Linda Meehan, Voice of Reason

Ryanair - Bigots of the hospitality industry

2009-04-23T04:37:00.000-07:00

Stephen McNamara of Ryanair, with the blessing no doubt of his boss the ever arrogant Michael O’Leary has said “very large passengers should be asked to pay a fat tax.”. with one of the suggestions being to “Charge per kg over 130kg/20 stone (male) and 100kg/15 stone (females)”.

Seriously, this breaks so many moral boundaries and laws e.g. sex discrimination because men can weigh 20 stone and women 15 stone. Either you take up the seat and make the plane heavier or you don’t, regardless of your gender. What about anorexics or people under the recommended BMI, do they get charged less? So, Ryanair are advocating public humiliation via a public weigh in for anyone that wants to spend their hard earned cash and be stupid enough to travel with Ryanair. There will be repercussions from setting these kinds of precedents - like eating disorders and the belief that you are not 'normal' if you don’t fit into a certain body shape.

By allowing this type of fascism, where will it stop? What about disabled people who take up extra room because of their wheelchairs. Or blind people who may need more attention from cabin crew. Or elderly people whose frailties and walking sticks could jeopardise the planes safety?

What is more sinister is that it smacks of nazism and perhaps O'Leary is a secret eugenics fanatic – along with the 30,000 or so survey respondents.

This would be a very, very dangerous path to go down if it is allowed to happen. This will give the more moronic idiots in our society an absolute license to insult anyone over a size 12. I think people should boycott Ryanair out of principle.

Shame on you O’Leary. Shame on you for not remembering every person that has suffered persecution including you, with your Irish roots. Shame on you for not remembering the holocaust, Rwanda and every country whose people have been castigated, brutalised and isolated because of their looks, race, religion and colour and for committing the crime of being different. Shame on you for picking on a soft target. And shame on you, Mr & Mrs Public if you condone this bigotry.

You may wonder why I've made comparisons with other atrocities, this is because things like this generally start with something small and escalate because the ignorant tend to support discrimination en masse without thinking about where it could lead. I'm glad if I provoke a response, at least it'll make people think - feel free to disagree!

What a smart marketing move it would be if another airline took up the cause and used this as a way to close down Ryanair (happy days) by using a tagline like 'you're all welcome, no matter what you look like'' followed by a TV ad campaign showing all sorts of extreme looking travellers from the worlds tallest man to the shortest person, to the thinnest to the fattest, black/white/yellow/brown people, standard looking people, the lot - almost like the iconic Coca Cola 'I’d like to teach the world to sing' advert of the 70's. Are you brave enough?

Comic Relief Treat - Rich Chocolate Pot

2009-03-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

CHOCOLATE ORANGE POTS

If you love chocolate, this is one of the most rich and indulgent desserts you’ll eat … let’s enjoy this treat but also do something for those who can’t – so please give what you can to Comic Relief

Serves 6

Ingredients
200g of 70% Cocoa chocolate
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
30g Butter
Finely grated zest of orange
25ml Cointreau
125g mascarpone
125ml double cream

Method

• Mix the mascarpone with the orange zest and Cointreau
• Whip half of the double cream until fairly stiff
• Break up the chocolate and put in a glass bowl with the Golden Syrup and butter. Melt over a pan of hot water or in the microwave for about 1 min
• Stir until all the chocolate is melted and then firstly fold in the liquid double cream, then stir in the orange mascarpone and finally fold in the whipped double cream
• Divide into small dishes or Espresso cups

Comic Relief - tonight

2009-03-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Please take part and give what you can

Masterchef - contestants please take note !!

2009-02-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

As an avid foodie, I love the programme, obv. But contestants, WHY do you put two Continents on one plate? With the exception of definitely not home-made ChipsNCurry sauce (I sometimes enjoy a hedonistic lifestyle full of culinary adventure), it generally doesn’t work.

Contestants - when did you ever think that unglazed/unbuttered and therefore untasty vegetables are going to be enjoyable?

And why oh why do you blight a perfectly good hot course with a cold salad or a bush sized portion of herbs on top?

