Chapter 244: Hobart during Covid 19

Today we take our dog for a walk. We head towards a busy highway. We manage to dodge the indolent car drivers on the Brooker Highway and get to the Domain. An oasis of remnant native bash in the center of Hobart.  The hazardous journey across the highway makes me appreciate the quiet paths winding through the native bush.

First sighting for our dog is some plovers. At this time of year, the plovers are not protecting their nest. They flutter away.  We keep our dog on his lead beside us and bird watch.  Amongst the grasses I see some eastern rosellas scratching around looking for food.  I glimpse a yellow wattlebird hiding in the trees.

All this walking may make us fitter and healthier. The future may mean more walking. The future may involve no social interaction.  Maybe we will have no friends but get fitter.    

Our walk continues with a detour to the local shops. The shopping center is quiet. Nobody lingering or chatting. No gazing in windows. People striding direct and with purpose.

Today is the day we normally go to the State Cinema. We enjoy watching films. But today we return home. I find a chair and wait for the film to start. While waiting I go to the toilet. The toilet is easy to find and it is easy to find my way back to my seat. We can’t be at the State Cinema.

I smell popcorn cooking. This confirms we are not at the State cinema.

Apart from our family nobody else is watching the film. Watching the film was perfect. The sound, picture, popcorn and access to the toilet was all perfect. Apart from my family there was no one else to enjoy it with. Nobody to discuss the film with. I could go online but do I want to talk to people who spend their lives up in the clouds.

After the film we visit one of our daughters.

She is up in the clouds obeying her I-phone while my grandson sees us and becomes very active. He knows something I don’t.  And he loves showing me his new skill. He knows how to use his gleaming coffee machine. 

We sit outside around a table and wait for our proudly presented coffee. My daughter puts down her I-phone and joins us for morning tea. Which is lattes and espressos.

We discuss growing vegetables. We discuss where, what and seeds or seedlings.

The future may involve more days like today. No cafes with luscious cakes and slices. More eating at home. We might eat less with non-family. Have less visitors. Socialise less. We might have less friends but eat better. Maybe we will become healthier.

In the evening we watch the news. It is more horrific and terrifying than the film we watched. The news has a plot that keeps changing with no guaranteed happy ending.

Normally I lie back and doze through the politicians jostling for coverage and spinning the usual politically safe phrases. Waiting for the sport and weather. Today I dozed through a film with goodies, badies and a happy ending waiting for the evening news. Now the news is different every day. What is our score at the moment? What is our total?  Where did these people catch it? Reality is more terrifying than escapist films.

Every day, as we watch the news, we blame somebody or something. Every day we say what should be done.  The experts don’t know what is going to happen.  This vacuum is filled by Facebook and us people with no training or experience. We are the new experts.   They should…

I love Hobart and normally describe it as the best city in the world.  I still feel like this but I can’t say it. Others who live elsewhere around the world are suffering. Others are getting a worse view of the virus than us. Others don’t have a health system as good as the Tasmanian Health Department. Others can’t amble in native bush and the fresh air.  Others don’t have back gardens with a veggie plot. 

 Others don’t have internet access.

I want a future where other people don’t need to suffer in order for me to feel incredibly lucky to live in Hobart.

A future where everybody everywhere beats this virus. And post-corona everybody chooses to get fitter and healthier. By eating better and walking more.  

Chapter 243 : making bread (part two)

Whole grain flour

Mill grains of whole wheat and you get whole grain flour. Sieve the flour.  You now have plain white flour. You have removed the germ, bran and many nutrients. The plain white flour has a lighten colour and increased shelf life than whole grain flour.

Whole grain flour is high in complex carbohydrates, high in fibre, high in vitamins and minerals. Low in omega-3 saturated fat and low in refined carbohydrates.

For a small loaf I use 300ml of water and 3 cups of flour. For a big loaf I use 400 ml and 4 cups of flour.  The critical thing is the ratio of water to flour.  100ml of water to one cup (250ml) of flour.

Gluten flour

The gluten holds the dough together as the bubbles form. The dough rises.

Two proteins in the flour (glutenin and gliadin) use water to form an elastic mass of molecules that we call gluten.

Gluten holds the dough together. It holds the gases in. The bread rises. Gluten gives the dough elasticity. Stops the dough becoming crumbly.

Kneading of the dough causes more gluten to form. Causes more proteins and water find each other and link together.

