I feel like I’ve been making masks for years. IT just goes on and on and on.
Initially masks were a recommendation for when it wasn’t possible to socially distance. I love to sew so of course I’m going to make our masks. What an excellent way to use up scrap fabric from my stash!
I thought four masks each would be sufficient for my once a week work commute and Boyfriend’s grocery shopping. I felt calm and in control. Then it became mandatory for whenever you left the house and suddenly four masks weren’t going to cut it for shopping/working and daily dog walks. The weekend had ended and there was only three days before it came into effect. I was a mass of anxiety and panic. I had to work but all I could think about was masks and I just didn’t have the time to make all that we needed and I hadn’t even figured out the material and the fit and the dog is sad that I’m not playing with him and can’t I just stay in bed and hide until the pandemic is over?
The pattern Boyfriend chose (I got choice paralysis) was a pleated one by NurseMade. He said something about trustworthy source and blah blah blah I wasn’t paying attention I was just happy that the only thinking I had to do was which scrap material from my stash should I use? Let’s face it, that’s the fun part.
The first masks I made were really basic. Using two layers of cotton and a thick piece of wire. Quick googling seemed to suggest that this would be sufficient and at the time, mask wearing was only a recommendation. As the situation in Victoria quickly escalated we (mainly Boyfriend. I was busy being sad and anxious) did more thorough research.
The mask felt pretty good, aside from the straps. I had read that straps were a better option than elastic, which was one reason why we/Boyfriend chose the pattern (I think…). But when I tried them out on my next commute the straps kept slipping off my head. And I don’t really know how you’re meant to wear it with hair. It was really annoying and I felt a bit ridiculous. My glasses were also very fogged up from walking.
For my second mask-making attempt I made the masks with thinner binding and elastic instead of straps. I took the elastic from some crappy masks that Boyfriend had previously purchased for renovating before discovering they were crappy.
I also used the metal nose strip from the crappy masks. The metal band was really good at not fogging up my glasses. But they are so flimsy that they break after a single use, which isn’t ideal.
The main issue was that after a dog walk the entire mask was damp from my breathing. Gross! Not protective at all! We had already decided that two layers of cotton were unsuitable but I was hoping I could still use them during dog walks, since we don’t come into contact with people. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
For the next round of masks we got serious about the materials used. We held up my fabric to our mouths to check how easy it was to breathe. Boyfriend splashed water on my knitted fabrics to check how absorbent they were. I made the masks with a cotton outer layer, knit inner layer, and eco shopping bag in the middle to act as a filter. I was worried my sewing machine would not be able to handle so much bulk but it managed. The stitches aren’t nice and I think it’ll need a service after this but whatever. So long as we have functional masks then all good.
Boyfriend made nose bands using disposable aluminium roasting trays. He got the tip from his mum who overheard it on the radio. They don’t sit as nicely and are variable when it comes to fogging glasses. They do tend to last a little longer than the Version 2 metal band.
I really like these masks. The knitted material absorbs the moisture without feeling gross. The additional layer doesn’t make it more difficult to breathe. The mask feels much more comfortable to wear. Without actually testing it by having an infected person cough on me I’m going to guess that they actually do the job that they are made for. The main issue is that the stiff shopping bag changes how the mask fits on the face. The lower part of the masks don’t fit nicely on either of us but removing 1/2″ from the bottom solved that issue.
Now we have a fine collection of masks and I can finally return to my regular sewing. These aren’t great times we live in right now and I wish we didn’t have to wear them. But it makes things a little bit nicer wearing colourful masks. And they help keep me warm on our wintry walks.
We’re back in lockdown again. But for a while we had freedom.
We spent three nights in Apollo Bay. Our mini getaway was originally booked for April but Covid happened. Of course Covid is still happening but things were looking good here so we thought we could safely make it happen.
This was Yoshi’s first holiday. He loved the beach and making new friends but wasn’t a fan of the accommodation (me neither). He didn’t feel comfortable and kept barking at things. The first night was super noisy wind and it was hard to stop him barking. We let him sleep on the bed and my boyfriend kept his arm around Yoshi, patting him when he flinched at the noise. The last night was cold and we had a fire on. Yoshi could see and hear it in bed and was barking at that too.