Don’t get me wrong, a delicious bowl of Moussaka served with a side of Greek Village Salad is absolutely heavenly, but greenery – know your place!!!

Government help for jobless? Don’t believe a word …

2009-02-17T05:12:00.000-08:00

The PM & Government are feeding us mistruths at a time when they should be bending over backwards to instil confidence and trust to a nation in despair. They deliver us pomposity, unclear and unkept promises and a trail of propaganda about how they are doing everything they can to help the unemployed. Today, I’m going to talk about the elephant in the room.

The vast majority of job seekers are decent, honest people who given the opportunity will thrive to the benefit of their families and employers. It’s devastating to lose your job, your position, your pride and your ability to make a worthwhile contribution. There are people with an array of important skill-sets out there and too many of these talented hard workers are without jobs and having to sign on the dole.

What makes me the expert? Well, I’ve experienced all sides of the fence - I’ve been an employee, I’ve had 20 years in recruitment and I’m a small business owner. I’ve witnessed the fear of losing a job, I’ve seen in others the devastation being without a job brings and its consequences. So Mr Brown & Co, I can speak, I can put my view, I can make judgments because I have acquired knowledge and common sense. You can disagree with me, frankly I don’t care, I’ll still have my say, just stop reading if I bore you.

Mr GB actually said he intends to “maximise the chances of the unemployed getting jobs”. Soundbites with no substance and no clear intentions.

In Nov 08 I wrote to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, with a similar letter sent to the MarComs Director at Train to Gain (sent both by email and post) and then subsequently to the Office of the Director of External Relations for JobCentrePlus. All of these organisations had spent and are spending obscene amounts of money on media advertising extolling the virtues of their wonderfulness. Except for the fact that they aren’t doing enough to help the unemployed either get jobs or retrain.

Our letter set out how, as an experienced business with an online recruitment facility, we were keen to be of help AT NO COST to them. We told them how we were self funded and were going to be building (at our expense) a part of our website to be dedicated to training & education. Being commercially aware, we know that a lot of employers would not advertise directly with JobCentrePlus and so we could do our part to bridge the gap if they allowed job seekers to be able to see our site and the jobs our clients had to offer, by simply having a link on their site. This had a three way benefit – the jobseeker gains access to a bigger choice of proper full time jobs, the employer could get their job filled and we have satisfied our customers and by doing so will have repeat business - thus all three parts of this jigsaw would be putting money back into the economy. Win, win, win for everyone.

Proper jobs I hear you say? Yes, 25% of JobCentrePlus jobs are non-jobs i.e. part-time and under (sometimes well under) 16 hours a week.

So what response did I get from the great and the good? After I made some phone calls (I had no response from them) I found out from the Head of PR at UKCES that essentially they are a think tank (cos we need more think tanks) subsidised no doubt by a huge sum from you and I. The role of this qwango is to advise government that they should offer training. No, I’m not making it up.

As for Train to Gain, no courtesy of a response at all. JobCentrePlus were unprepared to step outside the comfort zone and actually do anything or take on board any suggestions because they have a system. A system that isn’t working, but a system nonetheless. A system you and I are paying for.

I don’t have all the answers, I can’t solve the problems, but I can do my bit to help and if just one family are given back their dignity then it’s all worth it. The problem is, I’m obstructed by the Government and its team of jobsworths and plebs (the most printable words I can use to describe them).

Job Hunting - 9 things you need to know

2009-02-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

In this recession, managing your career throws up some challenges, so what you’ll need is a determined and focused attitude with a lot of net research thrown in for good measure. Look at the bigger picture, research your industry and use the search engines to help you look at articles about your sector and check out what the most recession-proof jobs are, so that you can target them.

Change the way you think
It’s a different type of market now. You may be brilliant, with an exceptional academic record and bags of experience, but in this climate you also need to remember that there are lots of other people out there with equally good or more diverse skills, so you need to stand out. Start thinking from the employer’s perspective and what will be in it for them if they employ you. Of course you need to confident, but not to the extent that you think they can’t do without you. The fact that you’ve been in your last job for years and know everything about your role inside out, will not guarantee you the next job. It’s up to you to demonstrate how you can be an asset to them, not the other way round.

