I'm going back to Tokyo with my son on holiday this weekend to stay there for two weeks, so I need some Yen to take with me. I knew that Yen is really high at the moment, but I got depressed when I handed in some stirling pounds and got half the amount of Yen which I would have got last year. There was one more thing which distressed me. I can't count...
I have always been phenomenally crap at counting. I thrust £400 into the cashier window slot and the guy on the other side said, "Have you got £16? Then I can give you 50,000 Yen." Well, I didn't. So he said, "Then I'll give you 48,000 Yen which would be just under £400." He gave me 64 pence back. He disappeared around the back and reappeared to say that he hadn't got 1,000 Yen notes and that he can only give me 40,000 Yen. He then gave me £66.56 and 40,000 Yen back and said, "Next customer, please." My head overheated. I had to step aside to do the sums all over again. What happens to me, you see, is I get suspicious of smart people because I'm dumb.
I'm sure you know this one, but here is the most famous maths riddle. 3 guys finished a meal and asked for a bill. The waiter brought the bill of £30, so the guys paid £10 each. The waiter took £30 and went to the till (cashier). He then realised that the bill was actually £25, so he brought £5 back to the table. The guys took £1 back each and left £2 on the table as a tip. So the guys paid £9 each. £9 x 3 guys = £27 plus £2 tip = £29. Where is £1 gone?
I have enough headache, and I'll leave it to you to sort this one out.
Ingredients (for 1 person):
100g pasta (well...macaroni)
300ml milk
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon plain flour
50g cheddar cheese, grated
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
a handful of fresh breadcrumbs
a handful of Parmesan cheese, grated
You can either start cooking pasta and get on with the sauce or make the sauce first and cook pasta. I normally go with the first option.
Preheat oven to 200C.
Put a pan of boiling water with a teaspoon of salt on medium heat. Add the pasta.
In a separate pan melt the butter and add the garlic slices. Please don't get them burnt. They get really bitter. When the slices look cooked, add the flour and stir around to amalgamate the whole thing until it becomes a creamy paste. Pour cold milk from a jug little by little while constantly stirring the butter and flour. If they start getting too clumpy, stop the milk and stir the pan furiously. Add the cheddar cheese and stop the heat. Mix everything well and season to taste.
Add the cooked pasta into the cheese sauce together with tomatoes. Tip the whole thing into a gratin dish and sprinkle the breadcrumb and Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 25 minutes until brown and bubbling.