-=> Quoting Dave Drum to Sean Dennis <=-

 DD> Gas is certainly more convenient - and often quicker. But, it's horrid
 DD> for the environment

It's not that simple. Gas is cleaner burning than oil which is
better than tar sands heavy oil (bitumen) which still beats coal.
And all of these fuels are used to generate electricity.

 DD> photo-voltaic cells (and) windmills... and be electric all-the-way.

They can reduce but not eliminate the need for hydrocarbons unless
you invest heavily in a huge battery bank and a converter. I follow
these issues closely as they impact on housing trends, especially
off grid here in the north. For homes on the grid it is not economic
to switch (yet), despite the subsidies in place.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Duck Breast with Pickled Quince, Fig and Almond Sausage
 Categories: Australian, Duck, Fruit, Sausage, Nuts
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      4 lg Duck breasts
      2    Pears (use quinces, when in
           Season)
    300 ml Duck stock
           FOR SUGAR SYRUP:
    500 ml Water (to cover pears)
    250 g  Sugar
      1 pn Nutmeg
      1    Cinnamon stick
    250 ml White wine vinegar
           FOR FIG SAUSAGE:
    200 g  Dried figs
     30 g  Butter (soft)
      1 tb Honey
      1 ts Orange peel
    220 g  Roasted almonds
 
  Duck Breast with Pickled Quince and Duck Glaze, Fig and Almond Sausage
  
  Put half of the figs in a food processor with half of the butter and
  honey and process until finely chopped. With the motor still running,
  add half of the nuts through the feed tube and process until coarsely
  chopped. Add orange peel. Remove the mixture, divide into 4 and
  roll up in between both hands (put some foodsafe plastic gloves on
  to roll them up, or keep palm wet to avoid them sticking). Pan fry
  lightly in a small amount of butter for 1 minute and warm them in
  the resting oven (be gentle they're fragile when hot).
  
  Peel pear or quince, then poach in syrup until soft. Cool and
  remove.
  
  Marinate duck breast in cold syrup for about 2 hours. Remove duck
  breast from syrup and seal in a hot pan until coloured, then rest
  in a 50 C oven for 10 minutes.
  
  Slice quince and warm in oven. Slice duck breast. Arrange duck
  breast, quince slices and fig sausage. Reduce duck stock to a duck
  glaze and ladle onto the plate.
  
  WINE SUGGESTION: Pinot Noir
  
  Patrice Ricourt, Chef, Summit Restaurant, Mt Lofty, South Aust.
  
MMMMM   
  

Cheers

Jim


... Every fight is a food fight if you're a cannibal

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