Show your achievements
Your CV is a sales tool so make sure it is up to date, with good detail on your previous posts – employers cannot guess what you have done or your skills set! Without a good CV, there will be no interview (more CV advice later in the series). Write a concise and warm covering letter which introduces you, has a paragraph summarising your experience and the last paragraph should thank the reader for the time they have spent considering your application. By all means use CV / Covering letter templates that you find on the web as a guide, but don’t copy them verbatim, as you should always personalise your communications.

Demonstrate your abilities
When you go to an interview, the company will look not only at your previous experience but on what you can bring to them. Will you help their organization save money because of the skills you have and your ability to decrease wastage or maximize staff performance? Or does your experience mean you will make them money due to your up-selling skills? Whatever your strengths, make sure it is on your CV and in your conversations with the company.

To get the point across, you need to think about what you have been able to achieve in your previous jobs i.e. where you improved departmental performance, how you saved the company money and why you can motivate others to be more effective. Show your prospective employer what a benefit you will be to their team by stating the percentage by which you increased productivity or sales. It’s far more impressive to say “decreased wastage by 18% in the first quarter” than “also decreased wastage”. Or, “sales increased by 15% in the first quarter, through e-targeting existing clientele” which is far better than “increased sales for the company”,

Talk to yourself
Once you’ve got your job functions clear in your own head and you have written it into your CV, you need to do some role plays i.e. mock interviews. Yes, I do mean either getting a friend to play the role of employer firing questions that you must answer with clarity or, just use a mirror and play both the roles of employer and yourself. You may laugh, but this practice will be invaluable to you and when you get into a real time situation, you’ll handle it with ease. Practice really does make perfect.

Network
Speak to people in your sector, use social networking sites and get yourself out there. If you know someone who works for a successful company, why not offer to help out for a week or two at no cost to the company? This is a foot in the door and will also give you the benefit of additional experience. By making sure your contribution shines, you could be noticed by the employer. Remember, an employer is far more likely to take someone known to them for a permanent role when they arise, because they have been able to measure your skills and you have been brought in by someone they trust.

Freelance
Contact companies (by email with that all important CV and covering letter attached) that you’d like to work for, letting them know of your skills and experience, and say that you are available for short term contracts. In this market, you may be just what they need as they may not have the budget as yet for a full time permanent role yet could have an opportunity that needs to be filled by you.

The Search
Look for jobs online, through trade publications, in newspapers and on the websites of your industry trade associations. Be organised and do a spreadsheet or list of all the jobs you have applied for, the contact details and the date you sent your application. Do another list of all the websites you’ve visited that you like and want to return to. It may take a few days for your application to get a response but after about a week, follow up your application with a polite email or phone call. It may be that the company had a glitch in their system and didn’t receive your details, so don’t just write them off until you have checked the status.

Prepare
Once you have secured a meeting with a potential employer, you must research the company so that you can show your understanding of what their business is all about and why you would like to be a part of it. This research will also give you the tools to make a list of questions you would like to ask of them on interview and will also give you something to talk about.

Most importantly
Start doing the above and you have a better chance of being hired. As Winston Churchill once said “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference”.

Coming next – Productive Job Hunting

© Linda Meehan, CEO & Recruitment Advisor

Getting a job in a recession – top tips to help you find a job, Part 1

2009-02-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Even in good times, getting a new job can be stressful and now we’re into a recession, you might feel like it’s a mission too far, especially if you’ve been out of work for a while. You need to pay the bills and everything you read and all the news you hear doesn’t make you any less anxious. It isn’t going to be easy to be optimistic and positive, but that is exactly what you do need to be.

It’s not all bad
There is an upside and downside to most things and where unfortunate companies have laid off staff or had to close in a particular service sector, other firms will pick up the business available which may lead them to having to increase their own workforce, thus creating an opportunity that just may suit you.

