Dead & Dried

Yes, we’re in full summer swing here in the northern hemisphere but there is no better time to start collecting for this little decor idea than the present.

Green, fresh, living house plants add that feel to a room which completes it, but there’s also something about dried leaves and flowers that appeals to me greatly. With both dried flowers and green plants in a room, the outdoors is constantly indoors with me in both polarized forms, alive and dead.

I find the dried stems especially charming when put in a recycled bottle or glass.

I’m always so amazed at how some of the colors remain vibrant, like the yellow of the billy buttons or the purple of the statice. The pales of the dried chive flowers and grape hyacinths make for nice contrast as well.

I need to admit here that I don’t actually know what kind of plant this is (above) but I found these dried byoots while on a late fall walk. They grow off of one long stem but I broke them off at roughly equal lengths and used this cider bottle as a vase.

Most of these dried flowers are in makeshift vases. There’s a Jack Daniel’s souvenir glass (below) and several Millennium Celebration glasses. I like the simplicity of these ones but I can see any repurposed glass being a good home to show off your stems.

I’ve also dried cattails which you can try as well if you have access to some. Warning: collect them before they’re mature or you’ll just fill your home with fluff. I think we all have enough cleaning to do as it is without adding all of that.

Sage is easy and multifunctional because it can also be burnt the herb makes for a wonderfully earthy and homemade incense.

Paneer Curry Creation

I adore paneer curries and so have made a fair few. I decided this time to go off piste and threw this one together without a recipe. Was gorgeous, can’t deny it.

Started with the usual suspects: fresh onions, ginger, garlic and chili
Added my seeds: coriander and cumin
Stirred in one large chopped tomato
Took all that off, then used the same pan to brown the paneer
Put everything in: onion prep, paneer, veggies (frozen peas & cauliflower), 1/2 baby tin of tomato paste, few glasses of water, garam masala, one tin coconut milk and a sprinkling of salt
The oddest part is probably the two handfuls of pecans that I whizzed in the blender (which was added in this previous step as well).

I was hoping for richer, creamier, and proteinier. I think all that was achieved… but not really all that noticeable in the finished dish so I’m not sure if it was even worth washing the blender. But hey, you never know until you try.
I let it all bubble away for a while and reduce for a thick sauce. I think we can all agree the best part about a curry is the sauce and it can’t be good if it’s runny.

Those peas were from the Indian shop and I believe they are frozen uncooked or could be some tougher variety so they take a bit to become tender but I took advantage of their unhurried nature to cook the rice and thinly slice some cucumber.

To serve, I put a huge spoonful of rice, then huger spoonful of curry, dollop of yogurt and a few cucumber slices. And that was that my friends.

The only thing I regret is that I won’t be able to replicate it.

 

Death by Fridge Bars

An easy treat to throw together that is fool proof and is naughtily divine every time.

Any dried fruits, nuts/seeds and cookies/biscuits that you have on hand are put to delightful use in these chocolate bars.

I don’t follow the recipe very closely because I like to use up the odds and sods but here is the original to work from:

 

5 1/2 oz butter (not marge or anything soft masquerading as butter)
1 1/2 tbsp golden syrup or honey
9 oz digestive biscuits, roughly broken (or ginger snaps etc.)
2 oz hazelnuts (or other nut that you prefer)
2 oz glacé cherries ( I omit these because I’m not a big fan)
2 oz sultanas/raisins (or any dried fruit
5 1/2 oz good quality plain chocolate (70% cocoa plus is where it’s at)

 

Place the butter, syrup and chocolate in a saucepan and melt very gently over low heat
Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ingredients
Spoon into a lightly oiled 7″ square tin, level the surface and chill in the fridge to set
Cut into small squares and store in the fridge (it gets melty quickly outside the fridge)

They say they keep for 2+ weeks but I can’t actually attest to that…
I sprinkled some pistachios over half of these for prettiness’s sake. You can even make them into little truffle type things with molds or cutters which makes them fancier by default but remember, once they’re set in the fridge, the handling time at room temperature is not long at all.

Feta and Watermelon Salad

If you haven’t had something of this sort I highly recommend you try it. I know that at first, if you’re not used to savory & sweet flavor combos it seems odd if not a bit nauseating. But honestly, this is one of those incredibly easy but mouthwateringly perfect summer dishes that looks and tastes very shnazzy for what it is.