Yeast

Yeast is a single cell micro-organism. A type of fungus. Reproduces asexually. Yeast cells grow bigger then divide. The yeast used in baking eats carbohydrates (simple sugars). Producing carbon dioxide, ethanol and water. The carbon dioxide gas forms pockets or bubbles.

Dried yeast does not require refrigeration and has a long shelf life.

Yeast when mixed with a weak solution of water and sugar will foam and bubble as it ferments the sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide.

Yeast breaks down the starch molecules in flour to simple sugars which it then eats.

Yeast ferments dough. Fermentation breaks down large molecules into smaller, flavorful ones. Proteins into amino acids, starches into sugars, amylose and maltose into glucose, fats into free fatty acids. Smaller molecules have more flavour.  

Salt

Salt provides flavour. Without it bread tastes insipid and flat.

Gives strength to the gluten.

Retards the fermentation of the yeast. Yeast needs water. Salt absorbs water which slows yeast.

Salt gives the bread a better colour.

Sugar

Sugar provides “food” for yeast, which converts it to carbon dioxide and alcohol.

Sugar enhances bread flavor. Sugar gives the crust a golden colour.

Sugar improves the crumb texture.

Sugar helps retain moisture in bread

Sugar can be in the form of white sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup or in a liquid (fruit juice, beer, wine or soft drink). The type of sugar alters the flavour and colour of the bread.

Artificial sweeteners cannot be used. They provide no food for the yeast.

Too little or too much sugar will slow down yeast activity.

Bread improver

It is claimed breads improvers help the bread rise, aids gluten and makes commercial bread making more predictable and reliable.

I can make bread without a bread improver. With a bread improver the resultant bread will slightly more predictable.

Every bread or baked product you buy has a bread improver or a flour enhancer in it. The ingredients appear safe. They are chemicals and have long names but everything I eat is a chemical with a long name.

Bread improvers normally contain:

Amylose comes from ground wheat. Normally found in flour. It helps reduce starch to maltose upon which yeast feeds.

Emulsifiers (monoglyceride, calcium stearoyl lactylate) ensure bubbles are retained in the flour.

Emulsifiers help condition and strengthen the dough, improve crumb whiteness, retain moisture, soften crumb texture and control fat crystallisation. The improved water retention improves the keeping qualities of a loaf.

Reducing agents that alter gluten

Oxidants that strengthen gluten

Olive oil

Mono-unsaturated fatty acids.  A healthy oil. Can’t make bread without some oil from somewhere.  

Variations

herbs; fresh or dried

olives, sun-dried tomato, grilled capsicum

nuts, dried fruit, soya grits, sunflower seeds, pumpkin kernels 

Coat with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, polenta

wheat hearts or semolina

Vegetables: If you add mashed vegetables to the dough you need to decrease the amount of water. The alternative way is to grate the vegetable; place in a tea towel, squeeze the liquid from the vegetable and then add the dried vegetable to the flour and the juice to the liquid. This method works really well for unwanted zucchini.  Add the squeezed grated zucchini to the flour and decrease the total amount of liquid slightly. The resultant bread will be moister than normal and last longer.

Exotic flours: you can easily replace some of the wheat flour with flour made from rice, rye, barley, oats, maize, sorghum, millet, buckwheat, legumes, and potato. I’m sure I’ve missed something but you get the point. Replace a cup of wholegrain wheat flour with any other flour and you will not have to alter the basic recipe. If you start taking out more wheaten flour you made need to add extra gluten. If the loaf is crumbly; like a muffin or a scone then it is lacking gluten. A crumbly loaf is not a complete disaster, you can still eat it but the loaf will not keep well and the trail of crumbs will not please everybody. Personally, I prefer gluten.

If you cannot acquire or make some of the more exotic flours another option is to add rolled grains to the flour. Substitute a cup of rolled oats (or barley, rye, triticale) for a cup of flour and proceed as normal.

Chapter 242 : making bread

We live in interesting times. In these interesting times I sometimes find myself with routine and commonplace responsibilities.  Like looking after grandchildren.

My goals today are to try and educate my grandchildren and avoid other people. I want them to learn something useful. I will be a fake, copy of a real teacher.

I wait for a brief pause in their chattering and say: Today’s lesson will be making bread.

They are ecstatic. We measure out five cups of flour. Mainly whole grain flour with a smidgen of gluten flour. I place 500 ml of water in the microwave for about 40 seconds. I guide them as they add a tablespoon of dry yeast, a tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt to the tepid water.  