Network
When you find yourself becoming frustrated and down, take the afternoon and go for a walk, read a book or do something which will help you clear your mind so that you can be ready to face the challenges ahead. Talk to your friends and family, go online and chat to others in similar circumstances and surround yourself with supporting elements to help you feel stronger. By networking with others, you never know what opportunities could come your way.

Gain new skills
Whilst you are looking for a job, learn a new skill and look into whether there are any additional qualifications you could get or courses you can study as cross training will give you the advantage. Check out online courses that will give you additional knowledge and qualifications, so that you can continue studying when you do get that job.

Focus
You must focus on showing others the positive side of your personality and remember all the skills you have that you can bring to an employer. When you get to an interview, employers want to see a confident person who knows their value and what they can bring to the company.

Of course, your ideal would be a job which matches or betters your previous role in your chosen industry, but you must now be realistic and practical which may mean taking a job a couple of steps down the ladder so that you can work your way back up again. You need to be realistic because there is a lot of competition out there and you have to stand out.

Start doing
Searching for work should be your full time job until you get a paid one! To succeed you must get into a ‘work’ routine of job hunting from 9am-5pm at the very least. And yes, take a break for lunch! Be organised and prepare for your day. You must be committed, focused and invest your time and energy into securing yourself a job.

The first thing you need to do is create a great CV (more articles about this later in our series) and then surf, surf, surf. If you haven’t got a computer, get dressed and be at your local internet café by 9am sharp! Make sure you have printer paper / notepad and pen to keep a record of the jobs you’ve applied for, helpful websites and job leads. Everything you do matters and you will reap the rewards for the efforts you make.

Market yourself
You’ll need to market yourself well and I’ll say it again, the strength of your CV can decide your fate. If you look at the top retailers, they know that great quality products have great packaging, great promotion and sell well. You need to do the same.

Think about your quality with all the qualifications, experience and skills you’ve gained and your packaging – well you are a nicely turned out, friendly and professional person – now you should really be in demand.
Now it’s about promoting yourself. Yes, I’m going to mention that great CV again, which should be complimented by a relatable covering letter (there is more about covering letters later in this series).
Once you have identified jobs that are suitable for you, send in your application / CV and covering letter. If you don’t get interviews, it may well be that your CV lacks information or clarity. If you get interviews but no offers, you need to revise your interview technique (more about interview techniques later in this series).

There are many ways you can get your CV in front of prospective employers by using the web, registering with job boards – particularly those that are specialist or niche to your industry, contacting employment agencies, local papers, trade press, using social networking tools and cold calling or making speculative applications to relevant industry companies in your area, to see if they are looking to hire.

Salary
Don’t price yourself out of the market – things have changed now and you need to focus in on getting the right role even if it means taking a pay cut. It’s better to be in work on a slightly lower salary than on none at all. Of course you shouldn’t undervalue your skills and experience but you must be realistic of what the market place has to offer and how much competition there is for each job.

By following these simple tips, you’re on the way to beating the blues, getting out of the doldrums and getting gainful employment.

So make the best out of the person you are, and as Nelson Mandela once said “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Coming next – Job options in a recession

© copyright - Linda Meehan, CEO & Recruitment Advisor

Jame's doing something - what about us?

2009-02-03T04:41:00.000-08:00

Jamie and other high profile chefs are at least trying to do something to make us all aware of provenance and welfare issues. We should be supporting this by looking at what we purchase, where it’s come from, how animals are reared and checking labels. One man (or a few passionate enthusiasts) cannot change the whole system and it’s up to us to play our part and do whatever we can to back it up. Telling us to turn vegetarian is not the answer and a whole nation is not going to do that. So let’s work with reality and raise standards.

Supporting your local restaurant

2009-02-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

On his Kitchen Nightmares, Gordon Ramsay came up with the idea of supporting local restaurants by getting more people in on quiet weekday nights by having a pie night. Now more than ever, restaurants need to come up with quality produce and great food at affordable prices. The concept seems to be right on the money, as this will create interest among the local clientele and also reduce the costs of production for the restaurant. Hopefully, the restaurants will be able to buy bigger quantities from their local suppliers which will help them too.