The salt from the feta goes surprisingly well with the classic summer sweetness of the watermelon. And who can resist adding those bright green wonder leaves to every single thing while they’re in season?

Serious talk now. You’ll need these 5 ingredients:

– watermelon cut into 1/2in or a bit more than 1 cm slices
– feta, crumbled
– fresh mint leaves, torn or cut
– red onion, thinly sliced into rings
– olive oil to drizzle

Once you have the ingredients ready, all that’s left is to assemble. You can plate however you’d like but I like to go in this order: heap a decent portion of the melon, scatter a few onion rounds, the mint and the feta an finally finish with a light drizzle of olive oil.

Et voilà. Couldn’t be simpler. Bon ap.

México

(Me hi ko/ me chi ko/ me si ko?)

Mobiles, GPS, internet, all cyber relations
I can do without
Take me back
Back to places I had joy and sun
Flavors divine
Culture richer than that of the ‘the continent’ boasting of rocks and cemeteries
Take me to the PrimeraPlus space buses
The fields of blue
The labyrinth markets
The floating vibrations of marimbas
The jaws that serve as musical instruments
The many brightly colored facades
The white and black dog baking on the rooftop
The friends I loved without knowing
The doorways, steps, fountains, and cobbled paths
The Grandfather so endearing– ‘sí, como no’

Take me back

The ladies behind the food stalls, so efficiently and deftly using their wooden presses to shape the corn flour dough into thin cakes which were then tossed on the grill and, almost as if not watching, carefully watched, timed and turned before they caught
(how envious I was of the absent-minded crafting of these women)

Chili and lime on everything. I mean everything.
(ever tried that with mango?)
(you probably should)

Sweet corn, savory corn
Yellow corn, white corn, blue corn

Corn

Corn

Corn

Lovely garlic roasted crickets, kept safe and warm in sweaty pockets
Mezcal, alacrán
(considered vegetarian, right?)
Mosquitos, how you love to torment me with your high pitched, relentless, monotone laughter
(I have never pitied a life of yours that was taken)

Horchata, why must you be so delicious and so far from me?
Jamaica, my love, you evade me and I know not why

All the authentic foods I wanted to try but were all too meatitarian for me
Quesadillas
First, love
the hand-made tortillas with the newly melted cheese (queso oaxaqueño)
Then, hate
after a month of this reliable, unappreciated, vegetarian option

Children spearing the mangos ripe, red-orange-yellow, stories above their heads
Crops I wish grew where I lived: almonds, mangos, agave, nopal
The man at the sandwich shop surprised that the gringa would please like more jalapeños
Gentlemanly bus rider, in the nicest sense of the term

Fresh fruit. Dammit, I want more fresh fruit

All the place names with the exes in them but that seemingly having no method of pronunciation:

Oaxaca (wa ha ka) x = h
Xalapa (kha la pa)x = kh
Xonocatl (sho no katl)x= sh
Xotiocuautitla: Your guess is as good as mine

La Bufa, que bufa eres

Generosity of spirit and time
Swindle-me-not
Better folk
I haven’t met
Exciting me and inviting me
Smiles and honest hands
Safety not a worry, not even a thought
(but of course, I could have been kidnapped or worse)

A mystical land of variation I’ve never dreamt of knowing
Orchids of every shape
Growing from trees alive and dead alike
Stumps fostering vibrant life
Moss, are you friend or foe?
No matter, eerily beautiful swaying in the faintest of breezes
Grey-blue-green falling like locks of a sea maiden

Glorious sandy beach bending round the bay to meet our mother
Tiny translucent crabs anxiously scuttling from air pocket to air pocket between waves
Pelican diving until blinded, desperate for mother’s fruit
Sun, like fire and grapefruit, sinking into the hillside

In a past life I wish I
Spoke your words
Knew your ways, your shapes
better than my own
Drank your sun greedily
Smelled your colors
with every inhale
And tasted your richness
with every exhale

Take me back

Annual Scoff Fest

Maamoul, meaning ‘worked’ or ‘wrought’, are little morsels of scrumptiousness that are traditionally made for religious celebrations in the arabic speaking world and, as is the case with my family at this time of year, for Easter.