There wasn’t a couch so Yoshi had to make-do
It was nice to have this little breather amid the pandemic rollercoaster. Now the number of cases have been climbing worse than the previous lockdown and I’m not feeling good about the coming weeks.
It seems like Australia has nipped the pandemic in the bud and we are slowly easing restrictions not for economic reasons but because it is safe. I am so grateful that I live in a country where we don’t have to choose between people unable to afford to live and placing vulnerable people’s lives at risk. It isn’t an easy choice to make.
Ok, enough doom and gloom. We already have plenty of that. Let’s talk food. Isn’t food wonderful? I’ve been cooking up a storm, thanks in part to saving 3 hours a day commuting. We’ve also been getting amazing quality produce. A family member works for a supplier that has lost it’s usual restaurant and bar customers so they are trying to survive the pandemic by offering their produce to local homes. This is something that I’m more than happy to support 😊. But gosh, much of the food is larger than I expect. The cabbage I got is HUGE. I now have heaps of jars of pickled cabbage. What am I going to do with it all?
I am not a big seafood person and am actually intimidated by whole fish. Hell, I find a lot of things intimidating. But I do try to face my fears so I made Whole Roasted Sea Bass with Soy and Ginger from Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi. Even asking the fishmonger for help intimidated me. But the interesting thing was I showed him a photo of the recipe and he told me that the fish in the picture was barramundi, not sea bass! So I took my barramundi home and managed to undercook it. Oh well, I tried…I don’t think I like whole fish. But I’ll eventually try out a few more recipes to get comfortable with it.
Throughout my twenties I helped my mum run her art stall at a monthly market. We usually got our lunch from the gozleme stall. I’ve never tried to make gozleme at home before so I was keen to try Haloumi, Kale and Mint Gozleme from Family by Hetty McKinnon. I was only introduced to Hetty’s books at the start of the year through my cookbook group. After our delicious banquet I quickly purchased all three of her books. But since then I’ve found her recipes very hit and miss.
Falastin by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley was released around the time we became isolated. So this book is my cookbook group’s official Iso Cookbook. We are all absolutely loving it! No dud recipes so far (though a few have tried the falafels and they were too wet to work with…but the resulting falafel hash is apparently tasty).
My first recipes from the book were Beetroot and Sweet Potato Dip with Pistachio Bulgur Salsa as well as Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip. Both were tasty but I really loved the beetroot dip. It was on another level to the other beetroot dips I’ve tried.
My middle eastern holiday plans might be on hold indefinitely but Falastin is a nice consolation prize. The book is just so good. I want to make All The Things! This weekend I’m going to try Sticky Date and Halva Puddings with Tahini Caramel, which sounds absolutely delicious.
My boyfriend had an iso birthday and I made him a Ridiculous Cake. Sure, we were the only two who could enjoy this large cake but I am allowed to make one Ridiculous Cake a year and I wasn’t going to pass up the chance. I spent many hours trying to make fondant flowers. Clearly I need more practice 🤣. The cake is Hummingbird Cake from The Cook and Baker by Cherie Bevan and Tass Tauroa. It is a good cake from a good book. I’ve made many many things from the book and much of it was yummy. I also made Bronuts (doughnuts with chocolate and caramel) during iso and they were also delicious.
I make a lot of dumplings at home. They might be time-consuming but are so worth it. Spice Temple by Neil Perry is my go-to dumpling book. It has a decent range of good dumpling recipes but of course I wish it had more. I just love dumplings so much!
You can’t tell in the photo but these dumplings are actually green. The dish is Vegetable Dumplings with Sichuan Sauce, although I like the flavour of the dumplings without the sauce. I think just a bit of soy sauce and red vinegar is sufficient. I also can’t be bothered hunting down pickled mustard greens and instead used pickled bok choy I made when we grew too much bok choy. Hey it works. I haven’t come across veggie dumplings like these before and I love them. I think it’s the carrots that does it for me.
