Mirabile dictu

It was certainly a relief to see England's cricketers finally register a win against Australia though one shouldn't make too much out of one game.

The rugby news is brighter still. Johnny Wilkinson's fairy grandmother was working overtime today. For a come back game after three and a half years out with injury, it was pretty spectacular. By the sound of it (and sound was all I had) England played out of their skins. It was only the Scots but so many things seemed to be working. The pack functioned as a hard and mobile unit, Wilkinson and El;lis had really good games at half back, Farrel and Tindall gelled, Robinson scored two tries. All in all, it sounded like a performance that could be built on by a team that had the makings of a winning side. France, Wales and Ireland will be tougher tests but I think there is, finally, some cause for optimism.

Carnivore games

I staggered home from the market this morning with the ingredients for Choucroute Garnie, Garbure and Boeuf en Daube. Yes, it is minus 20 with the wind chill. How did you guess?

I started off at the Hungarian pig guys. Two smoked pork chops, a large smoked pork hock, 2 pounds of stewing pork, 3 pounds of sauerkraut, 6 Debrecin smoked sausages and 4 bratwursts came to less than $40. I love those guys.

Various veggie purveyors yielded white kidney beans, carrots, turnips, cabbage and potatoes. The other butcher was good for 5 pounds of beef shank. I had bacon in the freezer and onions, garlic, herbs and spices a plenty so no worries there.

I now have a ginormous pot of garbure just about finished a non-trivially large vat of choucroute bubbling on the stove. The daube, I think, can wait until tomorrow.