Sliced meats

I have this bad habit of buying packets of sliced meats and not using all the meat up. I get one or two sandwiches out of it and then the meat sits in the drawer until it's past its expiry and I either throw it out or (if it's on the expiry date) feed it to the cats.

I just forget about the meat as my usual lunch is comprised of leftover supper...

Today I realised I had a lot of sliced turkey in the fridge...and the best-by date is a couple of days away. A quick sandwich for tomorrow's lunch and then I chopped up the rest, added some sauteed mushrooms, onions, garlic and tomatoes and poured it over some leftover noodles.

It wasn't half bad.

jasmine

Almost back to normal food

Okay, I'm still sick.

But I'm back to eating mostly normal foods.

I've not made a pepperfry in ages...but it was what I was craving. Beefsteak with lots of black pepper rubbed into it, sliced into strips fried in a pan with softened onions and garlic and a handful of greenbeans. Served some leftover dijonny mashed and some sauteed mushrooms.

YUM


jasmine

Christmas Pudding Day

I know it's not Stir Up Sunday...wait... I don't think it's Stir Up Sunday--the day when homilies or Church readings give that subtle clue that it's time to make the Christmas pudding--but it was Christmas Pudding Day today in my little kitchen.

I've never made my own Christmas Pudding before. The booze-soaked cannonball has always been store-bought: a half-litre bowl, wrapped in red cello, with a little packet of sauce...fine enough. This year, because of five little words Mummy uttered at the end of last year's meal, I decided to make a real Christmas pudding.

Between Nigella Lawson, Delia Smith and a couple of others I had more Christmas pudding recipes than I knew what to do with. Unfortunately, some of the ingredients called for in Delia's might be difficult to source without notice (barley wine--don't even know what it tastes like). Online I found Nigel Slater's recipe, and with a few adjustments (Out! Out! Darned citron!), I now have two Christmas puddings cooling in the kitchen.

It was really, really easy...but a bit more work than I originally thought. Probably because I'm still very tired and everything is taking 50 per cent longer than normal. That said, the kitchen smells wonderful...it's amazing how two masses of soused fruits, eggs along with a handful of this, a pinch of that can put me into the Christmas spirit.

Tomorrow, after the puds have cooled, I shall seal them up for a little more than a month. I don't know what I'll do with the second pudding. Maybe I'll give it away or perhaps keep it for next year's Christmas feast.

jasmine

I've tried...

Extra hot chicken wings
Extra hot and spicy coriander chicken
Various soups
Mushy foods
Garlic
White pills
Yellow pills
Orange pills
Cream-coloured pills

Nothing is budging this cold.

Currently subsisting on small amounts of mushy food and a home remedy made of misc. spices. The home remedy is much more successful than what the pharmacos proffer. So much so that I'm heading into work tomorrow.

jasmine

Biscuits Biscuits Biscuits

I've not cooked in ages...okay, that's not really true...yes it is...I'm doing a lot of heating up. At best I'm adding a scrambled egg or something...

I've finally had some time in the kitchen and what do I make? Not food per se...but thank you baking. Six dozen biscuits exited the cavern--all but a dozen were given away. After being intrigued with Dorie Greenspan's "World Peace Cookies," I made them...not sure if they'll bring peace to turbulent areas, but they'll definitely calm frazzled nerves and make hungry-rumbly tummies happier. The other type I made were gingersnaps...I think I messed up measuring the butter as they spread out quite a bit...odd, since these are treats I make every Christmas without problems.

After the oven cooled, I heard the familiar scrabbling of little claws. Mousie's brethren. Not surprised as the weather has been warm and cold and warm and cold. I have no idea how they're getting in, but I know how they're getting out.

jasmine

Cookery book review: Baking: from my home to yours

For those of you who may be interested in the latest cookery book I've reviewed, see this post:

http://cardamomaddict.blogspot.com/2006/11/cookbook-spotlight-baking-from-my-home.html

Tonight's meal was another night imposing upon the kindness of others: mummy.

jasmine

No, I haven't been in my kitchen for days

In fact I've barely been home.

My meals have been courtesy of the kindness of work, strangers and Mr. MasterCard via a local Chinese takeaway.

This situation needs rectifying.

jasmine