A OVERCAST & CLOUDY SUNNY MANILVA ON FRIDAY AT THE START OF THE WEEKEND;

FRIDAY 4^th/ NOVEMBER 2016.

I was up early this morning and after seeing ‘ Reina’ back with us for the day I shot off on my travels down to Sabinillas for our weekly shopping, the main shop was in ‘ Mercadona’ – I popped along to the ‘ English Bookshop’ for the local newspapers before going along to the far end of the promenade for the fresh flowers & plants, on the way back up the hill I stopped at ‘ Super Sol’ for the English essentials.

After unpacking back at the house we took ‘ Pax’ out for his first walk of the day, ‘ Chispa’ came rushing up the street and joined us on the walk, ’Reina’ stayed in her duvet, she’s not a great walker! ‘ Pax’ is due to be collected by Jane on Monday after she returns from her holiday in Nova Scotia, Canada. We are going to miss him terribly, as he’s a real character, very good company, he’s very good to look after and eats and drinks all the time, he also gets on with all the other dogs, when we take him out he’s ever so good, all our friends and the locals love him, hopefully he will back with us again in the future!

This morning has started a little overcast & grey with the threat of rain in the air, the forecast for the weekend and into the start of next week is for rain and steadily getting cooler, down from 26/27degs to the 20s!

This evening, fingers crossed, weather permitting, we are going down to Sabinillas, with ‘Pax’ to the new Fish& Chip Shop – ‘Skipper's’ to try a ‘ Take-Out’ and sit on the promenade, looking out over the ‘Mediterranean’  It’s the ‘ Chef’s & Staff’ night-off!

On Saturday I’m going to cook the old classic ‘ Steak Diane ‘ – the version that I learned over 50 year ago at the ‘Stork Hotel’ in Liverpool, the Head Waiter, Mr Oliver, showed me when I was a 'Trainee Assistant Manager,  at the same time I learned ‘ Steak au Poivre ‘ ‘ Scampi Provencale’ ‘ Crepes Suzette & Banana Flambe’! Happy days and many memories.

For Sundays supper it’s another one of my classic dishes ‘ Smoked Chicken & Three Green Bean Risotto’ – I was shown how to make a ‘ Risotto’ by the ‘Second Chef’ of the hotel, Paul Bruchez, his brother, John Bruchez, had taught me at the ‘Colquitt Street Catering College’- at the top of Bold Street in the centre of Liverpool, in the early 60s, another brother was the ‘Head Chef’ at the Midland Hotel in Manchester where I worked as a ‘ Commis Waiter’ on the Banquets at the weekends!

I also worked as a 'Commis Chef' in the industrial kitchens of the ' Royal Insurance' next to the Town Hall in Dale Street, for one summer, as a 'Banqueting Waiter' at the famous ' Adelphi Hotel'  in the evenings and over in the Wirral, at the 'Thorton Hall Hotel & Country Club' as a ' Commis Waiter & Chef'- finally while I was at the 'Stork Hotel' in Queens Square, before being promoted, I worked in the evenings as an Assistant Restaurant Manager at the ' La Bussola' Italian Restaurant in Bold Street!!

When we return this evening from the ‘ Staffs’ night out we are going to watch the next episode of ‘ The Level’ – over the next two weeks all the series that we are flowing, at the moment, are coming to their  climax’s – watch this space!!

Thoughts for the Day; See above.

..