 Some things I've been thinking about... Glasses - just a reminder of a great lunch, languid and generous - wine-maker Tim Knappstein - no more no less. "Show me another pleasure like dinner which comes every day and lasts an hour." Charles Maurice de Talleyrand - 1754-1838 French philosopher and diplomat. Some people are uncomfortable hearing swearwords. Some people get edgy and giggle when the word "butter" is mentioned. What is it with the centre of the plate? It seems to terrify people when they serve themselves. At my greengrocer's, saw infant carrots. Are they larger than baby carrots but not as big as adolescent carrots? Is this trying to scare vegans?  The "health" bandwagon is barreling its way through, not only the French language but also through traditional French flavours and la gourmandise. In my latest ELLE à Table bi-monthly magazine, I read the following. Even non-French speakers should get the drift.
Went to the market. Cute young hipster at the organic stall (of course). "I'd like a celery and two Grannie Smith apples. I've been watching Fawlty Towers." "Ah ha! Waldorf Salad! My dad loves that show." I felt very old.  Celery- too much left over after our Waldorf salad. Sliced on an angle, poached, white sauce, cheese & bread crumbs, baked, even better than cauliflower cheese. Gratin - what's not to like? Don't forget to check out comments - always a little extra, more stories or ideas for using peas (and pasta).
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 Shutterstock.com Illustration Leonard Leslie Brooks 1922 The owl and the Pussycat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat: They took some honey and plenty of money Wrapped up in a five-pound note. In the second verse, they marry - a simple ceremony - (an early example of marriage equality?) And hand in hand on the edge of the sand They danced by the light of the moon. They dined on mince and slices of quince Which they ate with a runcible spoon. (Edward Lear - 1910) But what, you ask, is a runcible spoon and why am I quoting Edward Lear? Lear loved nonsense verse and nonsense words. The idea may have come from his friend George Runcy who talked of designing a spoon for children with tines at the end. Some were in fact manufactured in the early 1900s and it's not known if the spoon or the invented word came first. Like Lear, I like a fanciful word. And anyway, how often does it arise that I can suggest eating with a runcible spoon, whether it be peas, mince or quinces? Is the runcible spoon the inspiration for the Splayd, (far superior to the Spork)? This multi-function utensil was the invention of Bill McArthur, of Potts Point, New South Wales in the late 1940s. It went viral, as they say in media-speak, - popular in Australia, America and GB particularly for the stand-up buffet. Boxed-sets are still available in our "better department stores", very reasonably priced. As their website tells us, "they are always in demand for gift giving". I have boxes of them, no longer required. I'll keep a dozen and perhaps start de-cluttering by giving them as birthday and holiday presents. https://www.splayd.com.au Investigating on eBay, I'm SHOCKED to see that Sporks are being passed off as Splayds. Don't be fooled. Splayds have a distinctive mid-century modern simplicity and sophistication.  At left - Splayds Our very own runcible spoons I eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life. It makes the peas taste funny But it keeps them on the knife. (Anonymous - 1871) In vintage etiquette manuals, peas are classed as a “difficult” food, along with artichokes, asparagus, sea urchins & rambutans as dessert. It is recommended they not be served at a formal event because they are awkward to eat when knife and fork are held correctly (see post HKLP 21 Nov. 2017). Scooping is definitely out. If served, it is suggested you mash them onto the top of your fork, or impale a few on the tines or better still, if mashed potato is also served, incorporate them into the mash. (We are told, “At all times, consider what the person opposite you is seeing”.) Sod that for a lark! Squashing? Mashed potato? Because I love peas, I must confess that I’m guilty of the surreptitious scoop. Friend A.W. and his father were fortunate to be included in a dinner where grouse was served. A delicate situation threatened as the game bird was tasteless, dry and stringy. After dinner A.W. asked his father how he had managed to keep accepting another helping so politely. He hadn’t noticed that each time his father accepted more grouse, he also took more mashed potato, which he used to cover and hide the inedible bird. Comment below or like 👍🏼 ckfood@ozemail.com.au facebook.com/itsnotthelastsupper  What a retro image! So old-fashioned, so off-trend, so "vintage" it's nearly cool. Whatever, it's my favourite dish of vegetables. I made this with 500 gm of peas and I could have sat down on a muffet and eaten the whole lot with a runcible spoon.
They are peas, petits pois, done my mother's way where there's no such thing as crunchy, under-cooked vegetables. I never eat a plain, boiled, six-minute pea. As a teenager, as you do, I looked into existentialism, positivism, rationalism, nihilism, humanism, atheism, anarchy and dialectics. At some stage, I was drawn to Charles Fourier (1772 - 1837 Paris), a Utopian Socialist. He believed the transformation of labour into pleasure would lead to harmony and mutual consideration. I particularly liked his ideas on children, (for whom he recommended a diet of preserved peaches and sweet white wine). He saw children as naturally industrious and it was simply a matter of channelling their energy. (Their passion for filth made them perfect rubbish collectors.) The best occupation to utilise their love of activity and rummaging was the shelling and sorting of peas! Shelling peas is calm and "mesmerising", perfect for watching Dr Phil. Sadly, whether from a farmers' market or a supermarket, whether organic, macrobiotic, biodynamic, bucolic or hydroponic, they are disappointing. Fourier's peas would have been shelled and cooked within minutes of being picked from the vine. Our peas in the pod can be days before arriving at a greengrocer's shelf, then days before being sold, only to hang around a bit longer before being prepared in one's kitchen. As soon as pods are picked, the sugar in the peas begins converting to starch resulting eventually in "bullets". (Sorry, but...) Are frozen peas better than fresh? IMO, yes, especially if you choose "baby" peas. There are no other vegetables that benefit as peas do from snap freezing. Petit pois à la française (Peas in the French manner) 4 people - unless you want to eat them all yourself 500gm frozen "baby" peas 50 gm diced bacon (very, very optional) 50 gm -70gm sliced onion or spring onions, keeping some of the green 50 gm diced carrot (optional) 60-80 gm lettuce, either leaves or heart seasoning A very flexible recipe, of course. If not using bacon, use the larger amount of onion, for the umami. If using spring onions, cut into 7 cm pieces, using the white and some of the green. It's nice to have a couple of small lettuce hearts but sliced outer leaves you don't know what to do with, work very well.
