R is for Running
and recipes
Apparently winter hasn’t only just arrived (officially), despite all signs declaring the contrary. I knew that the mid-winter return from India would be difficult psychologically, physically, but truthfully, it has just been cold. Hot water bottles and hot tea in bed, purchasing new knitwear as if I don’t already own a farm’s worth of wool.
I’ve been avoiding reading back over my notes from the trip and looking at photos, so as not to fall into a recollection recession, but today I’m scanning for one specific purpose - recipes.
In this run-up to Christmas (and it is always a run), the traditions are abounding, new and old, and I am certainly a culprit of falling into the festive trap. From the First of December, food and drinks are slowly morphing into a full Christmas lunch, wine becomes mulled, pies become minced and by the 24th, our palettes are ready for the summit of this gastronomic ascent. So, for the few days, I’ll try and eschew this confine (for writing’s sake and maybe to avoid early onset gout) and go back to my recipes collected over the two months away.
We tried to weasel recipes out of anyone who would speak to us, occasionally having to quietly mention that we cook for a living in order to convince the parsimonious types. That being said, I’ve come away with a small collection of nothing-to-do-with-Christmas inspiration, easy to recreate at home.
These recipes, much like a French December, have nothing to do with Christmas, but hopefully can ignite a fiery interest in travel for 2025. As we hurtle towards the end of the year, resolutions are rearing their promising heads and I’ve been thinking about goals and gears for the upcoming year, and apart from having enough influence on the internet to be sent free olive oil (has been goal for past three years), my main aim is this newsletter. A passion project for nearly three years, and a steady and patient readership, I resolve to focus my time on improving my fidelity and consistency with Alphabet Soup. This will start in January with the 2024 restaurant round-up, and much like last year, the first 100 restaurants will be available to al subscribers but the full access will be for paid subscribers only. (I’ve still gotta pay for the olive oil, guys!)
To drink - Special lemon soda
We loved this fluorescent drink found on Munroe Island mainly for the colour but also for the peps and quirky flavour combination.
Red grapes
Lime
Gooseberry
Salt
Sugar
Club soda
Ginger paste
Fresh green chilli
Unidentified syrup (I think it was a simple sugar syrup)
Muddle the salt, sugar, ginger, chilli, and lime. Blend the fruits, skins on , with club soda, being careful with the effervescence. Mix these two preparations together, and the result should be Barbie pink.
Dry coconut chutney
Served on the side of nearly everything we ate, I wish I could package up this condiment and carry it constantly on my person.
Fresh grated coconut
Chilli powder
Onion
Coconut oil
Mustard seeds
Curry leaf
Salt
Cook down sliced onion, mustard seeds, and chilli powder in coconut oil. Once translucent and almost caramelised, add fresh curry leaves and salt. Add fresh grated coconut and fry off until dry. Use liberally.
Crispy cauliflower
Textural treasure next to curried vegetable and soft rice.
Batter:
Coconut milk
Lemon and garlic water
Salt and pep
Chilli flakes
Turmeric
Cumin
Rice flour
Pre-cook cauliflower florets in water with turmeric until cooked with bite. Dunk into the batter and into breadcrumbs. Fry in coconut oil until unfairly tanned and crisp. Salt whilst hot and also devour whilst too hot.
Okra Fry
In Ella, we had a cooking class at our homestay and despite a very evident language barrier, we cooked a huge feast with many an element. Known in Sri Lanka, quite simply as Rice and Curry, the national dish incorporates any seasonal vegetable cooked in its own special way. Like a thali, served with rice in the middle of the plate and a surfeit of veg.
Chopped okra pieces
Onion
Tomato
Mustard seeds
Ginger
Garlic
Turmeric
Curry leaf
Roasted curry powder
Green chilli
Chilli flakes
Salt and pepper
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds until they start popping. Add grated ginger and garlic, curry leaf, turmeric, roasted curry powder. Toast the spices until fragrant. Add the chopped okra with onion and tomato. Cover with lid and simmer until the okra is tender. Season. Finish with lemon & garlic water.
Shopping List for you
Recently discovered but new top album of the year - Dunya by Mustafa
Ben Lippett’s Christmas Menu planning perfection
Leftover cream genius from Elly Pear
My friend Carrie’s beautiful cookbook
