If you’ve followed this blog, you’ll be aware that I mix personal interest with purely food and culinary content. One of my hobbies is writing and my fifteenth book called ‘Tommy Gee’ has been released. I have a nephew called Tommy Gee and he once said that he would love it if someone wrote a book about him… so I did! The story is fantasy, of course, but Tommy loved the idea of owning a book with his name on it. Here’s a bit about it
Tommy Gee
Tommy Gee’s decision to spend a long weekend visiting his mother in King’s Lynn, on England’s east coast, leaves behind eight dead bodies and a suicide. Not that they were all Tommy’s fault, but he seems to be a magnet for chaos and the unpredictable. Add to the mix, Tommy’s sultry pickpocket sister and his gangly deranged half-brother, and you have the recipe for a frenzied few days. When two Romanian mafia bosses are stirred into the melting pot, along with a sexy bank employee with a cunning plan, things are likely to move from complicated to dangerous before you can turn the page.
But Tommy Gee has never been one to worry too much about risks. Accompanied by Muffin, his chocolate-coloured Labrador whose only purpose in life is to find misplaced burgers or unwanted pork scratchings, Tommy Gee’s long weekend finds him hanging upside-down in his burning car. Yet we shouldn’t be surprised at that. Tommy Gee is, after all, a professional blaster.
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TOMMY GEE
Tommy shouted, “I’m out of here!” and ran towards his Jeep. He started the engine, stalled it, started it again, and began to drive away.
Ruth shouted, “Listen, Sandi, it’s not what it looks like.”
But Sandi wasn’t listening. She had already dived back into her car and was chasing after Tommy. Ruth jumped in front of her, still trying to explain it was all a trick. Sandi ran her down and left her lying face down on the ground, groaning and clutching a broken ankle.
Tommy was crunching the gears and trying to get out of second. It seemed like he’d suddenly forgotten how to drive. Sandi caught him almost immediately. As they neared the gate, she rammed the back of the Jeep and was surprised as it tipped over and flipped onto its roof. She jumped from her car and ran to the other vehicle. Tommy was hanging upside down, held fast by his seatbelt. Flames began to leap from the back of the vehicle. “Christ, get me out of here,” he screamed.
Sandi stared at him. “Where’s the money?”
“It’s in a car in the scrap yard. Get me out of here before this bloody thing explodes.”
“What car?”
“Look, help me get out and I’ll tell you.”
“You’ll tell me first, you arsehole. You and that bitch back there have been double-crossing everyone.”
“It was nothing personal, honest. It was just to get the mob off our backs.” Tommy glanced behind him. “Just help me out of here and I’ll tell you where the money is. For Christ’s sake cut me free or something.”
“Sandi crossed her arms and stared at him. “You know what? You can fucking burn for all I care.”
The flames were spreading and Tommy looked behind him again in desperation. “Yeah, okay, the money’s in a blue Mercedes.”
“No it’s not, you lying scum. I already know you moved it from there. You and your scheming girlfriend back there. Planning to fuck off to Toronto, were you?”
Tommy winced as the flames grew. “Okay, okay, it’s in the red Nissan right next to the fence where I was parked. You can get into the scrap yard through the gate ten metres further up. Now please get me out of here.”
Sandi grinned at him.
“I promise, I’m telling the truth this time. For God’s sake get me out. I’m going to burn to death.”
“That’s right, mister. You’re going to burn to death. Goodbye.” Sandi turned and walked away.
Tommy screamed. “Hey. No. For Christ’s sake no. Come back. I’m telling the truth. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. I don’t know you, why would I hurt you? This was all Ruth’s idea, not mine. Please!”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” Sandi muttered. She walked back a few steps, reached into her car, pulled out her baseball bat, and kept walking.
Image used and published according to the licence granted by the artist
A couple of days ago, we came to Gourdon in the Périgord region of south-west France because my wife had some business to attend to regarding her parents’ estate. We booked into a little hotel called La Promenade where we have stayed many times before. Imagine our surprise when, through the door of the reception should walk Dom and Mia (who lived in USA at the time). Who would have thought that, by sheer coincidence, we should bump into each other in an isolated small town in SW France… in the same hotel, on the same date.
Now La Promenade is not renowned for its cuisine. It’s okay and it provides what it says on the can. You can get an inexpensive lunch or dinner and the quality is consistent. But we couldn’t resist sitting outside in the evening sun and exchanging a happy conversation while chowing down on whatever took our fancy washed down with a local beer. Dom was a naughty boy because he settled the bill while we weren’t looking. In revenge, I got the waitress to take a photo of the four of us. Dom’s the tall handsome one with the wicked smile, and Mia is sat in front of him looking gorgeous. Marie-Danielle’s looking pretty and I’m wearing a shirt you could play chess on.
And so it was this year with John, Bob, Phil and Lee who came back for their third consecutive year. Four lovely guys from Yorkshire with accents strong enough to melt pig iron. Here to see the most dangerous road race on the planet. The Isle of Man TT race (Tourist Trophy) is arguably the most famous in the history of motorcycle racing. The race is run through the streets and narrow roads of the island yet the bikes hit speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h). In fact, the average for the whole 37.73 twisting miles of the course (60.72 km) stands at 132 mph (212 km/h). Mistakes can be disastrous, and watching racers hug the walls of the locals’ front yards is exhilarating. You can’t love the death, you can’t love the loss. But you can’t love the excitement and the thrill without knowing that that’s part of it
Anyway, back to the food… Every morning our four fine lads get a big fry-up to set them on course for a good day. So we’re talking two pork Cumberland sausages, 3 rashers of prime back bacon, 2 fried eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, toast, juice, tea and coffee. And if there’s any sausage or bacon left, Lee usually makes ‘pigs in blankets’ from it and takes it out for his lunch!