It’s a fair point to say that quite a lot of restaurants may close due to this credit crunch, so maybe even local hotels could run theme nights to generate interest with music or comedy to compliment the food. When Ramsay highlights this issue, he’s doing a great service to the hospitality industry (perhaps not so much of the swearing though!) and I think he deserves the full 5 stars.

Pie night in your local restaurant?

2009-02-02T07:07:00.001-08:00

Watched Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmares where he suggested a pie night to bring in the punters midweek.I thought this was a good idea, both from the kitchen point of view, because its less labour intensive and then the focus would be on the quality and also, I’d visit my local restaurant midweek if I knew they did a special feature (as long as it was good, of course!).

Asda boss rips into celeb chefs for highlighting poor animal welfare

2009-02-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

Andy Bond, Asda CEO has ripped into Celeb Chefs for having the nerve to complain about 'chickens crammed in sheds' under the guise that consumers can’t afford to pay more. So, does he mean that provenance and welfare issues like this shouldn’t be highlighted? It’s all about choice and if a well reared chicken costs a pound or two more and the budget is tight, people could choose to buy chicken less often and make it go further (leftovers made into a pasta or rice dish) rather than eat an animal that has been reared inhumanely. It appears that Mr Bond is trying to endear himself as being a man of the people and is assuming we’d all rather eat any old rubbish as long as it’s cheap. From his comments, I can only interpret that he advocates vile conditions for the animals which leads to the food we eat on our plates, at the cost of ethics and decency. What do you think?

Asda boss says chefs are ‘amateurs’

2009-02-02T03:28:00.000-08:00

Andy Bond, CEO of Asda has said “celebrity chefs are projecting themselves as experts in areas where they are amateurs” (referring to the awareness campaigns on animal provenance and welfare issues - http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=196901).

Celeb chefs get more people interested in food which means people buy more products from supermarkets. Why bite the hands that feed you Mr Bond?. I think what he really means, is that high profile people shouldn’t say or do anything that increases consumer awareness and may affect Mr Supermarket. All you celeb chefs out there – keep on informing us!

Food Police - not in my house

2009-01-31T10:40:00.000-08:00

There no chance of anyone trespassing into my fridge. What qualifications in food nutrition do these people have? How much experience in household budgets and healthy eating can they prove? It goes without saying that they'll all try to work at weekends with the excuse that they'll catch more people in - because the rates of pay are so high - sorry, the rates that WE are paying them are so high.

If the Government is so keen on us eating healthily, wouldn't it be a better idea to send people around to food stores and restaurants to make sure that the products we are being sold are stored at the right temperatures, within their sell-by dates, with contents clearly labelled. (We've all seen Kitchen Nightmares). I can guarantee there are loads of outlets that sell unfit and contaminated foods, but as usual, they'll waste our money on what they perceive to be easy targets instead of doing something that might actually help us all.

Apart from anything else, it puts the vulnerable and elderly in our society in danger, as anyone can rig up a badge and say they have the right of entry - and then once they've gained access, rob or hurt the unsuspecting victim. This is appalling and must be stopped.

Irish Soda Bread

2009-01-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

500g Wholemeal bread flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 225ml Buttermilk 2 tbsp groundnut oil 2 tbsp sugar 2 beaten eggs 1 tsp salt

Method

* Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the buttermilk, oil and eggs. Knead for a few mins until the dough comes together. If the dough seems a little sticky or wet, it will be fine!! Don't be tempted to add more flour.
* Set aside in a warm place for an hour.
* Put in a hot oven and cook for about 40 minutes

How to handle redundancy

2009-01-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

How to handle redundancy

Every person facing redundancy thinks ‘why me?’
It’s not your fault, it’s a symptom of this awful economic climate. You may feel low and uncertain, stressed beyond belief, angry and hurt. These are normal reactions and you need to allow yourself a little time to accept what has happened to you.

There are plenty of online resources so that you can check your redundancy has been handled in the correct way. And now you have to take steps to minimise the impact this may have on your life.

