I am sad today. We lost an orchid friend last night and death inevitably forces me to contemplate life. It just does.
As I sit here pondering his life, the times we laughed, I also think of the people dearest to me. The things I want to do still. The people I want to phone and meet for coffee... The list goes on.
Life is such a gift. Probably the biggest we'll ever receive. And yet we all tend to forget it sometimes. The tangled mess that is stress, work, worries tend to derail my best intentions sometimes (all too often) to not sweat the small stuff.
Mike Schalit commented in an interview here that his idea of perfect happiness is to wake up. Such a simple statement, but with a naked truth that cuts to the bone. It is essentially what we should all feel when we wake up - elation.
Be happy when you wake up, because you woke up.
I post a recipe in stark contrast to the mood here. It is a happy recipe. One for get-togethers and quick family suppers. It is the kind of food you can get together in no time what so-ever and have more time to spend with who-ever is coming to dinner.
The tortillas take no time to prepare, but are worlds apart from the supermarket variety. Really worth a try. I got the recipe here.
The filling is really easy. Just fry some chicken strips in a bit of oil and garlic until juicy. Season with some lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Add some tomato salsa and gaucamole.
It has been so hot these last few weeks. Really hot and humid, sticky.
I don't like to cook when it is that hot. The kitchen is unbearable and the idea of sticking anything hot into my mouth, unthinkable. We eat a lot of salads, fruit with something on the side. But the human body can only take so much fresh food and then I know it is time for a cooked meal. Something with a bit of substance. Definitely not rich and creamy, just hot and unctuous.
This Moroccan inspired dish fits the bill perfectly. The sauce is the real star and it pairs so well with the couscous. It will probably work just as well with beef or lamb meatballs. It does take a bit of time to prepare, but you can taste it in the end result. The sauce and chicken needs the time in the oven.
I enjoyed cooking these while the little ones sat at the kitchen table doing homework. Colouring, drawing, counting. Special times.
Well it's been a while since my last post, but sometimes life just seems to take a detour and you just have to go with the flow. Last year was definitely full of detours for our family, nothing serious, but very time consuming. I am not going to bore you with the details, but lets just say I even learned how to build a house out of timber during the process.
My parent moved in with us for a few months last year as well. It was a wonderful experience, albeit challenging at times. And the biggest challenge was to adapt our respective eating habits to suit the other party. Strange don't you think, that I lived with them for such a big part of my life and did so much cooking while I was growing up, and yet our eating habits have drifted worlds apart since?
I am a very curious cook, always looking for new recipes, new styles of food to cook. I enjoy nothing more than challenging myself with a complicated dish that I have never tried. My favourites dishes sometimes evolve from opening the fridge and just cooking what is in there, trying something I have never done, mixing different flavours. And that is how this family staple happened too.
It is such a simple dish to put together and you don't need fresh litchis at all. In fact, it is much better with the canned version. The herbs are refreshing, without being overbearing. And this dish was a hit with my parents too.