They’re labor-intensive as their name suggests (and as Lebanese culinary creations tend to be) but I find the culture and communion that surrounds their production charming and well worth the effort. It’s like a grand old chat session with something methodical and very tactile to keep your hands occupied.

We must be getting good at this teamwork business because this year’s assembly line was efficient and good humored right until the not-so-bitter end. Once our head chef (one of my aunts) has prepped all the necessaries (I know chefs aren’t renowned for prep work but this is a very controlling chef), the minions ( Immi (my grandmother and ex-chef), my other aunt and myself) take our seats where we will remain for a good few hours forming little artworks from semolina dough and sweetened nuts and dates.

the date fillings prepared and waiting to be enveloped

Traditionally, wooden hand-carved, spoon-looking moulds are used to shape the pastries. I perceive them to be quite beautiful as far as tools go but as they can prove to be tricky we (as in my aunt who’s in charge) opted for ‘free-hand sculpting’ (as I’ve dubbed it).

Immi working and portioning out dough for shaping

The flavors that gently meet your palate as you take a bite are so wonderfully Lebanese. I can’t taste orange blossom water or rose water without instantly having that olfactory memory jump to my childhood’s sticky fingers and my grandma’s strong hands creating pure goodness to feed the soul. The rich aromas of orange blossom, rose, cinnamon, nutmeg and mahlab combine with the simpler semolina, butter, nuts and dates to bring about a heaven meets earth fusion on your palate.

So that was an effusive description, but honestly, once you’ve tried one, in particular one of my aunt’s, you’ll know exactly what all the fuss is about.

To all of you who are celebrating today, Happy Easter. To all of you who aren’t, Happy Residual Eating.

Thai Curry Please

The veggies you add aren’t the important bit. It’s this sauce. And it’s such a simple one to make. Just gather the ingredients and whizz together in a food processor, blender, or in a bowl with a stick blender.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 stalk lemongrass minced OR 3-4 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass
• 1-3 chilies depending on desired heat, deseeded and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, roughly chopped
• 1 large handful chopped fresh coriander/cilantro leaves & stems
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1-2 tsp. brown sugar, to taste
• 1 can coconut milk

Once it’s all quite liquidy have a quick taste. If you like hotter add another chili or two or if it’s not salty enough for your tastes add more soy sauce a bit at a time. Don’t over-salt! It’s not good for you and then you’ll have to play the rescue game.

Now that your delicious sauce is prepared you’ll want to start prepping those veggies. Whatever is seasonal, colorful and fresh will work (this was made in the summer, so please don’t think I’m delusional– at the time they were seasonal).

The veggies I chose for the curry in the photo are: bok choy, carrots, aubergine/eggplant and red pepper. The one ingredient I always want to have in a this sort of curry is red pepper, but if they’re not available, no worries at all. The sauce will make this sing no matter the goodies it’s dressing.

So get those veggies into a hot wok with a bit of vegetable oil. Start with the ones that take longer to cook (carrots in my case) and gradually add them all in until they’re the texture you like. I love a bit of crunch so if you’re the same this step won’t take long.

Once you’re here pour over your sauce and let it heat through while stirring.

If you like noodles with your thai, like I do, you can get those cooking once you start cooking the veg. They’re really quickly done so if you’re not the best at keeping an eye on multiple pans don’t forget the timer!

If you opt for rice, the regular slow-cooking, plan ahead and get that going first.

Now we’re all ready. Get a good portion of noodles/rice in your bowl, spoon over a healthy (or should I say hearty?) portion of veg and don’t forget the sauce in the bottom of the pan. (Warning: that would be a crime punishable by death).

You can garnish with a few cilantro/coriander leaves if you’re feeling fancy. If not, tuck in. It is ready to be devoured.

In case you’re interested, my little flower looking thing is simply the base of the bok choy bunch. I chopped off the leaves far down their stems, quite close to the very end and ended up with this little beauty!