Firstly, don’t panic
Get your finances in order by making a list of your outgoings and if there are bills you just can’t manage whilst you are out of work, contact your lenders and explain your circumstances, asking for reduced payments. Don’t be proud - find out what benefits you may be entitled to until you get your next job.

Positive action plan
• Don’t burn your bridges with your previous employers, you never know what will happen in the future
• It’s a tough market so give yourself the best chance and get your CV up to date - http://www.hotjobsinhospitality.com/making-a-cv.cms.asp
• Use online recruitment and apply to all the jobs you are suitable for
• Choose wisely where you send your CV and not to every job advertised - if you don’t have the relevant background, your CV will just go in someone’s bin and your time should be spent searching for roles you can do and want to do.
• Update your skills – this may be the ideal time to take a course which will enhance your career
• Look at re-training / cross training where you can use your knowledge in a new or related industry
• Keep busy – consider doing some voluntary work whilst you are looking for a new job

Are you a company about to make redundancies?

2009-01-24T07:27:00.000-08:00

Deciding who to make redundant

Never an easy choice. The payroll is usually the biggest single expense in any company - your business needs to survive and to help this happen, horrid decisions have to be made. Do you carry on with the numbers you have in your workforce hoping things will improve, knowing that if they don’t, everyone will be at risk of losing their jobs? Or, do you make the harrowing choice to cut your wage bill to the bone, so that the company has a better chance of survival?

Before pressing the redundancy buttons, you absolutely must get legal advice as the last thing your company needs is to be hauled in front of an employment tribunal. You should consider stopping overtime and retraining / redeploying your existing staff. You need to have a consultation period to tell employees what is happening, why redundancies are being made and how you are selecting people for the redundancy. You could offer voluntary redundancy as a first step and then an individual consultation which must spell out why you are making the redundancy and why that person has been selected.

For the employees, redundancy is a very traumatic experience and so this needs to be handled with the utmost sensitivity whilst following legal and your own HR procedures. Redundancy also creates a negative environment with your remaining employees who may still feel that their own jobs aren’t safe and guilty that they have retained their jobs while their friends/colleagues are now in dire straights. Morale, productivity and motivation will all be affected by the changes redundancy brings and it will take some time before things settle.

In deciding who to make redundant, you will have to take a lot of factors into consideration, including:
• How long the individual has worked for you
• What their attendance / disciplinary records show
• The skills, competencies, experience and qualifications they have
• How they performed in their duties

It’s common sense, but what you can’t do is select people for redundancy based on their gender, sexuality, race, religion or because they are pregnant. If you have another role in your company that is suitable for the person you have selected for redundancy, and they choose not to take that role, then you are then under no obligation to pay redundancy.

The first meeting should be quite short, you need to get to the point because the employee will be nervous and in turmoil. You may get all sorts of emotions or reactions, some people just go quiet, others will be understandably angry. Stay calm, measured, supportive and show compassion.

You must handle the redundancy conversation with care, show empathy and be clear. Provide the employee with information on how to respond to job adverts and on the resources available to:
• get their CV looking good - http://www.hotjobsinhospitality.com/making-a-cv.cms.asp
• and on interview techniques - http://www.hotjobsinhospitality.com/interview-tips.cms.asp

Once you have made the difficult decision on whom you will be letting go and you have followed all the correct procedures, you must also allow the employees to go out on interviews during paid working in their notice period.

Your remaining workforce needs to be reassured, so you should gather them and explain why you have taken these steps and show how valuable their role is to the future of your company. Make sure that your managers display a positive attitude and are able to cope with the changes.

Shannon Matthews ‘mother’ – sentence must be the full weight of the law

2009-01-23T04:08:00.000-08:00

This despicable excuse for a human being is due for sentencing today and nothing less than the maximum penalty for each offence it (yes, it) committed must be applied for this the most heinous of crimes. I don’t want to hear excuses about her circumstances or her background being used to soften the sentence. This act was pre-meditated, planned out and played out. It knew exactly what it was doing and this was no random act of madness. So Mr Judge, me along with millions of others no doubt, will be judging you today.

