The Sacred Art of Eating

The ice, more than anything, kept us from our invited shindig on Hogmanay. That and the aforementioned rubbish buses. So we decided to have a party for two!

We put our party gear on…

…watched the fireworks from beside our lovely tree…

… we even had our own fireworks!…

..there was Champagne, and scrummy nibbly bits- D’s finest pain de campagne, parma ham, smoked salmon, sundried tomato stuffed olives, cornichons…

…there was no standing in the slushy snow, but plenty of lolling on the sofa…

…and in the morning it was an easy skip to the kitchen for a New Year’s Breakfast of Irn Bru, Coffee, Pancakes, Bacon, Maple Syrup and Lizzie’s raspberry jam…magik :o)

When we went down to Dunbar to visit my folks about a month before Christmas we were met with an instruction- make a Whisky Sours wi’ this!

This was the reserved juices from a selection of citrus fruits which Ken had used that day to make glacé peel. The glacé peel would end up in the Christmas Cake; the juices in our belly that evening. Preparations had begun- some whisky had been added for a starter- but then the drinks makers had lost their nerve and it was agreed to wait for Dougal, maker of the Whisky Sour.

The educated opinon was that more whisky was needed; more was added, this was shaken, and shared between the grown ups. Quality stuff- highly recommended- never to be repeated- probably needs a new name! Whisky Marmalade?

How do you make Flapjack- a non-seasonal goodie by all accounts- into a Christmas Gifting-worthy present? You ice snowflakes on top! Go me, I thought of this all by my self. And it tasted brilliant.

Also, following on from its warmly received debut in February, I made a metric crapload of Biscotti for Christmas Gifts this year. So far it has gone to three recipients and there is one more to come. At that point D and I can stop eating the slightly over-baked or broken bits and really lit rip with the good stuff. Although my parents may ask for a top up!

Stirring 1.5 volumes of mix was pretty hard going-I had to get D to brace the bowl (note gorgeous Nigella bowl!) for me :o)

A couple of posts back I cooked the Nigel Slater lamb (with Mediterranean flavours), for which I’d purchased a couple of those annoying fiddly little packets of herbs that always go limp in the fridge and make you wonder why you don’t grow your own herbs (until you remember you live in a third floor flat in Scotland right next to one of Edinburgh’s most polluted streets). I assumed they’d end up for the chuck so resolved to make a proper effort to cook with them. There were herby salads, garnishes and fragrant tomato sauces. In the end very little of either herb went to waste. This concoction stood out- it had Dougal practically jumping up and down- for its decidedly restauranty flavours.

It wasn’t really anything fancy. I got some happy chicken and pan fried it in olive oil with buckets of garlic till it was all tinged and fragrant and lovely. Then some cream went over the top, with oregano and thyme, and the whole lot was allowed to meld and bubble down. Served with tagliatelle, oven-roasted red and yellow peppers (need an excuse to get the oven on on these cold dark nights) and some peas to up the veg count a bit. It really did taste like something you might pay £8.95 for in a trusty tratt- what commendation!

A friend had a ‘Regression Party’ on Saturday night, to celebrate her quarter century. She got to dress up as Dogtanian, there were all sorts of party foods (little sandwiches, Party Rings, Jammie Dodgers, sausage rolls, carrot sticks and cucumber, and of course Birthday Cake with Candles) and people got to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Pass The Parcel and Musical Statues and other jolly things.

Because the birthday girl’s Mummy and Daddy weren’t on hand to organise everything, guests were invited to contribute to the feast making. I initially decided not to take anything, because I was too busy with university coursework- in fact I had already agreed that apart from this pre-scheduled party there were to be NO social events scheduled for the weekend. But then I remembered Jelly. Which doesn’t really take up a lot of time. Even if you do three colours. Which I did:

I’m afraid I forgot to take any pics; this one was taken in the poor light of the hall by the birthday girl’s friend, MH. Still picks up the colours of the jelly very nicely though! I was awfy proud of it and tried not to be too sulky that everyone else seemed more interested in the other (guest-brought) jelly (which had vodka and fruit-yuk-in it).

(I’m sorry to admit there was actually no ice cream. but that’s beside the point, I wasn’t going to spoil a good title was I?!)

(As I began writing this post, wordpress suggested I entitle it ‘An October-ish Picnic Lunch’. Clearly I am not as original as I like to think. I wonder what I was writing about last year? That lovely meal with Ol and Soz and KK, I think)

It was dreich and chill yesterday, and I was working from home for once, so felt D deserved a)a break from cooking and b)a hearty feed befitting the inclement environment. I had a browse around on the internet for an inspiring pasta bake sort of recipe- something that would give me an excuse to put the oven on but with loads of rich flavours.

I didn’t really come up with what I was after, but did pick up on two principles, namely: layering is possible, you don’t just have to dump it all in a pot and MOZZARELLA. Seemingly North Americans put melty cheesy on top of most everything that goes in the oven; seems very sensible.

