Dear Reader,
Hello there. I hope you’re well. It’s been a good week for me.
I enjoyed spending a few hours with a couple of cohorts of scholars completing their Master of Philosophy in Applied Epidemiology.
For the first (senior) cohort, I shared insights on pathologists and medical laboratory scientists’ critical role in applied epidemiology. For the second (junior) cohort, I spent a couple of hours providing practical instruction while doing my honorary visiting medical officer job at Canberra Health Services. It allowed me to share my fondness for microbiology’s history, philosophy, and value to modern medicine. My next session will focus on the policy piece which attracted me to Canberra nearly 15 years ago.
In other news, it’s been disturbing to see the number of people infected with SARS-COV-2 rising worldwide and reading reports of reinfection becoming more common.
The SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant is extraordinary as an excellent immunological escape agent. It shows little cross-reactivity with the original virus and other variants. So this means if you haven’t been immunised and you’re infected with BA.1, you are unlikely to be protected against infection caused by different variants.
Suppose you’re not immunised and infected with the SARS-COV-2 Omicron variant. In that case, you may be infected with other variants soon after you recover. It’s not an argument against immunisation; it’s an argument for immunisation. Some people assume there might be some partial immunity, but it appears to be non-existent.
I have no recipes this week. This week’s feature is that I “enjoyed” crumbed chicken and coleslaw thrice.
Chicken parmigiana at Fenway Public House
On Wednesday afternoon, I went out to dinner with some work friends. I had made a deal with one friend that it needed to be a chicken parmigiana the next time we went out for a meal. The last couple of times, she’s eaten a chicken parmigiana and commented on the addition of ham. MG is from Adelaide, and apparently, the addition of ham is not a feature of the dish in the City of Churches. I expressed that I’d never eaten a chicken parmigiana, so we should both have one next time.
The crumbed chicken breast was tender, and while not as moist as I would like, it wasn’t stringy or dry. The crumb was crispy, and the topping, including the thin pieces of ham, were tasty.
The coleslaw was a little bitter for my liking, and the gravy a little thin and tasteless. I think it needed some monosodium glutamate (MSG).
The chips were nothing to write home about.
What I like about Fenway Public House is that requesting food and drink is completed using a tablet device when seated at a table. The drinks and food come out quickly, and payment at the end is simple, with each diner paying for their own meal. For a group of workmates, it’s perfect.
Crumbed chicken thigh and homemade coleslaw
Okay, a confession, when I posted this photo on Instagram, a friend who follows this blog pointed out that not all crumbed chicken is chicken schnitzel. I accept the error I’ve been making all these years and will refer to what I ate as crumbed chicken.
The coleslaw was made with red cabbage, red onion, red chilli, spring onion, parsley, and carrot bound with wasabi mayonnaise. I also added some green peppercorns to some instant gravy.
Crumbed chicken thigh on Turkish bread with store-bought coleslaw
Tonight’s meal comes after a day of feeling not so much out of sorts, but I feel like only 7 cylinders are firing, and the 8th is losing compression. In many ways, it’s been a good day, but there’s something not quite perfect.
It could be that I splurged on a sausage roll and feta and spinach triangle for lunch!
This dinner sandwich is simple. Everything was store-bought, and my only effort was in frying the crumbed chicken thigh in vegetable oil.
Final thoughts
- Do you like crumbed chicken?
- What’s your favourite recipe for coleslaw?
- Are you up to date with the COVID-19 immunisations?
- Do you enjoy dining out with workmates?
Feel free to answer these questions in the comments box.
