Monday, January 26, 2009

The lazy cook blogs again



Maybe that would be a better name for this blog. Last night I made Lamb Navarin, a recipe from the book I'm working on, but sadly by the time it was on the table I was lacking the energy to find my camera and capture it. Not the most photographic dish anyway - basically just stew made with lamb. It was tasty though, and went down well with the adults and the eldest child. The middle child said something along the lines of "why do you always make this meal that Dad likes but I hate? I loved last night's supper but I hate tonight's." Such melancholy. Seeing as there was still a portion of her beloved last night's supper in the fridge (roast salmon with rice and crispy kale), I popped it in the microwave and offered it to her as a substitute. I feel it is acceptable to offer last night's leftovers as an alternative. She ate up her fish and rice happily (no go on the day old crispy kale). The youngest recited his "that's not my favourite" refrain, but eventually ate up a good portion. I think somehow I've been encouraging this behaviour, as we now have a little routine, where he finally gives in and takes a bite of whatever I have been pleading him to ingest and looks up at me with a big grin, and declares (ever the Dr. Seuss fan) "SAY!". So instead of stew and fish I offer you photographic evidence of my new favorite appy: raincoast crisps with brie, apple and hot pepper jelly. I hate to admit it, but I've become addicted to those 6$ crackers.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Feast for Five




No, we have not been starving. I've just been preoccupied with the kind of food writing that pays the bills. But I had to share our Christmas dinner. I got this beautiful fresh young turkey on Christmas Eve, and thanks to my mum's turkey tips (see below), my sister (and her reciting from Nigella's Feast), I managed to not overcook it. Along with the lovely bird we had stuffing (again, my mum's recipe - but I realised that I'd forgotten to buy fresh mushrooms, so I pulled out some dried portobellos and used them), mashed potatoes, homemade gravy (I did it - I have finally overcome my fear of making gravy!), cranberry sauce, squash casserole, carrots, broccoli, and dinner rolls (I admit - from frozen). For dessert there was apple pie and tiramisu (both made on Christmas Eve). Miraculously, all the children behaved for a decent amount of time and we all sat together and enjoyed our first solo family Christmas meal. We enjoyed a civilized conversation and even a couple of parlour games. It occurred to me that they are actually, indeed, growing up a bit. However, if I am to be honest about "what they ate", I must confess that the youngest, who had been sucking candy canes all day, filled up mostly on fizzy lemonade and dinner rolls. I didn't try to change that, because he was was actually sitting nicely with us, not racing up and down or chasing the cats or screaming about anything, which is something to be appreciated in itself. Now I must return to my casseroles, but I wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year, filled with many delicious feasts of your own.