I went out late morning to buy a text book (Martini’s Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology, £49.99 in blackwells, £44.99 on amazon.co.uk, $196 on amazon.com, no wonder US medical students have so much debt!) and picked up a courgette and aubergine and the all important mozzarella while I was out. Whilst taking a lunch break I griddled the veggies. Time consuming and very smoky but I’d like to think it will have added to the flavours. I left the veg to cool with the window open to clear the smoke and went back to work.

A little before D got in from work, I put some pasta on to cook and whipped up a simple tomato sauce. I was planning on making it vegetarian but at the last minute decided it needed some pancetta just to oomph it up. Good call I feel.

Then I began to layer. First aubergine, then pasta, then courgette…you get the idea!

The finishing touch was the cheese on top- I’d also read of using gruyère so I mixed the two before bunging it in the oven whilst we had chips and dips and a wee glass of vino.

It tasted every bit as scrummy as you might imagine, with a wee leaves and tomato salad on the side, and the really brilliant bit is that we’re having an exact repeat tonight. Yippee for left overs!

Particularly when blogging is at stake.

Yup. It’s been a rubbish day- for both of us- and no tea was planned or even on the horizon. Failure of domestic economy, failure to adjust to new lifestyles, just general failure.

So I threw money at the problem. Not too much money, mind, but it was worth it.

These are not just fishcakes. They came from that shop, and had drizzley tomato stuff on them. The roasted tomatoes and salad were my own making though. And Bath Ales. On a Thursday!

With bright evening- even those which follow crummy rainy mornings- I find myself with the urge to eat ’summer tea’. This is a loose concept, I’ll admit, but generally just means the sort of food you wouldn’t feel so satisfied by had you just come in from the cold, and were eating to a dark window.

On Sunday night I had been up at the gorgeous St Giles Cathedral (had I ever been inside before? I’m honestly not sure I had!) for their Music at 6 series to see my pal Chris singing with Rudsambee (that’s him with the tufty hair, second bottom from the left on the piccie!). It was a great little concert (only 45 minutes) with a polish lullaby my particular fave. I walked out at nearly 7pm, into a cool Edinburgh evening with the sun still shining, and ambled my way down the Royal Mile and home. Of course this is a complete lie, one cannot simply amble (into Mordor) anywhere during the fringe, least of all down the mile. However I must look mean as I made it from North Bridge to St Giles (and back again) without being offered a single flier!

I shopped on the way home (in a nasty supermarket but it was after 7 on a Sunday) and picked up this simple feast: corn on the cob; british lamb chops (teeny, so two each and still a delicate portion) seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled and the bits and pieces for a wee greek salad- you know, to match the lamb. Served with a glass of New Zealand Sauv Blanc, even though it was a Sunday, because, you know, I’m in training. I had cooked the lamb a little more than I would have liked but otherwise it was scrummy. Light enough to leave room for some pud later too!

Actually right now it’s more a sort of orangey-yellow, because of the fantastic sunset coming in the window. This is a recipe, originally from Good Housekeeping, but honed over the years by my parents and their eating experiences.

• Red-cooked Pork (chops)

Pork chops (nice and cheap) braised long and slow in the oven with soy sauce, sherry, ginger, garlic, star anise, honey and stock. Served with rice, cabbage and courgettes. I realise it might have been more authentic had I tossed some caraway through the cabbage before serving. Or perhaps I am making that up.

Anyway, it was scrummy. Might not strike you as fitting food for August, but even though the weather was lovely today our flat is still cool. Takes a couple of days of sun to heat the place up.

Sorry it’s been quiet here. Not doing a lot of cooking, and the internet has been unplugged to facilitate painting. I’ve enjoyed the change of pace actually. I’m going to catch up on blog-reading tonight and then disappear offline for another couple of days. Suits me fine.

Right now Dougal is making scones, using Richard Bertinet’s recipe (he passed over Delia’s recipe so these scones better be good!). Scones were absolutely vital, as my mum gave us some Blackcurrant Jelly (made on Monday) and we felt it deserved a fitting companion. It’s too hot for porridge, too.

I walked my mum up Leith Walk this evening to get the train, and found myself ambling down it again at about 6:30pm. Dougal had texted to ask me to get spring onions and if poss coriander for tea. I thought ‘no probs’ as I was still at the top of the walk (Haddington Place/Elm Row) and so would be able to pop into one of the half a dozen asian grocers between there and the flat.

Before I got to any of said Asian Grocers, I discovered that Tattie Shaws , the fab little green grocers that looks like a green grocers ought to look (great piles of multicoloured produces stacked and hanging at the door) is still open at that time of night! Having bought all that I needed (plus a butternut squash and a sweet potato) I enquired as to whether they were normally open this late. The shopkeeper said that for the time being they were open till 7pm.

This is exciting news. Once I start uni (six weeks, eek!) I will be walking home down Leith Walk any evening I have been in. It is brilliant to know that this fantastic shop- gorgeous fresh, seasonal veg; a great selection of tinned and packaged goods; very fairly priced- will still be open, even if I am a bit late home. I’ll be able to see what looks nice as I pass and cook tea accordingly. They even had radicchio.