Although I am agog with excitement and impatience for the arrival of my new cooker, I am in a strange way rather enjoying the challenge of turning out not just 'make-do' meals, but the kind of dishes I'd be producing had I several burners, an oven, and a properly functioning kitchen. So we aren't going without, by any means!
Meatball prep: minced beef, chopped coriander and chorizo, and breadcrumbs, chopped onion and garlic, cumin, salt and pepper and an egg.
However, the actual production of meals is curiously hesitant; I'll tell you what I mean, if you'll bear with me.
Meatballs browned, a sauce of grilled red peppers (from a jar!), tinned tomatoes, basil, some passata, salt and a pinch of brown sugar.
When I'm cooking up a storm, I think of myself as engaging in a dance. When you move between the various store - prep - cook areas (even in the smallest of kitchens) naturally and repeatedly, it becomes almost choreographed, a dance.
Meatballs gently simmering in the sauce.
At the moment, with no cooker as such, being short of a permanent place for my herbs, spices and condiments, and my utensils being parked where they wouldn't normally be, I'm constantly checking myself, going to the wrong place, having to retrace my steps to find an item which wasn't where I'd expected it to be!
Giant (Israeli) couscous and chopped pak-choi bubbling away.
I love being in my kitchen. I find it simultaneously comforting, calming and stimulating. I'm so pleased to have even this make-shift arrangement to work in after the four days of culinary chaos while the Rayburn was removed, and new pipes and boiler installed. We aren't there yet, though, and my time in the kitchen is governed by a temporary new, and awkward, rhythm; I am dancing to a different tune, a little discordant and unfamiliar.
The finished dish - lunch for two and lots for left-overs!
The important thing is - I am still dancing!
I hope you are thrilling to the rhythm of your own dance as you go about the things you love to do! Catch you next time!
Hello Sweet Lynne, what a lovely post . . . I just love how bright and cheery your kitchen is and I can just see you dancing around in it and having a ball cooking your delicious meals. I loved the line "enjoying the challenge of turning out not just 'make-do' meals." That was the way I felt when we had our larger sail boat. It had no oven but a two burned gimbbled alcohol stove. I kind of enjoyed sitting out in the cockpit eating lovely hot meals while our neighbors when eating sandwiches because they didn't want to dirty up their tiny galleys, LOL. I enjoyed the challegne of that tidy galley with it's ice box, 8 X 10 inch sink and two burner stove :)
ReplyDeleteI did like the look of your Rayburn, I can image that it was a great cooker and served you well. We just replaced our stove a couple of weeks ago, it broke my heart, I loved my stove, but the company discontinued it and we could not get parts to fix it anywhere. I'm still a bit upset about it, but in life's disappointments, it cannot take up too much time. Looking forward to seeing your finished kitchen . . . I'm excited for you.
Connie :)
Of course, Connie - you are well used to cooking under challenging conditions on your boat! Well done you for not giving in to the sandwich brigade! The Rayburn was lovely, but it had its limitations and I'm SO looking forward to my new cooker - I feel your pain for your lost cooker! L xxx
DeleteWell done Lynne, it's not easy to cook with such limitations...mind you, I'm not that great even with a proper cooker! Hope you are still finding time to spend in your studio, have you changed it much since moving in? Mine works great at the moment but I think once I start sewing properly I might need to make a few changes! :) xxx
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda - well, being the way I am I do find it difficult to be over enthusiastic for more than one thing at a time- it's a big drawback especially when a craft fair or a dead-line looms! Stitching has been off my menu for a while, though I have done quite a bit of crochet. However, I have the stirrings of inspiration just beginning to glimmer away, so I think once the cooker is in and things have calmed down in the kitchen my next task will be to finally do something about the mess in my sewing room and get down to some creativity in there! L xxx
DeleteHow pretty it's all going to be...Love the dotty plates! And can't wait to see the new cooker.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Linda! Me too! Lxxx
DeleteHi Lynne - I've just discovered your blog and have been reading through your archive. I'm curious about your garden - what sort of soil do you have in your neck of the woods?
ReplyDeleteChristine
Hello Christine, lovely to had from you! Actually we have really good soil - we are in West Norfolk UK and around here the soil is neither too sandy nor too clayey. Having said that our garden was a meadow when we moved here 25 years ago - my husband (I can't take any credit for it I'm afraid!) has spent a lot of time and energy on it, and it is virtually organic though probably not by "legal" standards,. We grow comfrey and make our own compost from all our fruit and veggie leavings so there's a lot of goodness dug in.
DeleteHope that answers your question, and that you'll pop back some time. Do you have a blog or website?
Lx
Thanks Lynne. I'm about to leave a heavy clay garden and looking forward to starting afresh on a lighter soil. I'm a crafter too so I'll be back to read more.
DeleteNo blog or website hence the anonymous label.
You must be highly delighted, Christine and have loads of plans.. you should start blogging in advance of your move! haha. Yes please do keep in touch! Lx
DeleteAs someone who spent yesterday cleaning the chimney, flue and Rayburn - followed by having to spring clean the whole kitchen - I can understand where you are coming from. I absolutely love cooking on our solid-fuel Rayburn, but oh the chore and mess of keeping it all functioning and safe. I know there will come a point somewhere along the line where I will have had enough of that chore. I look forward to seeing your new cooker and the wonderful meals you will be producing.
ReplyDeleteHello - wish I knew your name so I could address you properly! Yes, although ours was a gas-fired model, and I can't honestly claim to have been overloaded with the cleanup and functioning - but the flu WAS temperamental, and the safety cut out DID keep cutting in and blowing out the pilot light.. the idea of coming downstairs as 70+ year olds in a cold house and having to get on all fours to relight it was NOT appealing! And… I have missed a responsive gas hob for quite a long time; now I'm retired I.m really getting back into cooking and have been finding the limitations of a hotplate quite irksome. I do know how fortunate I am that the timing is just right financially and we can afford to do it - 10 years ago it would have been different thing. So yes, I'm rather excited about the whole thing - though the upheaval has been and will continue to be a bit more than we had bargained for. (Good job the OH didn't know beforehand, eh?) I'll pop across to your site and say hi, and look forward to getting further acquainted ! Lx
DeleteHello Lynne, Sorry, I should have introduced myself, my name is Elaine. I used it in my original blogs, but when i found that a lot of the content had been copied and re-posted on fake blogs, I believe they call it 'scraping', I rather blew a fuse. My old blog posts were nothing special, just family and home life, mainly so that my son and daughter in law, who live in Shanghai, could keep up with the happenings back here. I took a hissy fit and left blogging behind me, but I missed it.
DeleteSo here I am again. A fresh start and making completely new friends - hiding behind my recipe books until I feel secure again. Elaine
Hello Elaine - thanks you SO MUCH for getting back to me - I do understand why you changed your approach, but it's so much nicer to be able to 'speak' to you properly.Blogging is a great way to keep in touch with friends and family alike - and you get to make new friends too! Lxx
DeleteYour new kitchen looks wonderful and your dishes are making me hungry!
ReplyDeleteHello Darlene- thanks for visiting! Still waiting for the cooker to be properly connected… but we will get there soon!
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