I feel much more confident cooking, so I could embark on a recipe with less preparation. I used to have to watch youtube a lot more, but now just use some recipes I have tucked into a binder.
I know you can make pesto by hand but the amount I will make really wants a food processor. The plants are ready for their first cutting. So I better dig out the processor.
Parsly has gone to seed and the mint that I don't need is flowering. Still lovely.
There is going to be a big crop of Raspberries. Currents are already turning colour. The Elderberry is going to flower. That is a funny bush, it always looks dead in spring. Pretty white flowers and then almost black berries that make a very good jelly but a very tart dry wine that I don't like, even blended. Well everything has a use I suppose. It might make good vinegar. Speaking of wine, I have a carboy sitting on the kitchen floor that should be checked. I think I need to rack it one more time. This is supposed to be a winter hobby.
I nearly didn't get an omelette cooked today, but made it in time. I tried to stuff cocktail tomatoes with mozzarella, but the tomatoes lost their taste from being the fridge too long. I was able to use the sliced turkey I bought, which was a bit salty. Formerly, I'd used the turkey in the pan before put in the egg mix, just for the fried quality of the fat, and to cook the turkey.
I know what you mean by those small things. I don't know what I'd do without my slotted spoon, which is handy for poached eggs.
Tonight I have some pasta, but the aversion to those cocktail tomatoes has me stuck. That pasta has so much fat too, except when it's stuffed with veggies. Harvesting the wild mint and drying it is going to provide some herb for the summer's dishes.
Something I wanted to mention was that some little things can improve the joy of cooking. Two of these are My rolled iron fry pans and the can opener Sunny got me. As you might gather my wrists and hands are not that good. The pans are much lighter than cast iron, and the can opener cuts through the side of the can that is much thinner than the top. It is also in the right position for leverage for me too.
The other thing that surprised me is that if I can prepare 4 servings daily for a salad, I'm going to feel, for the first time, comfortable welcoming workmen on our porch. I prepare salads daily for lunch, and for dinner, at the same time, so it's not a stretch to do this for "company", since I'll have some plants(if my sore back goes away)
I like the idea of planning and reaching a goal. Juggling pots has taught me how to blend activities, as I time things. Serving something is also something that is something I like, but I've not gone to a party for years, let alone had a dinner party. What's wonderful is I'm acquiring skills which could be used for preparing a dinner party, so it's not out of the question.
Even cooking a full meal for one other person is a bit of stress for me, and I can cook. The miracle of a loaf of bread out of the oven is just the opposite. I love to make bread. Creating the perfect loaf has less obstacles than juggling a bunch of pots and pans and cooking times.
Twice today people interfered with my bread plans, tomorrow I create a masterpiece. Braided Brioche for a change.
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