And finally, last night I made Vegetarian Croquettes with Red Curry Sauce from The Great Australian Cookbook, using home-made paneer. My boyfriend isn’t a fan of me pulling out the deep fryer (washing the dishes is his job) but these croquettes are definitely worth it. This is my favourite recipe in the book. I look forward to the leftovers tonight. In fact, the rice is almost ready so I should finish up my rambling and enjoy curry. My mouth is already watering.
I find that good food lifts my spirits. I hope that it is the same for you and you have enjoyed plenty of good food during these horrible times.
Can you believe that I started this dress a year ago? It took three mulsins to get a good fit (though admittedly I’m inexperienced at adjusting patterns). It would be reasonable to give up and just accept that this pattern wasn’t made for my body and skillset. But I loved the pattern and I had the perfect fabric for it and wanted the dress so bad. I damn well made it work!
One of the main issues was a big gape at the back. I did some googling but still couldn’t figure out how to make the adjustment for the high neckline. But I could for something more strapy so I turned the neckline into a low v-shape and then made the adjustment.
Cutting out the fabric was also a challenge. It was a left-over piece from a previous project and there was not a lot to play around with. If I mucked up the stripe placement then game over. No second chances. So stressful! I’m still amazed that everything worked out so well.
For the past two weeks I’ve been working from home most days. Normally my daily commute is 3 hours so this is a huge time saver! I feel guilty benefiting from such a horrible time in history when so many people are suffering…yet it is pretty awesome. Most of that spare time has been devoted to the dog or cooking things I normally can’t make on a weeknight. But I also used the time to hand-stitch the lining. The armhole was an absolute bitch.
I was looking at cheese presses when my boyfriend convinced me not to buy one because he could make me one. So I waited. For over a year. I have been itching to make hard cheese all that time but this guy cannot be rushed! Finally he made my cheese press and I am pretty impressed. There are even little markings to tell me how many kg I’m pressing.
I guess I’m fortunate that my boyfriend didn’t take longer. I purchased 8 litres of milk right before things quickly escalated in Australia. It seems like the panic hoarding is getting worse each day. I didn’t expect fresh milk to be affected (surely people would go for the long-life stuff?) but one day the fresh milk aisle was completely empty. That is A LOT of milk! Our supermarkets have been placing purchasing restrictions on goods and I doubt they’ll now allow me to buy 8 litres of milk any time soon.
So with my precious milk I tried my hand at making gouda cheese. It was actually much easier than I expected. The press worked well. My yield is just over a kilo so I’m really happy. Now I just have to wait two months for it to be ready to eat. What will the world be like in two months time? I have no idea.
This October I aim to holiday in Jordan and Israel (if COVID-19 allows) and I really hope it goes ahead because I am very excited.
I’m starting to be more conscious of modest clothing and my current wardrobe doesn’t rate very well. This dress is too short, that one has small token sleeves…I guess I could spend three weeks wearing the same two skirts over and over again, right? Nope, I gotta either make some things or brave the clothes stores. The problem is that I’m a slow sewer and I hate clothes shopping.
My mind was drawn back to this dress. I started making it last year but just wasn’t feeling it. I think it might have been because we were coming out of winter and I was sick of black and grey. So I abandoned this dress for more colourful makes. Now it seems ideal for my holiday. It has the sleeves and the skirt length. The only problem is the neckline but I can either wear a singlet underneath or stitch in some scrap fabric to create a mock layer.
I am so excited by this dress. The pattern is the Magnolia Dress by Deer and Doe. It’s such a lovely pattern and a joy to work with. I did have to make a small bust adjustment, which I didn’t know how to tackle on princess seams. There seems to be a few different methods online and after one failed attempt I went with Sew Over It’s instructions and it worked really well. I’m slowly figuring out how to hack patterns so that they look just right on me.
The fabric is a tencel and linen blend from A and R Fabrics. I’ve never worked with type of fabric before…or many different types of fabric for that matter. I tend to use the cheaper fabrics. But hey, I have the funds and I’m pretty skilled at making clothes now so why can’t I splash out and have nice things? This fabric, along with a linen, was my attempt to break away from my tight-arse tendency. My attempt at using linen failed, though I did learn from the experience and didn’t spiral into my usual “you wasted money and resources!!!11!” thoughts. Well I definitely succeeded on the tencel-linen blend! Just looking at the dress makes me happy. 🙂
My puppy is 6 months old. I’m crazy about labradors and I absolutely love him. I can easily tell my coworkers how his superpower is finding dead birds on walks or that he was throwing up nectarine stones each night until he learned to eat around the stones and now I keep finding stones in the house…but if I try to blog then I have no words. It’s ridiculous.
