Thursday 15th January - teaching day

Firstly I taught a piano lesson. It was a really interesting lesson, and I might post it as a super-simple playalong. It was about recognising patterns, to reduce the effort and increase the speed and ease of learning,  something experienced players do without noticing, but something only one of my four childhood teachers ever showed me. Maybe the others had never discovered this?

Then, I was starting to cook lunch when, in a moment's lapse of concentration,  I cut my thumb. Everything stopped while we sorted it out, and then I taught BB how to cook our favourite fish dish;

Tray Bake fish for 2;

Step 1; oven 180°C, assembled medium sized roasting dish, a couple of peppers (one red, one yellow today), a smallish  onion, a handful of cherry tomatoes, however much potato you want to eat - I prefer waxy or salad potatoes - and fish- I've tended to use salmon, sea bream or sea bass fillets.

Leave the fish alone for now; prep and chunk the veg, eg quarter the onion, slice peppers into 6 or 8, cut potatoes  - peeled or unpeeled - into thick rounds.

Step 2 

Into the roasting pan - mine's non-stick - poor a generous tablespoon of oil, season with pepper, salt, chopped or dried garlic, mixed or fresh herbs or both, a few chilli flakes if you like, and 'rubble' it all together. Chuck in all the veg including the tomatoes, stir it all around, bake for 15 mins.

Step 3

Remove the tray, stir everything around and put it back for 15 mins

Unpack the fish, dry, season with a little salt and pepper, and a squeeze of lemon or even a generous dash of interesting vinaigrette dressing 

Step 4

Remove the tray, stir everything around. Clear a space in the middle and put the fish in, skin side down. Put the tray back in the over for 7-10 mins depending on the thickness of the fish.

Step 5 

Remove the tray,  check the fish and serve! We like the flavour,  and we like the lack of clearing up, and we like the lack of fried fishy fat smell! Win, win win!

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I've been taking it easy the rest of the day, avoiding using my thumb as the cut is near the knuckle. So no knitting, sewing, washing, clearing... plenty of reading, drinking tea, and a moderate amount of biscuit eating...

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A friend has just come round with a bunch of tightly closed daffodils, the first of the year. Perfect timing, as last week's tulips are nearly over!