cooking – Page 3 – Louisa Parry

3BT – first spring, slick, the answer

1. (I sort-of mentioned this on Clare’s blog the other week but I’ve not mentioned it here yet so…) Where we lived in Leeds, it was green — the lawns of the park, the trees of the woods leading down to the canal — but north facing houses & gardens meant no flowers, no colour, permanent shade. Here, as I walk along the road, there are cheerful spring flowers, vibrant bedding plants, delicate tree blossoms and surprising wild blooms. The cottages with their cottage gardens, hanging baskets against stained black stone. A single red tulip. Next door’s garden spilling out through their front gates. It feels like the first spring in nearly a decade.

2. The pink meat falls heavily to kiss its own reflection in the glossy marinade.

3. It seems so obvious after we try it – why hide awkwardly in the corner when we can float in the middle of the room?

Wild Food Fun: Wild Garlic (Ramsons) potato cakes

25/3/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

I had my first wild garlic of the season today! The woods behind our house are *full* of it – the banks of the stream on both sides are five foot deep with it, mostly just small baby leaves at the moment but some bigger leaves too.

I picked some – a large handful – while on my lunchtime walk with Lily. Because they’re *everywhere*, it was easy to pick up some from slightly off the beaten track and I nibbled a leaf as I walked back to the house.

In the kitchen, I squished the roughly chopped wild garlic leaves into some leftover mashed potato and added a beaten egg as a binder, then shallow fried them until golden brown-ish. In the other side of the pan, I fried up some smoked bacon and ate them together with a giant grin on my face.

In the past, we’ve done slightly more elaborate things with wild garlic – eg, the ubiquitous pesto – but this was very simple and delicious!

3BT – getting closer, pancakes, park, gazing

13/3/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. It’s too early and I’m drowsy but still awake enough to notice that the dog and cats are sleeping six inches apart.

2. The dusting of sugar instantly melts on the hot flat surface. The third pancake though is best: not only is it dripping with honey but it can be eaten sitting down.

3. Horsforth Park is busy: the grass stretching out into the distance, filled with dogs, joggers and children all enjoying the sun and the green space. The girls walk side by side, both heeling to David’s new doggie authoritah.

4. The room is full in the afternoon: the boys hypnotised by the baby, the girls focused on the dog. Neither subject objects to the attention.

3BT – a Brightbaby-to-be, clean bill of health, improvising

15/2/2010 / louisa / 2 Comments

1. We hear some great, if unsurprising, news from friends.

2. We take Boron back to the vets for a blood test to make sure his dicky tummy is nothing more serious – after Sili’s stomach cancer last year, we’re paranoid. At lunchtime, the vet phones to say everything has come back completely normal, he’s probably just eaten something that’s disagreed with him. His little shaved patch on his neck feels like suede.

3. When I get ready to make it, I realise I’m missing some key ingredients for our cottage pie. I improvise with what I have got and it turns out a lot lighter & more flavourful than the more traditional version.

Six Beautiful Things from the weekend

14/2/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. “This wood will keep you warm next winter,” I tell Carla as she watches me pull thick branches from the giant pile and stack them on the dormant flower bed. Further down the garden, John is building a platform where the wood will season while I’m sorting it from the twigs (which will be chipped and used under our chicken run) and the ivy (which had been strangling the tree and will now be composted). The garden is so much lighter without the sycamore’s shadow.

2. The giggles and screams as John tricks people on ChatRoulette.

3. The worst thing about World of Warcraft is all the travelling about so I like it when I have a string of quests to complete on the way. I loop through the Hinterlands with perfect efficiency and level up twice when I cash in all the completed tasks at Revantusk Village. The game’s combination of micro tasks and multiple possible paths is deeply rewarding and I wonder how I could organise projects in my real life to be as pleasurable.

4. I finish reading ‘All my friends are superheroes’ by Andrew Kaufman. I enjoy the physical book as much as the story – super smooth ivory pages and a lovely choice of font.

5. Another day sorting and stacking wood. It’s pleasing to sweep up the last of the sawdust when the giant pile has finally gone.

6. The sieved flour disappears into the liquid almost instantly, leaving behind just a ghostly trace.

3BT – wrapped up warm, it’s coming together, casserole

10/2/2010 / louisa / 0 Comments

1. They walk to meet her at the train station but end up meeting on the corner. He explains they were running late because it took longer than he thought to put on the dog’s coat. She picks up the jacketed Westie for a hug then hugs him too. They walk away together, holding hands over the leash, as she tells him about her day.

2. The shelving units – to be fitted in the dining room after the decorator has done his thing – arrive while I’m out. The wood is beautifully smooth to the touch and I’m delighted by the attention to detail – the handles, the hinges, the catches – on the cupboards.

3. The casserole is a bit of a hodge-podge but very welcome and warming.

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