Thursday 16th April 2020 – Day Twenty Four

Good morning all, it was lovely to get so many messages agreeing with me that the days are just a blur to them as well. Also appreciate some of your suggestions too!

From Pen: Get a cheap Ryman calendar to be sure of days.

From Sandy: she copes with calling the days; thisday! thatday! otherday! someday! yesterday! today! & nextday!

Thank you to all the members who have recommended other TV / Movie shows:

From Chris: On Disney +, The Mandalorian and all the classic Disney movies from my childhood

From David: Notting Hill: William, a British bookseller, meets and falls in love with Anna, a high-profile American actress. However, their relationship goes through many problems due to their different social statuses.

What can I share with you today? – FOOD / SHOPPING

From Chris: Quick update on Morrison’s via deliveroo. I used it today. They’ve a very limited range of goods which makes sense when they’re aiming to get it to you within an hour. There’s a minimum order of £15 and a £4.99 delivery fee. So, I’d say it’s for emergencies and not regular shops.

From Leah: I went to Waitrose on High Holborn. It was fairly busy and not many of the shoppers were being particularly mindful of social distancing. The best Waitrose I’ve been to locally is the one at the Brunswick Centre – a lot bigger and more considerate employees and shoppers!

From John: I received another food delivery from Lewisham hub, if you have a letter from your Dr / Hospital these should be available.

From Chris: Beans and Greens Polenta Bake

INGREDIENTS

3 cups still-warm Big-Batch Parmesan Polenta
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 (14.5-oz.) can white beans, rinsed
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bunch curly or Tuscan kale or escarole, tough ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
1 Tbsp. white or red wine vinegar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for topping

PREPARATION
Pour warm polenta into a large ovenproof skillet or a ceramic baking dish or metal baking pan and spread into an even layer (ideally about 1” thick). Let cool, then cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Heat garlic and ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add beans and red pepper flakes (if using), then, working in batches, add kale, letting it wilt slightly after each addition before adding more, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and evenly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar and salt and cook, still stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup Parmesan.

Scrape kale mixture over prepared polenta and spread into an even layer. Drizzle with more oil and sprinkle with more Parmesan.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until polenta is warmed through and the topping is lightly crisped and browned, 8–10 minutes.

ART & CULTURE – From Jeff: If any members are interested in folk music (or just live music) there’s a 7 1/2 hour long “front room festival” on YouTube. It’s free.

From Maggie: Something I enjoy. Going on to the Pathe News channel on YouTube. A trip down memory lane can be comfort viewing! This new channel has been created as an alternative to what’s currently out there and aims to appeal to specialist audiences, like history buffs, royal watchers, cinema aficionados, and train enthusiasts. It’s a subscription-based service and is designed to complement the existing British Pathé newsreel archive (which will remain free-to-view on its separate website and YouTube channels)

From Chris: “Past, Present and Future”. A sneak preview of our latest video which will link up with April Newsletter [to be sent out in the next few days]. Chris talks about the Outings in Art:Home Service and

Connecting People Through Shared Cultural Experiences. Please note the socks are available from “OiA” shop.

From Rosalind: Among the galleries which have closed during lockdown and are opening up their collections online, here’s a particular gem from Belgium. It’s a guided tour of a new exhibition of work by Jan Van Eyck, the late medieval master of realism, in the company of the exhibition’s charmingly low-key curator, Till-Holger Borchert

INFORMATION – If you, or if you know of anyone who wishes to volunteer, here is a facebook link to the Soho Outreach Centre.

HEALTH – From Keeu: Eight-form Moving Meditation─Standing Posture.

Thank you to everyone who has so far completed our survey, we have nearly 150 responses. It makes for interesting reading so far, and will be a great help to the team as we navigate the next three weeks of isolation!

If you have not done so already, please could you take the time to complete the questionnaire, your suggestions, comments, ideas are really important and useful to us.

Today Amber is on duty – her number is 07715580216, and you can contact me ANY TIME on 07759 646507 in case of an emergency

Be safe

John