Today it looks as though our bread supply will run out. In spite of my eating ends, crust and all, which I normally disdain to look at. We eat an unhealthy amount of soft white in our house; we have enough of that to carry us through to next week, but my daughter's seeded brown is over. So she's baking bread. I think the last time she did this was a decade ago. Meanwhile, having taken out the Kenwood and the balance, she made scones for me. She didn't approve of the fact that I insisted on ladling butter, jam, AND cream on to each half.
There's been a revolution in our house about our concept of food. We don't waste a morsel of anything. Yesterday I tasted my courgette and spinach in yoghurt and quickly put it aside. Uneatable, I thought. My daughter added bits and pieces, pulverized it in the mixer and named it soup. My son and she ate it. I am reeling from surprise. My son does not often notice what we put in front of him, which, at the moment is a blessing.
I am going back to Malayalee ways, cooking up Moong dhal, lentils and chick peas. We excavate things lurking deep inside the freezer, and eat it, sometimes not quite sure whether it is animal, mineral or vegetable. Whereas, in the past, I would flick such lurking unknowns into the bin, pleading unhealthy appearance, now I look closely, talk to it, and cook it.
Yesterday I cooked an enormous cabbage-fry, normally something that hangs around in the 'frig accusingly for a whole week, but it has disappeared. I had to cook a whole cabbage because I couldn't countenance letting it get dry and mangy, (it looked a little yellow in parts) with the current paucity of veg. Fresh vegetables involve a trip to the supermarket, which we do not try very often. Yesterday, I also cooked a big pot of Lentils in coconut milk and that too, nearly disappeared. So, I think,what shall I create today? There is some flaked rice sitting in the larder for at least a year. I will make uppuma with it. Cook it with onions and green chilli after briefly frying it in a dry wok, and cooking it in a very little water. No coconut for garnish, but I shall do the Indian tempering with mustard seed and a dry chilli bean?
Necessity, closely related all inventions. As they say!
For my UK friends, an easy, quick recipe:
Chick peas in yoghurt
Drain liquid from the can and empty one can of chick-peas into a pan. Add boiled water to cover, a quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half an onion, chopped, a pinch of crushed pepper, one green chilli chopped fine, and a teaspoonful of mashed ginger. Add salt to taste. Add 8 ounces of coconut milk and a tablespoonful of chopped coriander leaves. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then add a cup of yoghurt. Stir gently.
Goes with any kind of bread or rice.
There's been a revolution in our house about our concept of food. We don't waste a morsel of anything. Yesterday I tasted my courgette and spinach in yoghurt and quickly put it aside. Uneatable, I thought. My daughter added bits and pieces, pulverized it in the mixer and named it soup. My son and she ate it. I am reeling from surprise. My son does not often notice what we put in front of him, which, at the moment is a blessing.
I am going back to Malayalee ways, cooking up Moong dhal, lentils and chick peas. We excavate things lurking deep inside the freezer, and eat it, sometimes not quite sure whether it is animal, mineral or vegetable. Whereas, in the past, I would flick such lurking unknowns into the bin, pleading unhealthy appearance, now I look closely, talk to it, and cook it.
Yesterday I cooked an enormous cabbage-fry, normally something that hangs around in the 'frig accusingly for a whole week, but it has disappeared. I had to cook a whole cabbage because I couldn't countenance letting it get dry and mangy, (it looked a little yellow in parts) with the current paucity of veg. Fresh vegetables involve a trip to the supermarket, which we do not try very often. Yesterday, I also cooked a big pot of Lentils in coconut milk and that too, nearly disappeared. So, I think,what shall I create today? There is some flaked rice sitting in the larder for at least a year. I will make uppuma with it. Cook it with onions and green chilli after briefly frying it in a dry wok, and cooking it in a very little water. No coconut for garnish, but I shall do the Indian tempering with mustard seed and a dry chilli bean?
Necessity, closely related all inventions. As they say!
For my UK friends, an easy, quick recipe:
Chick peas in yoghurt
Drain liquid from the can and empty one can of chick-peas into a pan. Add boiled water to cover, a quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half an onion, chopped, a pinch of crushed pepper, one green chilli chopped fine, and a teaspoonful of mashed ginger. Add salt to taste. Add 8 ounces of coconut milk and a tablespoonful of chopped coriander leaves. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then add a cup of yoghurt. Stir gently.
Goes with any kind of bread or rice.
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