SOL2015 March 14 -Saturday Lunch and Culinary Revelations



I find it impossible to watch any of those cooking shows involving competition. They give me indigestion. The contrived drama of such shows transforms cooking into something it was never meant to be.

I do watch television shows which approach cooking from the perspective of celebrating food as a source of nutrition and health. I love the cross cultural  and historical aspects of food. In such a context, the preparation and sharing of food has both a therapeutic and social dimension. Cooking presents another opportunity to be creative. 

In recent years my enjoyment of cooking has been enhanced by exposure to food luminaries such as Yotam Ottolenghi, Guy Mirabella, and Jamie Oliver. Their use of a wide range of ingredients, fruit and vegetable, as well as their commitment to freshness and use of locally sourced ingredients, has inspired me to be a braver bolder participant in the kitchen. My inner chef has been re-ignited.

The weekends often present as an opportunity to make discoveries, and so it was today when I stumbled across a quick and easy lunchtime meal combining red rice and quinoa. After cooking these grains separately, I allowed them to cool before combining them with spring onions, dried apricots, dried figs, roasted almond slivers baby spinach, the juice and zest of one orange and the fried slices of one onion. It came together surprisingly easily. Voila, lunch…



I wonder what my Dad would make of this… He grew a broad array of vegetables and fruit, but rarely ventured into the kitchen.  My Mother was the culinary queen and the kitchen was under her control. It’s different in our house.

In our house cooking is a shared responsibility. At this point though I must acknowledge the superior knowledge of my dear wife when it comes to operating in the kitchen, but I’m not sure I would agree with her assessment when she tells me, ‘I‘ve taught you everything you know about cooking.’ I did come with some rudimentary skills. Skills beyond boiling an egg.


So today, armed with a glass of wine, Vicki and I shared a lunch that was fresh, light and exhibited a range of flavours and textures. A warm inner glow was felt as I realized I had found another repeatable dish. Saturday food revelations...

'Yummy, yummy good for tummy.'
Istanbul cafe owner 2006

Comments

  1. Anonymous14 March 2015 at 21:25

    Sounds delicious! The words you chose helped to bring the salad to life.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous14 March 2015 at 21:26

    Sounds delicious! The words you chose helped to bring the salad to life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. S. Peters14 March 2015 at 21:27

    Your love for culinary delights is palpable in your post :) I agree with you that cooking isn't about competition but about bringing people together around wholesome goodness. What a beautiful dish you created. Thanks for sharing - I will have to try it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. elsie15 March 2015 at 01:58

    Mmmmm, that lunch does sound delectable! I love it when I can find a recipe that is repeatable. How nice that you both like to participate in the culinary skills. I am the lone cook in our house.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous15 March 2015 at 03:29

    OMG -my mouth is watering and my stomach is grumbling. I like your contrast of your family as a child and their roles in the family compared to your current situation. Ahh...a great glass of wine with a healthy, scrumptious salad! Good slice!

    ReplyDelete
  6. fireflytrails15 March 2015 at 07:27

    This sounds - and looks - delicious. I love the descriptive phrase, "repeatable dish." This must definitely be one! Ahhh, Saturdays!

    ReplyDelete

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