“Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.”
W.C. Fields
This month I (re)discovered …
- … cooking congee. It has been a while since my last batch, because my wonderful earthenware Chinese pot broke. But finally I bought another. Congee does not taste as good cooked in metal pans.
Funny thing, congee. You start with half a cup of rice and half a bucket of water and end up, hours later, with the most magnificent tasting and very warming thick rice mash. - … oranges! Love oranges in winter. Freshly squeezed or just peeled and sliced. Poached with five star anise.
- … Haloumi. Grilled and served with a tiny tiny sprinkle of white pepper, squeezes of lemon or lime juice and a drizzle of really good olive oil.
- … and huge, field mushrooms full of flavour, full of possibility, yummy grilled or sautéd in butter and served on toasted rye.
This Month …
- This month, I have been doing yoga for 9 weeks. And finally some progress – you know the type, finally I can get my head on my leg, my body twisted, my feet into lotus. Good to feel some progress. Thanks Di!
- This month, I have been planning my trip (in January) to Cambodia, Malaysia and India. Can’t wait. I will be meeting a whole gang of friends from all over the world. AND back in India after 4 years.
- This month, the days are longer, the world is lighter in the mornings, the temperature is rising so so so slowly. It brings with it an extra spring in the step and resolutions to spend more time walking.
- This month, the ironing is piling up! Aaagh! It has been the busiest month this year, work-wise.
- But this month, I discovered Fiona, wonderful practitioner of Ka Huna massage. You have not idea how fabulous this is – I have searched for 5 years for a good and experienced Ka Huna body worker. And after so much time, I have found the best!
Pure Indulgence
- Organic Porridge. What a surprise! So very different from the supermarket variety. Yum! Try lots of different luxurious toppings – golden syrup, even treacle, quince syrup, cumquat marmarlade, sultanas, raw cashews toasted quickly in ghee, sesame seeds, the old favourite bananas….. Play, mix, match.
- A 2-hour Ka Huna massage from Fiona.
- Baths, baths and more baths. Hot, hot, hot and very bubbly.
- Reading for pleasure – this is such a luxury for me these days, I have almost forgotten how….
- Long coffees with friends.
Fast fast food
- Pizza! Keep some dough in the freezer, ready to roll out, top with thin sliced eggplant, home made tomato paste, pesto, goats curd, gorgonzola and parmesan. Yum!
- Toasted sandwiches of baked beans and cheese slices. So disgustingly yummy on a cold cold night.
- Take a tofu square (buy fresh tofu from the market), steam it for a few moments, cut a little pocket into it, fill with finely grated cucumber, daikon and carrot, some bean sprouts and then top with sweet chilli sauce. YUM!
I used to hate porridge. Until Pertwoods Organic. Ah Bliss. Now my little Imp sometimes eats from a spoon, he can taste my wonderous porridge. Don’t forget to book me in with Fiona – 2 hours please!!