Hello friend,
Have you been feeling the excitement and exhaustion of the world reopening? Of streets full of people, flowerbeds exploding, and bank balances dwindling? I’m kind of suspended between the hyperactivity of plotting plan after plan weeks in advance, and things still being so different that I feel deeply nostalgic for ‘the before’.
The push and pull has not been helpful on the cooking front. I’ve either felt full of ideas but haven’t had care in the execution, or have been too stunted to cook. Originally, I had hoped to write a soft white bread recipe, made with this delicious cider I bought a few weeks ago; but the dough was uncomfortably wet, and my butter content so high, that I ended up with a laborious brioche recipe. It was (/is) deeply delicious, and I would make it again - but do you want to make it? Do you love cooking so much you would happily spend 30min hand kneading butter into a sloppy dough?
Instead, I thought I would tell you about what I cooked for my friends this weekend, for the first time in a while. It’s all very easy, and you can drink the cider instead. I didn’t take any photos - I think I was in a state of shock over seeing people, in the flesh - but there’s obviously photos in the links.
Cold Cabbage Salad
A no-recipe recipe - take the cabbage apart, keeping the leaves whole. Blanch the leaves in salted boiling water for 10-15sec, then lay out on a tray or rack to cool. Once cold, transfer to a bowl and toss with a generous amount of olive oil and salt, a pinch of dried chilli and a squeeze of lemon.
Bucatini with Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Onion & Butter
Recipe here. I used jars of finely chopped tomatoes, like this one, and added a smashed garlic clove and a bouquet garni. You can buy little sachets at the supermarket, or make your own by tying together a few sprigs of parsley, thyme and rosemary, and a bay leaf. Remove before serving.
I used bucatini (because they’re fun!), and dropped them, still slightly undercooked, into the warm sauce for a few minutes. I added a bit of pasta water, too. Once off the heat, I stirred through about half a bunch of finely chopped parsley.
Top tip: Put a literal block of parmesan on the table.
Blood Orange & Almond Cake
Actually Nigella’s Clementine Cake, recipe here. This cake has the most divine, near-custardy texture. I substituted the clementines for 3 blood oranges, and covered with foil after baking 40min. I plated it bottom side up as it was smoother, and brushed it with 3-4 generous tablespoons of my thin cut marmalade while it was still hot so it became sticky and shiny.
I ate some today and found the flavours had deepened, so next time I will bake it a day in advance and store it tightly wrapped in foil. Serve it with very thick double cream, like this one.
What very-easy-very-nice things are you cooking? Are you ready for more complex recipes or are you taking it slow?
And - would you like that brioche recipe after all? I’m tweaking it as we speak.
Wishing you (and me) a restful/thoughtful/’exciting but not overly so’ week,
Mia