The question remains however. How does one eat peas? I'm researching the answer. Comment below or like 👍🏼 ckfood@ozemail.com.au facebook.com/itsnotthelastsupper   It's been a strange year in the suburban home garden. Honey yield in the state is reported as 85% down on previous years. That's a worry for a start. The avocado tree, the pride of the garden, will not offer anything this year; small fruit was blown away in several storms and then the heat polished off the rest. Nashi pears are not too bad, tomatoes, woeful although those that made it were superb. Any excess is with the figs and something we don't use much, chillies. Oh, they are handsome, robust, plentiful and handsome. The punnet of three assorted seedlings was a mistake as we're not sure what we have. A brief tasting with our Bhutanese garden helper identified "birds-eye" (very hot), long and thin (hot) and cute and chubby (benign). I urged her to take away as many birds-eyes as possible. The heat of a chilli was "codified" by Wilbur Scoville, an American, in 1912. The pungent heat comes from capsaicin and is measured in SHUs (Scoville Heat Units). To illustrate, your basic red or green capsicum is at zero SHUs whereas Police Grade capsicum spray is around 16,000,000 SHUs. Some approximate SHUs Espelette 1,000 Poblano 1,000 Jalapeño 3,500 Serrano 15,000 Cayenne 30,000 Tabasco 30,000 Scotch Bonnet 150,000 Habanero 300,00 At left, the Carolina Reaper, the world's hottest chilli as of 2019. It's the result of selective breeding and world record holder since 2013. It comes in at a whopping 2,200,000 SHUs! Check YouTube for blokes (yes, sorry, it is mainly men) who sit around with other blokes and suffer, cry, groan, and writhe, the huge dose of capsaicin tearing through the delicate tissue of their innards. (Then, they do it again.) The following day must be terrifying. Seeds are probably available online but you have to to admit it's one hell of an evil looking dude!  My chillies (in a Tunisian couscous bowl) from the top and clockwise...
Birds-eye, I think - very hot, next, long & thin - hot, finally, plump and fruity and totally benign. (Can you identify?) The heat thing is something I simply don't understand. I want flavour and a "small" kick. Too much is just not gastronomically delicious. There, I've said it. Anyway, in the interest of using up some produce, today I make a fig and chilli chutney. I use a tried and true fig jam recipe and simply add a fair amount of fresh garlic and some chillies. The result is not too bad. I'll now give myself heartsease and make a cake. Comment below or like 👍🏼 ckfood@ozemail.com.au facebook.com/itsnotthelastsupper  Cauliflower Mouse with Lumpfish Roe (caviar). Served in a cup and the lumpfish roe highlighted by some "olive oil pearls", a jar of which I discovered during my cupboard-decluttering phase. The "pearls" didn't catch on, I expect, because I haven't seen them around lately. (Recipe below) ooooooooooo Planning a meal is like working a play. There's the story, the cast (of ingredients), the audience and the props. One feels privileged to sit at Liz's table. She is an artist and has an eye for an eccentric, dramatic but beautiful and comfortable table setting. She and her partner/husband are generous and funny. But darling Liz has been facing a dental challenge. To be blunt, the new dentures look marvellous, but they are not fully "acclimatised". That's the story. We ate together and the challenge was to prepare a dinner with no hard surfaces, no snapping, no crunching, no chewing. Four courses had to be delicious, unctuous, nourishing to mind and body - and soft. We had... A few chilled oysters with a glass of fizz, then sat down to...
Later, I pondered for a long time on how much I rely on cream and eggs. Can't get enough of them. Images and recipes follow. We won't always be faced with dental challenges but each dish would fit nicely amongst others with crunch. (Ideas for pea soup and cauliflower mousse from Yves Camdeborde of the Relais du Comptoir, place de l'Odéon, Paris.)  Chilled Pea Soup with Mint. (Recipe - See post "Dinner Without a Stove" 17/1/2018) For 6 people, I use 750gm of frozen peas and reserve 600ml of cooking liquid The "hook" in this recipe is that it contains only peas and water (if you don't count the mint and olive oil). I repeat, it's just peas and water and amazing. Why do I use frozen peas? Next post. Cauliflower Mousse with Lumpfish Roe (image above) For 4-6 small pots 300 gm cauliflower 200-220 ml of whipped cream 150 gm (approx) of lumpfish roe, about 2 small pots Seasoning and a little olive oil.
Note: Feel free to top the mousse with Beluga caviar if you wish! LOL!  Prawns on Creamed Spinach with Beurre Blanc. For 8 small ramekins 500gm uncooked, peeled prawn meat 500 ml single cream 2 egg whites
 Chocolate Mousse with Frozen Raspberries
The legendary Elizabeth David offered a recipe that couldn't be simpler. It was originally measured in ounces, of course. For each person... 1 ounce of chocolate (dark, no more than 70%, please) 1 egg 1 tbsp flavouring e.g.coffee, rum etc. Metric, this translates as... For each person... 30gm chocolate (dark, no more than 70%, please) 1 egg 1 tbsp flavouring e.g.coffee, rum etc.
Tiny, because the mousse is rich and we like "pudding" but we don't need much. Comment below or like 👍🏼 ckfood@ozemail.com.au facebook.com/itsnotthelastsupper |
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