Saving Seats Gracefully

Seating in a cafe is usually based upon one's arrival. Unfortunately, I discovered recently , that it is not always known to be so. After our very early morning walk along the sea, it has become a daily practice for my companion and I to take coffee at a small local establishment that serves, not the franchised coffees, but their own wonderful version of local ones.  The outdoor seating offers a view of the ocean and street. It's a popular spot for a pleasant mug and chat. The first time we arrived, a large group of about ten were seated at one end of the deck that usually has three small tables and two chairs each, along its modest length. The large group had absconded all of the tables and chairs and fit them together at one end for their use. Not knowing any other course, seeing a space, we asked the owner it we might take a table to the spare open space left. He said. of course. When I dragged the metal table to the spot, the seated group made comments about the noise of the process which was unavoidable. I joked back with them. During the course of the weeks that followed, the group which met daily in the morning, expanded their area and took up all of the space at the front deck. They saved numerous empty chairs for their companions not yet there. In the beginning, I saw nothing wrong with it, but as the days went by and the side deck that was set in the hot sun while the front space was shaded, the situation seemed unfair to me. When over half the chairs were being saved empty for other members of the group to arrive, all the other customers had to find seating either inside or in the hot sun. It truly was unfair, but I said nothing so to avoid conflict. This morning, weeks later, lo and behold, the front deck was open and available to anyone who passed by. I was thrilled to be able to enjoy a table and view on the front deck. As I sugared my latte, one of the large group members, stopped me and said that his fellows were sitting at the side now. I nodded, but he proceeded to go on about their relocation. He behaved as though I was one of the offending sorts that caused them to have to move. He also informed me that they used to sit in another similar cafe, but that there were no longer seats together for their group. They, he said,  had come here. I nodded again and remarked that it must be very nice for them. He told me they had a tradition of sitting in the front deck spot, but that today they would sit on the side deck. The reason I mention it at all, is that such groups begin to consider public places as ones deemed theirs by regular use, and that others who enter such spaces are interfering on their territory. They save empty chairs which is incorrect.  Today,  I went to sit with my companion on the front deck. We thoroughly enjoyed the view as did others who came along. It is our wish that tomorrow we can find  empty chairs again.

Steaming Hot

One of the easiest ways to cook for those who hate cooking is steaming. At temperatures that are at the boiling point, steam does wonders in a short time and doesn't boil away flavour or many nutrients. The trick is to get a little steamer device that sits in the bottom of your pot with the lid. Fill the pot with enough water to come almost to the bottom of your steamer and set it on the stove. Pop in just about any vegetable or hunk of meat, fish or seafood, even tofu, and your dinner will be cooked in no time. The best part of steaming is that the flavours of each item in the steamer don't transfer to the others. Steaming is practical for use while camping, boating or at home. It's quick and simple and easy to clean up. I do even meats this way and it never comes out dry. It can be colourless however, therefore, if you want your chicken breast or steak to have some nice brownish colour, try brushing it with  your favorite barbecue sauce or other condiment and sprinkling on an herb or two. I've been known to pop into the steamer a couple of eggs for use later as well. You can get away with just about anything steaming. One of the steamers I used had space for a little container of rice and water. It came out perfectly with the right  timing. You can get a tiny, inexpensive  rice cooker with a tray above to hold some vegetables or bits of meats or seafood. A dash of plum sauce after the cooking,  makes the whole thing delightful. When you finish with the rice cooker, you have an entire meal before you, to savour. Cooking is the easiest thing in the world. Don't let the word "gourmet cook" frighten you. All that means, for most folks, is paying for expensive ingredients. You do not have to do that. "Fancy" doesn't mean better nutrition. When you buy the junk food all done up for you, make sure you read the inch of additives first. You are far better off doing it yourself. Turn to the vegetable section next time in the super market, and not the aisle with pizza and little boxed dinners. It takes about the same amount of time to chop a few veggies and pop them into your steamer. And you are so much further ahead nutritionally. Besides it's fun and rewarding to prep your own dinners. For those who hate cooking, find yourself some gourmet sauces to slap on to those steamer meals and voila, you have become a very good cook. For example a bit of marmalade on that chicken breast equals ChickenA L'Orange! The little jars of butter chicken sauce, tomato spaghetti sauce, Alfredo sauce and others, will make your dinners exotic. I cheat a bit and put water and pasta in my rice cooker bottom compartment instead of rice and with chicken and any veggies or shrimp in the top section it comes out just fine. By adding the spaghetti sauce later, it becomes, with imagination and a nice red wine,  an elegant kind of meal. After a bit, you'll begin to experiment and come up with your own originals. "Bon apetit" as unforgettable JC would say!