Apologies for the crickets around here lately; I’ve been busy with some other stuff that’s left cooking (not to mention blogging about cooking) a little low on my priority list. Actually, that’s only half the reason. The other cause of my cooking hiatus is the sweltering, mind-numbing, near dehabilitating heat that’s settled over London in the last few weeks. Read more…
You know, it’s funny. For most of my life thus far, I’ve professed to be a hater of salads. I know, it’s difficult to imagine hating something as innocuous and unassuming as a salad. It wasn’t a passionate hatred; I’ve always happily munched of lettuce and veg (no dressing, please) after dinner with the rest of my family. But as something to spend time making? As something to get excited about? As something to actually pay for in a restaurant? Please, I had better things to eat. Read more…
See those leftovers? That was last night’s dinner, and today’s lunch. Some meals are just like that; as soon as you put down your fork after the first go-round, you’re already looking forward to the leftovers. I admit to making certain things for dinner just because I love the leftovers so much- bizarre, no? Read more…
Last night, Andrew and I went out for drinks and food with a friend who’d recently moved back to London. Because I like cooking and am pretty good at it (and yes, am somewhat of a cheapskate), we don’t go out for food too often. Restaurant meals can easily lead to conversation like “Oh, I could make this so much better at home” or “This would be great if you just replaced x with y, or served it alongside some fresh z“. You get the idea- hardly a relaxing way to spend an evening. Still, we were both looking forward to this night on the town, and ventured out with optimism. Read more…
There’s something about traveling that makes your own habits, culinary or otherwise, glaringly obvious. It’s only when you’re taken out of your day-to-day routine that odd quirks, individual preferences and (at times) OCD tendencies come to light. Read more…
I’ve been fighting a summer cold for the last few days. I always find fair-weather illness extremely annoying- not only do you feel sick, but you feel guilty for feeling sick. We’re made to feel that colds should only occur when it’s, you know, cold, so we convince ourselves that we should feel fine- after all, the sun is shining outside and the temperature is balmy. But, try as we might, we just can’t ignore the sniffling, sneezing and unmistakable presence of phlegm. (Sorry, I do realize that the word “phlegm” has no place on a food blog. It won’t happen again.) Read more…
I realize that this curry, relying as it does on pantry staples, seems a little odd for the time of year. It’s hearty and filling and doesn’t require any fresh produce at all, nor half the attention I lavish on other dishes during these warmer months. What can I say, though? Sometimes I find myself craving something warm and spicy, and sometimes I just plain can’t be bothered with all the washing, chopping and cooking that (most) fresh veggies ask of me. At times like that, whatever the season, I turn to this recipe. Read more…