For the Love of Dog

Walks in The Park, never on lead (how scandalous)
Wary of other dogs, especially bitches
Fierce and fearless
Go for the throat over sidewalk dominance
Pigeon by the green car (mercy killing?)
Running off with Russo
Partner in crime, confidante
Rescuer from cellar trolls and bottom of the garden gremlins
Terrorize the vicinity at the drop of “pussy cat”
Hackles raised at postmen
Never say Boneo unless you mean it
Something about rolled up newspapers makes her skittish

Nyla-bones and tennis balls stripped naked
Swinging her in circles, death grip on stick
Fun time overdrive, relentless
(how long can you play catch for, honestly?)
Sliding off the couch, liquid dog
Perched like a parrot on Charlie’s shoulder
Claws clattering on the wooden floors
Effortlessly wound up, down
Call from the tennis club, Bussie’s chasing the balls again
Walk to heel
Barking contests
Grass eating
Kisses on command
Smiling in her sleep
Bean bag bed
Hates the vet, the kennels
(how d’you know we’re not going to a park?)
Wee from excitement at reunions
Daily meal, raw egg is a special treat
Drive to France: allotted the most car space
Nightly wee before bed
Watching her watch me as I turn out the light
Pampered by the cat lovers
Drinking out the pool
Watching lizards
Decline sweetly
White faced, cloudy eyed
Placid with small bursts of brightness
Sunbathing
Sprawled before the fire
Same sweet spot behind the ears
Fragile, fading
Stare into the corners blankly
Whimper at the slightest touch
Still look for her in the morning

Comically Free Gift Wrap

If you’re already a newspaper reader– in print, that is– then, perhaps unbeknownst to you, you’ve got yourself a load of free wrapping paper.

I favor the comic and puzzle section but the normal print is attractive as well and is useful for the more sober occasion or, as the case may be, receiver.

A very advantageous aspect of this gift wrap is I can never get it wrong. Be it a birthday, a spur-of-the-moment prezzie, an anniversary, a thank you or even a wedding, it does it all.

I’ve witnessed many family members worrying about which paper says “I’m so happy you were born young person” or “I do hope you have a happy life together”. They end up with rolls and rolls of the unwieldy stuff. With a compact stash of recycled paper, all those problems are solved. Because really, who’s going to need the “I don’t know you very well but I generously give my humble thanks to you for your kind help” roll twice?

My favorite bit: the repurposing and reusing of the newspaper. But I, of course, love the fun feel of the colors and pictures from the comic section and the I’m-so-old-fashioned feel of the print.

Since I’ve been collecting for a while now, I have a salvage pile so large that I’m starting to think I should be giving it away to my non-newspaper-getting friends. A gift to wrap their gifts in. Not ironic at all.

Wanna Be Blanc Soup

This squash, root, and apple soup with rosemary oil is styled after the starter I had at Brasserie Blanc. It’s very simple, warming and quite lovely (if I do say so myself).

It’s not very involved at all. All I did was:

1) Cook the onions with a bit of oil until translucent and starting to get a bit of color. (I added a couple of sprigs of rosemary during this process which I removed before the next step but it’s far from essential).

2) In with the prepped veggies, stir. Then fill with water and some stock powder. Stir again.

3) Once it’s bubbled until all the veg is tender take it off the heat, whizz it until smooth and you’re done.

I was really pleased with the way it turned out. The texture was spot on and the rosemary oil was quite flavorful and absurdly easy to prepare. Now I feel like I’m an amateur professional wot with making– without the recipe– a soup similar to one which is served at a real chef’s restaurant (and if I can do it, y’all can too).

If you’d like to try making it the same, here’s what went in:

1 oversized parsnip (2 normal)
1 hugely oversized carrot (about 4 normal)
1 sweet potato
2 potatoes
2 apples
1 squash
2 medium onions
1 sprig rosemary
about 2 tbsp stock powder

I spotted the Kabocha squash that I used in this and thought I’d give it a whirl as I like to try new things but must admit I was disappointed. It took rather a lot of effort for little reward. Squash is always a bit tricky to cut and peel but the form of this one proved to be particularly challenging. When I make this again I’ll go for a butternut or something similar.

As for the rosemary oil, all I did was let a few sprigs of rosemary sit in a jar full of olive oil for about two weeks. I bruised the rosemary up a bit first in the mortar in case that’d get more flavor into the oil. (I should try another batch without this abusive measure to see if it made any difference).

Oh, and I threw a few croutons on top for a bit of crunch (which might be de-poshing Monsieur Blanc’s style but I enjoyed them). So there you have it. A very basic soup that, it would appear, can pass at a fine establishment such as Brasserie Blanc.

Bon Ap!