It is said that a bad workman will blame his tools for bad workmanship. Not being a workman in any sense of the word, yet today finding myself at hard labour, I was more catholic in my apportioning of blame and included the weather, the day of the week, the place of work and the person or reason that had caused me to be working in the first place. Today I have been lifting, digging and pushing a wheelbarrow full of the heavy things that I had previously lifted and dug whilst the love of my life reminded me of the catalogue of torment to come. Each time that I have engaged in manual labour I have contemplated the adage concerning the satisfaction to be derived from hard work yet my experience of such satisfaction remains unrequited. I warm to Thomas Edison’s observation that opportunity is missed by most people as it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work and few people, outside of our celebrated English sporting heroes, have missed as many golden opportunities as I. The one positive that I have taken from manual labour is that, unlike writing or image making, I can foresee its end. Today the end duly arrived, earlier than was foreseen by my forewoman, but she succumbed to the old Navajo trick of my kneeling, begging and pleading ( pace Woody Allen). Once out of the orbit of self induced misery I was able to activate the basal ganglia circuit, firing up the pleasure neurons which quickly had me making some lunch. I would love to know the recipe for basal ganglia but it must be American as they can’t pronounce basil. Any way, it needed to be quicker than ganglia, so I opted for cheese on toast. Having recently been in receipt of an electricity bill I noticed that we were being charged money for using the electrical appliances in the house so toasting or grilling would not be part of this dish. A pan with some olive oil and enough heat beneath it makes a very good sandwich of melting Cantal cheese which has been piled between two pieces of pain au levain. Nearly worth going to work for…..now for a close up:
Food, Photography & France 
I can’t help thinking that the prostration might have included an offer to make lunch 😉
OK…sussed:)
Ha ha – who wouldn’t let you off for that sandwich 😉
Only a short respite….I’ll be out there again today…have to think of something tempting:)
We can so pronounce basil 🙂
Bay-sul.
…as I thought:)
?
ta-may-toe.
Pom-oh-door-oh:)
Looks like a damned fine sarnie.
It really was:)
Can’t remember ever being so entertained by a story about a cheese toastie. Love the photo.
Glad it worked for you….thanks:)
Yum, Roger. Not eating much bread these days………….makes me miss it.
That’s harsh….I’d miss good bread.
I’ll never forget the look on my American friend’s face when I suggested some basil for the tomatoes – “You mean baysil for the tomaydoes?”
My spellcheck was probably devised by your friend:)
As I am attempting some long ‘forgotten’ early autumn gardening, thank you for some of the phrases I can use! And just don’t name that red fruit with which I have ALWAYS had trouble you know just where . . . . remember the time at a LA hotel it took me half an hour and a personal doorknock from the housekeeper to get a ‘vase’ . . . . simple: it just has four letters, houses cut flowers [which I don’t like in the first place] and is pronounced ‘vah-se’ 😀 !!
No good at passing on links: but methinks all would enjoy . . . .YouTube: key in Jeremy Irons and ‘My Fair Lady’ Part one concert version. . . [oh, it does have Dame Kiri de Kanawa also!] The whole lot is an absolute riot and much better than anything seen in the theatre – BUT, when you get to minute 4:32 IT has been loudly said by a Master: sorry, wasn’t me!! . . . .
local time 2;19 pm – sorry Roger . . . . hugs Eha
JUst reading it, with my coffee, at 8.30am:)
Excellent…I’ll check it out:)
I’ve only made a couple of trips to America and both times taxi drivers, hotel staff and the like had great difficulty understanding me..one even said to me that I spoke quite good English but with an accent:)
Basal ganglia can be cooked just like fried calamari (which it resembles), unless you have problems with the forewoman or warden, then it can be cooked in the juices you stew in whilst begging for mercy.
Brilliant…I think Basal Ganglia could become the new Chicken Korma:)
But how are we supposed to pronounce basil? (I don’t much care for it anyway, so seldom have reason to say it.) I’d like one of those sandwiches, regardless.
[laughter with no disrespect whatever] pronounce it the way it is spelled : ‘bäsil’!!! And methinks I could not live without it 🙂 !!
I’ll give you all that one. Just don’t expect me so say aluminium. 😉
🙂
Nor I:)
Baz-ill would be correct in London…like John Cleese in “Fawlty Towers”:)
Thank God for an English teacher who really can!! Have not heard that final lilt in the Colonies 🙂 !! [Laughter: am just wondering how you pronounce the ‘i’ in privacy!! Had an English lover who insisted there was only one way!!! Long dead but am still copying him!!
Funny thing, that word “privacy”. I was going over it in my head and I’ve found that I pronounce it two ways….for different usages:)
Oops, TO say!
Huge giggles – and I came back by accident . . . .’you do it your way and I’ll do it my way’ . . . alu. [aluh] . , , , mini . . .mum!!! Same stress on all syllables . . , hugs Eha
🙂
Damn, I was just preparing you a nice bowl of aloo-min-um:)
If your ganglia comprised of basil……well!
Only my summer ganglia:)
😃
I would like to have a picture like that last one- framed in my kitchen. Beautiful!
…and you can …check out the print shop on my site or prints on canvas:)
Sometimes the simple things are the best- especially if made with quality ingredients.
That’s a damn fine shot!
and that’s a very nice compliment…cheers:)
Pure genius Mr S – and I loved all the comments today!
Cheers….it’s been a good one:)
Dear good fucking lord, that is what has been missing from my diet over the last few weeks. I need to rectify this situation quick smart! 🙂
Get some hot cheese in ..quick:)
what divine photos – the food is luminous
Many thanks for the visit…glad you liked it:)
Now I have just had my afternoon tea and it is not time for dinner, so although I got a solid two hour bike ride in this morning, in lieu of manual labor, I do think your posting this kind of photo is just plain irresponsible, for it does really tempt me to go rummage around the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for some decent cheese. Perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that we here in the colonies must generally make do with very imperfect cheese, cheese that is best kept in the fridge.
That’s true….I think it would be safe to say that cheesecake, both human and edible, are the strengths of American cheese:)
Gorgeous. I…have…no…more…words! 🙂
That’s a lot of praise…many thanks:)
Well, I was a little speechless…sometimes less is more?