The Off Topic Topic

[Maladict]

I'm blown away.

I could have sworn Holland had a turnip winter during WWII.

You might be thinking of tulip bulbs.

[Grey Fox]

Relatedly I wanted to eat more seasonally so signed up for a veg box - and I went for the organic, UK produce box thinking that would definitely be very seasonal. As a city person I have literally no idea what's seasonal so need help.

And in general it has been really good. It's got me cooking new dishes etc which is what I wanted.

But winter is very long and really very, very samey. Not sure how much longer I can go cycling through potatoes, carrots, onions with parsnips/celeriac/cauliflower

What?  No beets? 

Do they even grow in the UK?

[Barrister]

Relatedly I wanted to eat more seasonally so signed up for a veg box - and I went for the organic, UK produce box thinking that would definitely be very seasonal. As a city person I have literally no idea what's seasonal so need help.

And in general it has been really good. It's got me cooking new dishes etc which is what I wanted.

But winter is very long and really very, very samey. Not sure how much longer I can go cycling through potatoes, carrots, onions with parsnips/celeriac/cauliflower

What?  No beets? 

Do they even grow in the UK?

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/18/uk-beet-growers-fear-brexit-threatens-their-future

[Grey Fox]

Sheilbh is getting short change.

[Sheilbh]

Actually yeah beetroots - but not in a while so I wonder if they're more autumn too?

[Barrister]

Sheilbh is getting short change.

I mean - the only thing I know to do with beets is roast them, pickle them, or make borscht.

But roasted beets, pickled beets and borscht are all delicious.

(FYI Sheilbh - all can be made vegan.  Traditionally a very small amount of meat might be tossed in the borsht pot, but it's hardly the star of the dish and can be left out)

[Admiral Yi]

I can't stand beets and was pleasantly surprised the one time I tried borscht.

[Sheilbh]

Some really good beetroot curries too - not going to lie my main plan for Lent is lots of curries

Edit: Not really thought it through.

Edit: To be honest I am annoyed at the saminess of winter veg but to be expected I suppose. The things I always struggle with doing vegan lent are sweet things because I have a sweet tooth and vegan choice isn't great if you like that sort of stuff. 

[Barrister]

Edit: To be honest I am annoyed at the saminess of winter veg but to be expected I suppose. The things I always struggle with doing vegan lent are sweet things because I have a sweet tooth and vegan choice isn't great if you like that sort of stuff. 

Beets are again the answer.

[Barrister]

Some really good beetroot curries too - not going to lie my main plan for Lent is lots of curries

I should have answered the first part: I have no intention of going vegetarian or vegan, but I'll sometimes make a vegetarian curry just because they're so good.  And the only thing stopping it from being vegan is the ghee, so that's an easy fix.

[Josquius]

Lentil curry left in the fridge overnight is quite great.

[Savonarola]

Hurrah! and lashings of ginger beer all around:

Penguin to publish 'classic' Roald Dahl books after backlash

LONDON (AP) — Publisher Penguin Random House announced Friday it will publish "classic" unexpurgated versions of Roald Dahl's children's novels after it received criticism for cuts and rewrites that were intended to make the books suitable for modern readers.

Along with the new editions, the company said 17 of Dahl's books would be published in their original form later this year as "The Roald Dahl Classic Collection" so "readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl's stories they prefer."

The move comes after criticism of changes made to "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and other much-loved classics for recent editions published under the company's Puffin children's label, in which passages relating to weight, mental health, gender and race were altered.

Augustus Gloop, Charlie's gluttonous antagonist in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" — originally published in 1964 — became "enormous" rather than "enormously fat." In "Witches," a supernatural female posing as an ordinary woman may be a "top scientist or running a business" instead of a "cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman."

The Roald Dahl Story Company, which controls the rights to the books, said it had worked with Puffin to review and revise the texts because it wanted to ensure that "Dahl's wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today."

While tweaking old books for modern sensibilities is not a new phenomenon in publishing, the scale of the edits drew strong criticism from free-speech groups such as writers' organization PEN America, and from authors including Salman Rushdie.

Camilla, the queen consort, appeared to offer her view at a literary reception on Thursday. She urged writers to "remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination."

Dahl's books, with their mischievous children, strange beasts and often beastly adults, have sold more than 300 million copies and continue to be read by children around the world. Their multiple stage and screen adaptations include "Matilda the Musical" and two "Willy Wonka" films based on "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," with a third in the works.

But Dahl, who died in 1990, is also a controversial figure because of antisemitic comments made throughout his life. His family apologized in 2020.

In 2021, Dahl's estate sold the rights to the books to Netflix, which plans to produce a new generation of films based on the stories.

Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children's, said the publisher had "listened to the debate over the past week which has reaffirmed the extraordinary power of Roald Dahl's books and the very real questions around how stories from another era can be kept relevant for each new generation."

"Roald Dahl's fantastic books are often the first stories young children will read independently, and taking care for the imaginations and fast-developing minds of young readers is both a privilege and a responsibility," she said.

"We also recognize the importance of keeping Dahl's classic texts in print," Dow said. "By making both Puffin and Penguin versions available, we are offering readers the choice to decide how they experience Roald Dahl's magical, marvelous stories."

[Savonarola]

Another problem blame on left woke mob when in fact it's a problem of capitalism and the need at all cost to monetize already created and owned properties.

Capitalism and absurdly long copyright protections.  Nine years ago Penguin released a version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with this cover:



In ten years, give or take, there will be almost certainly be a new "Controversy" over Dahl's work.

[HVC]

Accidental  over swap with Lolita?

[celedhring]

It's Veruca Salt. Not a bad cover given how the character is depicted.