Where do I get the time?

I’ve been hearing this question from quite a few people after they have viewed the blog. The cooking happens after Abhi gets back from work.

After he leaves for work in the morning, I have rest of the day to think about what I want to prepare for dinner. I frequent tastespotting.com for inspiration. Check it out and you will know what I mean. I own a few resourceful cookbooks and some times I borrow a dozen or so from the library and spend whatever free time I get between taking Yohann to mass, walking him, playing with him, feeding him, bathing him, changing his diapers, putting him to sleep, browsing through these. I also check out cookery shows on BBC iplayer and 4OD.

Once a recipe catches my fancy I go to the supermarket, which is a few roads across from where I live,  with Yohann in his buggy and pick up the ingredients that I don’t already have at home. Now and then, a recipe calls for more exotic ingredients, and for this, I make my way to one of the specialty food shops or delis. All within walking distance of where we currently live. Then once Abhi gets back home I hand over Yohann to him and cook to my heart’s content. ha ha. Well, it isn’t this easy on all occasions. Every so often I may have to put Yohann to sleep before I start in the kitchen or stop mid-way to do the same. I’ve never abandoned the effort entirely on account of Yohann. Thanks to God he is a good little baby. Very understanding. On weekends, Abhi is at home for longer so more elaborate cooking and entertaining happens then. So there you have it, that’s how I make the time for cooking.

Last week’s round up follows. I rehashed a lot of last Sunday’s leftovers over the course of the week, so I haven’t photographed those specific dinners.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

DINNER

Corn and Turkey Chowder with Fig Crostini

Recipe for the Turkey Chowder was adapted from here and the idea for the Crostini came from Ottolenghi’s Plenty

 

*** The original Crostini recipe used pears, I had figs at home so decided to use those instead. Figs and Goat’s Cheese on slices of sour-dough bread. The bread was pasted with a pine nut, olive oil, garlic and pepper paste and baked for 10 minutes before being laden with the cheese and fruit. Delish!***

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

DINNER

 

Griddled Peach Salad with oven-baked croutons

Inspired by one of Ottolenghi’s.

*** Griddled peaches, salami and oven-baked croutons on a bed of rocket with some of my papaya chutney dressing. I had a wee bit of the chutney left in the bottle, so I poured in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and orange juice and gave the bottle a good shake – and it was all ready to dress the salad.***

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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Out and About in Bath

***The idea was to attend mass in a convent and buy some fresh fish from the farmer’s market. Of which neither happened; we looked for the convent in the pouring rain and didn’t find it. Then we realised we had walked far across the town from where the farmer’s market was. As it was raining cats and dogs we decided to seek shelter in a cafe and had some lasagne for lunch and shared a bannoffee cheesecake. Naughty naughty, I know.***

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Sunday, October 24, 2010

LUNCH

Menu

Beans mezhukkupuratti (beans stir-fried)

Mushroom Thoren (mushrooms stir-fried with coconut)

Chemmeenum Thakali Olathiathu (prawn and tomato saute)

Meen Pappas (fish curry)

Beef Cutlets

and

Banana and Rum Tatin with Vanilla ice-cream

 

Banana and Rum Tatin with Vanilla ice-cream

Recipe adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s Secrets

***I used a plaintain (nendrapayam) instead of a regular robusta. The plaintain was halved and then quartered, then covered with shop-bought shortcrust sweet pastry on the curved side. The original recipe used puff pastry. Then I made a caramel from butter and caster sugar, once ready, I took it off the hob and cautiously poured in a  generous glug of rum as it was going to and did splutter.  Then I poured the the mix into a baking try, laid the pastry-covered banana slices cut-side down in and placed it in the freezer for a few minutes. The recipe instructs that it is placed in the fridge for 30 minutes. I was running short of time so I had resort to the quick-fix way. The tray was then placed in a pre-heated oven and baked for 20 minutes. Served with shop-bought vanilla ice cream.***