This is Yoshi. He was named after the Nintendo character (as was Daisy). If he was a girl then she would still have been called Yoshi. That’s how I roll.
2019 was the Year of the Puppy for my family. First my sister and her partner got Rollo. He did not like Yoshi at first encounter but they’re starting to grow on each other.
After Daisy’s death my parents got Honey. Sometimes she is Sweet Honey but a lot of the time she is Wild Honey. She and Yoshi are great friends. And thankfully Honey hasn’t corrupted Yoshi yet.
One thing I have discovered thanks to Yoshi is how amazing my local area is. I didn’t choose the area because I liked it. I chose it for affordability and walking distance to shops and train station. But it turns out to be a pretty amazing place. There’s plenty of beautiful dog-friendly spaces, including an off-lead 79 acre wetlands. It’s wonderful.
I wasn’t a great blogger to begin with but last year I became a Bad Blogger. I made things and didn’t share. I got a puppy and didn’t gush over his puppiness. There was some half-hearted attempts but I had no words and easily stopped trying. Instagram is much easier so if you’re into my sewing then check me out @suprisedpuppy (and if you love labradors then follow my puppy @little_dinosaur_adventures). I’m going to make an effort to be a better blogger this year, though I make no promises.
Let’s catch up on 2019. I finished a few makes that I didn’t blog about. Most of my makes involve the fabric I got from Japan. I love Japanese fabric! I want to fly back over there and get some more! I’ve already posted some of the makes but here are the ones I “missed”.
This is the forth time I’ve used New Look 6286. The first two tops (from 2015) have been retired but I still love the third one (from 2017), which I even wore whilst in Japan. For that make I added a zip and I did the same for this make but also added some small back darts. Gapping backs is a common problem for me but have previously tolerated it. Starting with this top I’ve been making big efforts to remove (or at least reduce) gaping backs.
Maybe I didn’t post this because it was originally a fail. I ignored the fabric recommendations for Pattern for Pirate’s Timeless Tunic and it just didn’t work. But I absolutely love this fabric and wanted a wearable garment. So I hacked at it and shaped the bodice until it looked acceptable. And popped in a side zip. And now I wear it often. Hooray.
I also made some lovely green Morgan Boyfriend Jeans. After my first attempt at jeans I was able to adjust these so that they fit much better. I also discovered that my new sewing machine can sew AMAZING buttonholes :D…but absolutely fails at bar tacks 😦 so I ended up omitting the belt loops.
This one isn’t part of my Japanese fabric collection. I made a few Simplicity 1425 peplum tops in 2015. The back was buttoned, which I didn’t like and replaced with a zip. The tops are poorly made but I still like them and wear them often. Now they are close to retirement. I had been thinking this was the ideal pattern for some lovely leftover fabric I had. There was just the issue of big gaping back. The back piece already had lower darts and I didn’t think upper darts would look good so I experimented with splitting the back piece into two. Effectively creating an upper dart and merging it with the lower dart.
It actually worked! I’m still amazed. For years I’ve been making my own clothes but now I think I’m starting to get the hang of making clothes that fit me well. I still have a way to go but my progress is heartening. I feel like I levelled up in 2019 and I’m super excited about 2020.
Another year is drawing to a close so it’s time to yet again share the books that my cookbook club has explored for the year. There has been a lot of good food.
Last year I was worried that our group was slowly dying but this year has made it clear that we’re still going strong. I’m so glad to be a part of a group like this.
Sweet Home Cafe Cookbook
We started the year with Sweet Home Cafe Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This isn’t food that I’m familiar with, nor has the group explored it, so I was very excited to try it. I wasn’t able to get a copy of the book but I did really enjoy what was made on the day. I’ve never had watermelon in a salad before and I am sold! So delicious! Sweet Potato Biscuits and Bourban Pecan Pie were also a stand-out.