They can now do something they love. Mixing ingredients. They continue whisking as I add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.  They then pour the liquid into the flour and stir it with a knife. We have to get the right consistency.  We want a ball of dough that we can knead.  If it’s too wet then we will have to dip the ball of dough into flour. If the dough is too dry then we will have to add water.

We finally get the dough at what I think is the right consistency.  It is now time to knead. The kids love kneading. Well so do I. We help each other to knead the dough.  We roll and roll the dough until it starts to develop some elasticity.  So that it hangs together. I ask them to imagine bubble gum bread. After about ten minutes we place the dough in a bowl. On top we place some glad wrap and a tea towel.

I ask them were should we put the bowl. They suggest in the sunlight where I normally put it. Time for a quick science lesson. I talk about the yeast. An organism that lives and grows in the dough. Yeast lives in water. It grows bigger and bigger then divides. The temperature of the water affects the speed at which this occurs. Yeast eats sugar and gives off gas as a by-product. The gas forms bubbles causing the dough to become bigger. They think the idea of eating food followed by gas hilarious.  

A few hours later I say: Time to attack the dough.  

We punch it, assault it and knock all the gas out of it. They find the idea of removing gas by punching is very funny. I now divide and separate the dough.

Kay says: Her piece is bigger than mine.

I immediately give her a bit of flour from my lump.  We all knead our lumps of dough. None of their finished lumps look perfectly symmetrical and neat. They all look better. Homemade and unique.

The lesson continues with art.  I ask them to make their roll look beautiful. Decorate your roll. They all put their initials on their roll.  One adds sesame seeds. The other adds poppy seeds and an almond.

Kay says to me: Why don’t you put your initials on your loaf?

Gertrude says: He doesn’t know how to. He’s brain damaged.

I ask them to, without playing, find a tray and a tin. They put their rolls on the tray and I put my loaf in the tin. We now wait for the dough to rise for a second time. When it doubles in size, we can cook it. I open the hot oven and carefully watch as they place the tray in the oven. I ask them to look at the clock and tell me where the big hand will be in twenty minutes.

The lesson continues with a new topic: Why does a loaf of bread take longer to cook than a smaller roll? We discuss this and after twenty minutes I ask them to stand back as I take out the rolls.  

The lesson continues with plating up of food.

I ask them: What do you want on your bread?

Gertrude knows that she always has margarine on her roll. Kay knows that she always has honey and jam on her roll. They both know how to prepare their roll correctly. The lesson finishes when they eat their freshly cooked and buttered roll. They pass with honours.

Chapter 241 : let's go for a drive

We tell our grandkids we are going for a drive. One immediately opens the car door and sits by the window. I then explain one of the rules. If you want the window seat you must let others enter before you.

Two other grandkids need to have other rules explained to them. They have both decided it’s their turn to sit in the front.

I then say, “Okay I’ll decide who sits in the front and you will change around on the way back.”

One shows lack of understanding of the basic rules and says, “Then it will be your turn to go in the back.”

I check their seat belts. They enjoy being in the car but feel that being in a car they have to copy us adults. To behave like an adult in Hobart you have to complain about the traffic. They immediately start abusing other drivers.     

My thought bubble sees traffic problems as not unique to Hobart. A glance around the world tells me there are other cities with worse traffic problems. There are cities where more people spend more time in cars.  Cities with worse air pollution. Cities with more accidents and where driving is more dangerous.

In a world where there may be worse traffic than in Hobart the traffic in Hobart is getting worse.  The number of cars on the roads is increasing faster than the population is increasing.

Kay’s mind is focused elsewhere. She says, “Who did that?” and winds the window down. 

My thoughts are still on the traffic.

If we continue as at present the number of cars will continue to increase greater than the population.  The future will mean more people, more cars, more traffic and more people spending more time in cars.

I want a future where my grandkids enjoy travelling around Hobart. I want a future where they enjoy travelling to work or play. I don’t want them to spend hours every day cursing other drivers.

My thought bubble contains an idea. Increase the density of the CBD and inner suburbs. More people living in the inner areas. More people living above shops in the CBD, more multistory buildings, more people per house, more flats and more units sharing a single block.

My thought bubble contains less people living in the fast growing, scenic, outer areas.  Less people travelling from these outer areas by car. More people car sharing. More use of public transport (bus, light rail or ferry).

I want my grandkids to grow up in a society with less cars. A society where status and wealth are not associated with cars. A society where cars are not fashionable or desired. A society where high status is associated with small electric cars and low status with massive, spotlessly clean four-wheel drives.

