweet dessert wine or perhaps some grape juice but we didn't.
Pastry shell - see previous blogs
The rolling, lining and baking has been explained before. For this much creamy stuff you will need the amounts listed above and a 12 inch tart tin with removable bottom. Just remember, 20mins with the baking paper and baking beads on, then remove beads and paper and bake for 10 mins more till just golden. Allow to cool fully.
Smooth the creamy stuff in.
Then put loads of fruit on the top - raspberries or strawberries or something like that - make it pretty. Put it in the fridge for a while to chill and firm. You should then be able to remove the tart from the tin and onto a pretty plate.
And serve with a raspberry coulis (squish raspberries through a seive and add icing sugar to taste) or if you have finished the raspberry coulis a raspberry sorbet will do nearly as well.
By Imogen D.
NEXT TIME ON BAKERY WINDOW: Will there be a government to rant about? Or will I change the subject? In any case, there will be food....
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