(no subject)

[nverland]

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full;
One for the master,
And one for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane.

From Wiki –
As with many nursery rhymes, attempts have been made to find origins and meanings for the rhyme. These include:

A description of the medieval 'Great' or 'Old Custom' wool tax of 1275, which survived until the fifteenth century.[1] Contrary to some commentaries, this tax did not involve the collection of one-third to the king, and one-third to the church, but a less punitive sum of 6s 8d to the Crown per sack, about 5 per cent of the value.[2] This theory also depends on the rhyme surviving unrecorded and even unmentioned in extant texts for hundreds of years.
A connection to the slave trade. This explanation was advanced during debates over political correctness and the use and reform of nursery rhymes in the 1980s, but scholars agree that it has no basis in fact.[3]

(no subject)

[nverland]

GRILLED MUSHROOMS WITH GARLIC BUTTER EN PAPILLOTE

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound mixed cultivated or wild mushrooms (such as button mushrooms, portobellos, cremini, shiitake, and chanterelles)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 garlic cloves, very finely minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian (flat-leafed) parsley

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare a fire in an outdoor grill.

Meanwhile, wipe all the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. With a small, sharp knife, trim and discard the stems of the mushrooms as necessary. Cut the mushrooms into uniform slices about 1/2 inch thick, and toss them together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the butter, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley until smoothly blended. Set aside at cool room temperature.

When the fire is hot and you're ready to cook the meal, tear a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil about 2 feet long. Place it flat on a work surface and arrange the mushrooms about one quarter of the way along its length. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Dot the butter mixture all over the mushrooms. Fold the longer, uncovered side of the foil over the mushrooms to enclose them, and then tightly roll and crimp the edges of the foil together to seal in the mushrooms.

About 8 minutes before the main course is done cooking on the grill, clear a space on the cooking surface for the foil packet. Cook until the foil puffs up, 8 to 12 minutes depending on how hot the fire is.

Using a large spatula, carefully transfer the foil packet to a serving platter. With the tip of a long knife, carefully slit open top of the foil, observing caution to avoid the steam that will escape. Use a long-handled spoon to serve the mushrooms.