Bill Farmer

C++

I made a vow about 20 years ago not to attempt to learn C++, when a colleague went on a C++ course. I did buy a C++ book, but it wasn’t that useful. I have looked at the source of various C++ programs over the years to attempt to find out how they worked. I have, until recently, invariably found that the code that does something useful is either hidden in include files, or buried so deep in obscure code that just seems to create and do strange things with various objects, that I have been unable to find it. I have seen similar Java programs.

Java Collections

I find Java Collections frustrating and insane. I have been through this loop on several occasions. I decide I want a list to do whatever. So I look up List in the docs and find it’s an interface, ie: roll yer own. So I look down the hierarchy and find AbstractList, which is abstract, again: roll yer own. So finally I get to ArrayList which might do the job, but the docs aren’t too clear, so I try it and it works. I just want a list that will do the job. I don’t care what it stores the data in, that level of detail is supposed to be obscured and possibly subject to change anyway.

Stuffed Peppers

Lunch for two.

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers
• 1/2 cup cous cous
• 6-8 slices chorizo cut into four pieces
• 2-3 cloves garlic, sliced
• small onion, chopped
• 1/4 vegetable stock cube
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• boiling water
• olive oil

Method

1. Trim the stems of the peppers, cut the tops off, and remove the seeds and pulp from inside.
2. Cover the bottom of a small pan with oil and add the garlic, onion, chorizo, paprika and oregano, place on a gentle heat and cook until the onions are transparent.
3. Add the cous cous and the stock cube, crumbled, stir to mix it together and allow to cook for another few minutes. You should begin to notice a toasted cous cous aroma.
4. Add half a cup of boiling water and turn off the heat. Put the lid on and let it sit until the water has been absorbed. Stir it up and add a bit more hot water.
5. Arrange the peppers in a tin so they hopefully don’t fall over.
6. Spoon the mixture into the peppers and put the lids back on.
7. Put in a medium hot oven (175 °C) for about 20 minutes.
8. Serve with salad or bread.

Unobtainium

unob·ta·ni·um (unob-tayn-ium)

Ingredient not available on the shelf at your local major supermarket.

If you attempt to use any celebrity or TV chef recipe, you will find at least one ingredient is unobtainable locally. You will also find a healthy disregard of the cleaning up operation afterwards. Usually most of this nonsense can be safely ignored and locally available ingredients used instead, and the recipe converted from an N-pot recipe to a one-pot recipe.

Coarse Ratatouille

This is slow cooked vegetables using whatever comes to hand.

Ingredients

• Onions, sliced
• Potatoes, sliced
• Carrots, sliced
• Whatever else is going, sliced or chopped
• Oil
• Large heavy frying pan or skillet with lid

Method

1. Warm up your skillet and put a dollop of oil in it
2. Arrange a layer of sliced onions, making sure to spread the oil around
3. Next a layer of sliced potato
4. Next a layer of sliced carrots
5. Add layers of whatever else is to hand to fill up the pan
6. Pour a bit more oil over the top
7. Put the lid on and cook gently until the carrots are cooked. The onions should caramelise on the bottom and add some delicious flavour