This year, Marie-Danielle made one of her famous 
In Cenotaph for the Living, Tristan disappears on his 20th birthday. His family receive a ransom note demanding one million euros. The trouble is, they can’t report it to the police because it’s the police who sent the ransom note. Matters go from bad to worse until an old friend of Ken’s arrives on the scene. He’s been brought in to track down the corruption in the police and gendarme services. But it’s two against dozens. How is that going to pan out? Meanwhile Camille Laurent finds herself talking to a ghost who doesn’t know who he is.
We have had to make several trips to Gourdon a medieval village inside the Quercy-Périgord region of South-West France, to deal with Marie-Danielle’s father’s estate. Usually this involves visits to the notary, dealing with the disposal of assets etcetera. But one thing that makes it worthwhile is our pigrimage to 
Godard have several shops in the region, and one in Paris, but their production facility, located on the D673 a couple of miles outside Gourdon, on the road to Salviac is the real treasure. There, you can browse shelves of epicurean passion and I can guarantee you will not walk out empty-handed.
When checking for ripeness, use the PALM of your hand to gently squeeze the avocado. Don’t press the fruit with your fingers, as this may bruise the flesh. If the avocado is very firm and doesn’t give at all, it’s underripe. If it gives slightly, it’s likely ripe and ready to eat. However, if squeezing leaves a small indentation, it may be too ripe for slicing and will work better mashed.
Some types of avocados undergo distinct skin color changes as they ripen — particularly the Hass variety, which accounts for about 80% of avocados eaten worldwide. When not fully ripe, Hass avocados have bumpy, bright green skin. It progresses to dark green or brown when ripe. If the skin looks nearly black and the fruit feels mushy upon touch, it’s overripe and likely spoiled. Other varieties, including the zutano and fuerte, retain their green skin color regardless of how ripe they are. Use other methods, such as feeling for firmness, to determine if they’re over-ripe.
Once you cut an avocado, it’s easier to determine whether it is over-ripe. By that time, of course, it’s too late! An avocado that’s ready to eat has light green flesh. A rotten one has brown or black spots throughout the flesh. Having said that, an isolated brown spot may be due to bruising rather than widespread spoilage, and can be cut away. Another possible sign of rotting is dark streaks in the flesh.
Ripe avocados have a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma and somewhat nutty flavor. As the fruit spoils, it may develop an abnormal taste and odour. If it has a sour taste or smell, it may have bacterial spoilage and should be discarded. A chemical odour and taste may mean it’s rancid. This can happen when oxygen or microbes damage or break down the fruit’s unsaturated fat. Rancidity can result in the formation of potentially toxic compounds. Don’t be tempted to eat an avocado if you think it’s rancid.
Mould on avocados is generally white or gray and looks fuzzy. Don’t sniff it, as you may inhale mould spores and trigger breathing problems if you’re allergic to it. Avoid buying avocados with mould on the exterior, as it can penetrate the flesh and cause decay.
Keep in mind that once you cut an avocado, the flesh starts to brown due to oxygen exposure. This is a natural process, similar to how apples turn brown when cut. If you find it unappetizing, skim off the discolored layer and eat the rest. To minimize browning of cut areas, brush lemon juice on the flesh and store refrigerated in a sealed container.
Picasso’s Secret begins with the search for a stolen painting, but leads Penny Chakyar and her new partner in the police, Josh Walker, down various paths that eventually expose the island’s biggest drugs dealer. But what of the painting? And who is really the top man when it comes to drugs on the Isle of Man? Could it be that Boris knows more than he is saying? Meanwhile, Maddi Gathercole’s life is getting more complicated by the minute. She’s on a roundabout and can’t get off. But what of Picasso’s Secret? Where is it and who’s got it?
Many people avoid chicken breasts because they find them dry, tasteless and boring. Others choose the breast (preferably without the skin) and avoid the darker meat of the leg and thigh. Personally, I’m in the breast meat camp while my wife is in the dark meat camp. I’m perfectly happy with properly cooked, flavourful white meat on my plate. But when eating out, that becomes a problem because properly cooked chicken breast is hard to find.
So, working with one piece at a time, place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet, a rolling pin, or the bottom of a skillet to an even ½-inch thickness. The paillards will now only take a few minutes in a skillet or frying pan to cook.
Joseph Adebayo is looking for investment money for The Foundation when he is savagely beaten by his fellow diners. The incident sees DI Sarah Flemons and DC Penny Chakyar investigating at The Foundation where a previous mystery is solved but a new mystery comes to light. Meanwhile, Al Callow leads a group of people who steal £15 million of platinum. But all is not as it seems, and Al’s wife, Paula, has other ideas. The owner of the platinum wants his precious metal back and hires The Vicar to get the information he needs. However, he misjudges events and finds that his platinum has taken on a strange new shape. Meanwhile, Craig, a hard-drinking, hard-hitting Australian tries to steal the platinum but Al is wise to him as Craig soon discovers. And while everybody is chasing their tails, Al and his new love, Carla, are having a ball.