C(?)BB - The best finale!

2009-01-23T03:05:00.000-08:00

A far more entertaining way to end the show would be for ALL those egos dressed up and waiting to see who is the most popular, to be asked by BB to go through the diary room and out through the other door, where awaits them some tea and biscuits and after about an hour of them speculating, an announcement being made that they can now all leave the building - no build up, no audience, no moment of glory, just the back gate and a few taxis. Their expressions and comments would be priceless and far more entertaining than the usual bland interviews we've been subjected to. Go on C4, I dare you!

Chicken Soup

2009-01-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

This tasty soup can also be the basis for any stock or soup recipe and freezes really well ...

For the soup
1 Chicken, quartered
3 peeled cloves garlic
2 large finely chopped onions
4 finely chopped carrots
4 sticks celery finely chopped
1 each turnip, parsnip finely chopped
4 Bay leaves
2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
50g salt
4 pints water

Method

* Put all the ingredients in a large pot, bring to the boil, skim off any surface scum, boil on high heat for about 1 hour.
* Reduce the heat and cook for a further 1 hour.
* Taste and adjust seasoning if required.
* Ladle off as much of the surface fat as you can.

Lochshen - 25g per person of vermicelli
* Bring a pan of water to the boil, put in vermicelli and cook for 3 mins.
* Drain and divide between the soup bowls.

Kreplach
* 75g Medium Motza meal
* 75g ground almonds
* ½ tsp each salt & pepper
* ¼ tsp each ground ginger & cinnamon
* 25g melted butter
* 1 beaten egg
* 1 chicken stock cube

Method
* Mix all ingredients together and if a little dry, add some of the chicken soup a spoon at a time. The consistency should be very slightly sloppy.
* Put in the fridge for at least an hour and then roll into small balls.
* Mix the stock cub in a saucepan with about 750ml water, bring to the boil and add the Kreplach balls.
* When the kreplach has come back to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins. Once cooked, add to the bowls with lochshen.
* All that remains now is for you to ladle the soup over the lochshen and kreplach and serve.

Jade Goody - how can you not show empathy?

2009-01-19T07:49:00.000-08:00

I’m fed up reading posts from people who think that it’s a good idea to have a swipe at a young mother in a tragic situation. There’s a lot of talk about a lack of dignity – well each person handles things in different ways, so let’s not judge or say there’s right or wrong way to display your emotions and grief. Jade has a right to choose how she wants to deal with it and you have the right not to read her articles or switch off the TV when her face appears. Yes, Jade’s been lippy and thoughtless in the past, but to some degree, haven’t we all? Some people are criticising her saying she’s trying to make a buck out of her illness. Her job involves being in the public eye and remember, she has two small children to think about. If she can make some money which will secure their futures, should the unthinkable happen, then all credit to her for having the sense to plan ahead despite the bitterness shown toward her. Come down from your ivory towers and get some common sense - she’s just doing her job as long as she can and getting paid for it to secure her kids. So my message to Jade is, go girl and keep strong.

CBB - Was Tina the right person to go???!!!

2009-01-19T05:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, so that I can never again be subjected to the sight of her biting her own toenails!
Or should someone else have gone - what do you think?!!

Recipe for Potato Latkas

2009-01-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Potato Latkas

Ingredients

150g fresh white breadcrumbs
150g fine motza meal
1 tbsp groundnut oil plus about 1ltr groundnut oil for frying
4 beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 grated dessert apple
1 grated onion
4-6 potatoes finely grated and squeezed to remove excess liquid

Method

Mix the potatoes, onions, salt & pepper with the apple, 1 tbsp groundnut oil and beaten eggs.
Then add the breadcrumbs and motza meal and mix well.
Heat the remaining oil, take a handful of the mix, roll into a ball and flatten down to about 1cm thickness, repeat and fry for about 5 mins each side or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.
These keep well in a low heat warm oven whilst cooking batches if you are serving straight away.
The mixture can also be prepared a day ahead if you cover it well. It may discolour slightly but this won’t affect the end result!