Dinner

I would like Nigel Slater as a neighbour. He could pop round with his latest culinary experiment, or leftovers.

I'm sure you're all familiar with him, but I'm going to wax lyrical for a moment anyway. My blog ☺

He describes himself as a cook who writes, and (unlike many so-called chefs) is actually very good at both. Maybe because he is a cook, not a chef. His description of a roast chicken has sent me more than once drooling to the nearest shop for a half-decent bird for dinner. Unlike a lot of cookery books (and I have an unreasonable amount) I actually use his recipes and ideas, whereas I usually just look at the pictures, go "oh that looks nice" and put the book back on the shelf.I like the way he encourages you to experiment, rather than following a recipe blindly. I am completely incapable of following a recipe to the letter, apart from when I'm baking. Even then it's not a given that I'll do what I'm told...

Tonight I made cabbage soup. Not very exciting, right? Well, let me tell you, it was absolutely delicious. The recipe is from Tender, his vegetable book, which I treated myself to. Highly recommended, it's a beautifully produced book, in hardback and at a very good price on Amazon ☺ I'm reading my way through it - I'm up to Pumpkin so far. If you want to eat more veggies (there's plenty of meaty recipes too) this is a good place to start, and it would be great if you have a veggie box delivered and are wondering what the hell to do with beetroots or chard.

Anyway. Cabbage soup. I swapped the plain potato for sweet potato, because that's what fell out of the fridge first, and I guessed at quantities as I just made it for me. I used a Sweetheart cabbage, mainly because that's what looked nice in the shop ☺ I also didn't add any bay because I haven't got any. Absolutely amazing. I've got a bit left so I'm hoping it keeps well. If so, I'll have it for lunch tomorrow and think about making some to take to work.

I've got Appetite and the Kitchen Diaries coming for my birthday present from Mum and Dad...

~~~

and soon I will be showing you my entirely unrelated new toy!!!

~♥~

Update time :-)

I finished the Knit a Peak Shawl! I started this at the Jane Thornley workshops last year in Glossop, and finally finished it off. This is intended more as an art piece than a wearable - it's actually turned out a little too small to wear easily anyway. So when I work out the logistics, I'm going to hang it on my lounge wall :-)



I did some more spinning - I finished off a batt from FeltStudioUK, which is gorgeous and sparkly and I want to pet it and call it George; and the last of the Texel / Balwen blend I carded before I moved house.



The Texel / Balwen I think will become an "Iced" from Knitty First Fall 2010. It needs something simple to show the character of the yarn, and I need more cardigans :-) On that topic, my Scottish Tweed sweater is coming on well, once sleeve done, the other past halfway. After that I need to do the neckband and then re-do the bottom hem on a smaller needle to stop it rolling up. Then I will have a nice baggy, cosy sweater to wear! Yay.

That's about it for the fibre front. In other news I did some online shopping for Japanese noms:



I've long been intrigued by Japanese food (apart from sushi, oddly) and finally got round to buying a couple of books - Everyday Harumi and the Just Bento Cookbook - which meant I had to buy some basics! There's a few things I'd never tried before: dashi stock (it's okay, I have to be in a fishy mood though); proper Japanese rice (yum yum); awase miso (teh nom) and some dried bonito fish flakes which I haven't dared open yet...I got some proper noodles and a few other odds and ends too. The jury's still out on nori though. I don't think I like it very much :-( Anyway one of the things I want to do is make my work lunches a bit more interesting (and a bit healthier) so I've been looking at bentos a lot recently. I'm still extremely dubious about rice, which is probably daft as the Japanese have been eating it in bento for a long time and they haven't all died from botulism :-) but otherwise I really like a lot of the ideas. I ordered myself a few cute bento bits and pieces from here (it's really hard to find in the UK) so I'm now stalking the postman.

I ventured to the giant Sainsbury's at Calcot this morning, and managed to get not only my favourite Nairn's oat and choc chip, and mixed spice biscuits (I bought three boxes of each!) but also some cute cookie cutters and heart-shaped silicone muffin cups which should be cute in bento.

On the subject of shopping, there was a very large display of Valentine's stuff. I would just like to say:

FUCK YOU VALENTINE'S DAY. GO DIE IN A FIRE.

Anyway. Ahem.

I promised the guys at work that I would make cinnamon rolls for them, (another reason to hit Sainsbury's today) so I know what I'm doing tomorrow morning :-) and then spending the afternoon cleaning the kitchen no doubt. Well, I know they'll appreciate them, and I've been needing an excuse to make them. Even I can't eat seven pans of rolls to myself. Well, not in one day. If I've timed it right, the two speshul snowflayke guys in the office I'm not keen on won't be there, so no rolls for them :-D Shame. Do not piss off the lady with the baked goods...bwahahahahahaha

Finally, due to the wonders of Ravelry, I got pointed at this video. I can't believe I never saw it before, but it confirms my deep love for Alan Rickman :-)



*sigh*

Why can't I find a man like that???

I'll be in my bunk.

~♥~