Kitchen Notes 20.9.19

Apart from the exorbitant amounts of popcorn I make at work, the kitchen at home has been fairly busy, too. Well, what’s new I suppose!

Also in the “what’s new” category – I made a cracking carrot cake with cream cheese icing this week and no-one will eat it but me. And by me, I’ve already picked at the bits the kids didn’t eat and I’m done now. Smalls ate it, which was a miracle in itself, but Bigs wasn’t a fan (the cream cheese frosting threw them both). I’m taking the rest to school today in case the volunteers that are on the end-of-term barbecue duty feel like a slice with their morning coffee.

It’s been a house of sickness here for the last two weeks, first Bigs, then Smalls, then the MOTH, then me. I, of course, have had it for a solid two weeks lucky me (I even had my chest x-rayed yesterday) so I’ve been eating a lot of soup. Wonton soup with loads of fresh ginger and garlic and greens and exceptional soup wontons from the Asian supermarket. Noodle soup. Pumpkin soup. Anything brothy.

I also went on quite the middle-eastern jaunt recently and was well-rewarded. They really do vegetables so damn well. Eggplant with tomato-onion sauce and toasted pine nuts, roasted vegetable salad, kilos of hommus, veggie dips, flatbreads, oils, the lot.

I made a sort-of chili from the New York Times recently with beans, corn and pumpkin and I wasn’t terribly keen on it, but chuck a load of sour cream and green onion on top and scoop up with corn chips and you can sort of rescue anything in that situation. I won’t be making it again, though.

I made these creamy baked eggs for breakfast yesterday, I’ve been craving them for days. It’s the balsamic onions at the bottom mixed with the runny yolk and cream/parmesan thing that I was desperately needing and it did not disappoint. God it was good.

I was also craving a big fish-and-chip shop style burger with the lot so that’s what was for dinner Monday. Tinned beetroot, pineapple, fried onions, fried egg – the LOT I say. It hit every spot I ever had, and served up with a side of crispy homemade wedges, I forgot I was sick for about 10 minutes.

We’re off this arv for our usual end-of-term gathering at All Day Donuts/Juanita Peaches so the kids can have a celebratory donut and I can eat their eggplant sandwich with shoestring fries and a terribly nice glass of wine in the warm weather and look forward to the school holidays ahead. It’s already 20 degrees before school drop off (an anomaly yes but I’ll take it) and I can FEEL summer in the air. I just can. Far more than I ever did living in places that didn’t have distinct seasons. This place gives me pure, utter joy. (and dare I say I already miss winter a little bit? clearly have acclimatised after 5+ years).

Anyway I’ll leave you there, I’ve got to schlep these babies to school for the last day. Their lunchboxes are hilarious at this juncture, god knows what is thrown in there, but there’s promise of a sausage sizzle and donut after and I’m chalking it up to a win. It’s packed. Let’s not quibble about what’s in it.

See you soon!