My grandkids will inevitably grow up in a future with more electric cars. The electric cars will pay no petrol tax.  Tolls will be needed to pay for roads. In the future I imagine a toll to enter the CBD. A toll using g.p.s. and on-line payment.

I dream of my grandkids growing up in a society with a different political system. At present we have three levels of government and multiple councils having an input into Hobart traffic.  

Bruce has different dreams. He says, “Change the radio station.”

We have inherited a three-tier system where every election means politicians promising new bridges or new highways. Nobody ever promises less cars. All politicians seem to think that cars vote.  

Our present system has Hobart governed by multiple councils. Councils make rules for area. Their rules affect neighboring areas.  A state government flounders around looking for someone to dance with.

I imagine my grandkids growing up in a society with two tiers of government. Both tiers seeing transport as a vital part of the economy and environment and health of community. One tier responsible for all transport and paying for all transport infrastructure.

Back in the real world my grandkids know what they want. The radio station changed.  I smile. I dream of the future. They live in the present. Their only concern is turning the station to their favorite channel.  They can argue about what the best station is. I will dream.

Chapter 240: The Queens Domain

With my grandchildren I walk on a hill on the Domain. This is an opportunity for me to pretend I know more than them. I say, “This hill is the place were radio masts were erected in 1911 in order to communicate with the Antarctic.”

I ask them, “Imagine you are at the other end of this radio in the Antarctic. What are you going to say?”

Gertrude says, “I would upload a picture of the penguins.”

I say, “Well you have a good point there. Because Mawson went there largely for scientific reasons. They did go there to look at the penguins.”

My grandchildren know the name Mawson because of the huts on the docks. After much talking, we agree Mawson went to the Antarctic in 1912 and erected huts in the Antarctic (which are now on our docks in Hobart) and spoke to Australia via the Domain.

Moving on we head towards some concrete slabs on the east side of the hill.  I say, “Do you have any idea what was built here.”

They are mute so I inform them, “A number of defense force installations were built on the Domain.”

Bruce says, “Where’s the big gun?”

“Bruce you’re thinking of a different place.  That big gun (Bellerive) was built a long time before the buildings over here. The concrete placed here was for a war against the Japanese between 1939 and 1945.”

Bruce hears the word war which excites him.

“Wow I can use my light sword.” says Bruce.

Bruce swings a branch around as a light sword. His favourite films include light swords, goodies and baddies. To think this could have happened up here on the Domain.

I pretend I am a responsible adult and tell him, “We would prefer to be friends with Japan. To eat sushi and drive Toyota cars. We both win if we work together.”

Bruce continues hitting plants and de-heading grass with his stick. He says, “We will defeat them.”

I say to Bruce, “Imagine you are in class and the teacher ask you to draw a picture. You can fight with the person on the next table. Break his pencils and rip up his paper. To stop him drawing a better picture than you.  Another option is that you can work together. Help each other. Which way are you going to go?”

Bruce keeps waving his stick around wishing it was a light saver. He pauses slightly.  He is torn. He loves drawing with his classmates.  And he loves films involving fighting between goodies and badies.  

I tell Bruce, “There was no war on the Domain. The Japanese never came anywhere near Hobart.”

The politically correct angel is sitting on my shoulder telling me to tell them the full story. 

“Bruce and Gertrude. The Japanese did not fight a war here. Can you tell me of any war fought anywhere near here?”

That is a rhetorical question because I know they will not answer it.

My answer to them is that in 1803 Britain decided to come here and start another colony of the British Empire. When they arrived, there were already people living here. People had been living here for thousands of years.  There were many differences and clashes between the two groups of people. Many of these clashes involved violence. The original people living on the Domain fought to protect themselves and their way of life.

Gertrude says, “So that’s why we have the Cenotaph.”

“No, you are not quite correct. The Cenotaph is a memorial to other brave and courageous Tasmanians.”   

Bruce throws his stick away and says, “Everybody should have drawn pictures together. They should have worked together.”

They both find the idea of people living on the Domain for thousands of years difficult to comprehend.  

Gertrude says “Where did they live? There are no houses up here.”

I have to agree. There are no houses on the Domain.  If we don’t count Government House.

My walk on the Domain tells me and my grandkids the name should be changed.  The original inhabitants who lived there for thousands of years are ignored.  The Queen mentioned in the Queens Domain was titular head of the British Empire from 1837. In 1860 she handed the Queens Domain back to the people of Hobart.

The Queens Domain. The present Queen doesn’t own it. She rarely visits. She has no direct interest in managing the Domain. Let’s change all the signs and call it what everybody calls it. The Domain.