I made Brunswick Stew, which was meant to include rabbit but the local supplier was on a holiday so I couldn’t get it. Instead I doubled the amount of chicken. It was a lovely stew, I’d make it again.
I wish I could get the book. It not only contains great recipes but also commentary on the dishes and African-American culture. I’d love to read it (and visit the museum). If you do spot the book then definitely get your hands on it.
Huey’s All Time Favourites
Our next book was Huey’s All Time Favourites by Iain Hewitson. Huey has been on TV for over 20 years and remember my mum watching him though I’ve never payed much attention to him. I’ll admit that my expectations for the book were not high.
I wasn’t able to get the book until a few nights before our lunch so I didn’t have much time to look through it and choose. I went with Buttered Quinoa with Spicy Black Beans and Roasted Pumpkin, which I think is a keeper. Pretty much everything else that was made for the banquet was delicious and worked well together. Except for the White Chocolate Parfait – it was odd in an unpleasant way. Nobody wanted to take it home.
This is trivial, but the recipe categories felt odd to me. Not just because they were arranged alphabetically. Why are bananas and pineapples grouped together but pork has two categories (in addition to mince, sausages, and two offal categories)? It must make sense to someone but it doesn’t to me.
Categories aside, when I first looked at the book I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of good sounding recipes on offer. After our feast I planned on going through the book and picking out a collection of recipes to try. But then real life got in the way. My dog died. I tried looking through the book but I was filled with emptiness and nothing looked good. I can’t bring myself to revisit this book. But if you do happen to see it in a library then it is definitely worth a browse (I don’t think it’s available to purchase anymore).
On The Side
On The Side by Ed Smith was the book that I didn’t know I needed. I have plenty of dishes that need sides but aren’t provided in the recipe. More often than not I’ll buy some veggies to steam or boil but then can’t be bothered and I’ll end up eating a lasagna, pie, or whatever on its own. This book provides plenty of simple yet delicious options so now I have little excuse.
A lot of care has been put into this book. Each recipe comes with recommended meats to match it with, as well as lists of sides within the book that will complement. At the back of the book the recipes are listed based upon the main meals, cooking methods, and cooking times. I love those directories.
The food was simple to make and ample in flavour. Also pretty and full of colour. I made Red Rice With Beetroot, Feta and Wild Oregano and it was so vibrant and gorgeous. I also madeSherry Cherry Tomatoes, which were colourful and delicious. All the food was excellent and I purchased my own copy on the way home. I’ve now made quite a few things from the book and I love it. On The Side is a book worth owning
Greek
George is a judge on MasterChef Australia and I wasn’t a fan of him when I watched the show. For one thing, he tended to take classic recipes and turn them into something needlessly excessive. I have been to two of his restaurants – one was good delicious food and the other was the sort of place that had three dots of puree, added a reduction, then called it a salad. (There has also been a lot of media attention into his restaurant stuff being underpaid, which is a shitty thing to do).
Thankfully, Greek is not arrogant but instead contains recipes that the TV judges might describe as honest food from the heart. To be clear, this book is not about pure Greek food but is rather the modern Australian fusion style. I also found the book to be a bit hit and miss. Miso Melitzanosalata is a hit but Jimmy’s Dimmies fall rather flat, especially considering that Melbourne is big on dumplings. Others in the group found the book to be needlessly complicated, which I didn’t find.
I made Gnocchi Avgolemono, which tasted quite nice, but slightly modified so the vegetarian in the group could enjoy it. It was actually the most success I’ve had making gnocchi.
Peru
I’m just going to get out in the open that I did not like Peru: The Cookbook by Gastón Acurio. It just didn’t appeal from the very first moment I looked through it. Some of it was due to the density (it didn’t help that some recipes were repetitious and could have been avoided by providing variations under a base recipe) and lack of pictures to entice me. Some of it was because I am unfamiliar with South American cuisine and the book focuses less on accessibility (such as offering ingredient substitutes) and more on authenticity. I can appreciate that. I’m just not the right person for the authentic style.
I suspect that a lot of my issues with the book stem from the direction that the publisher wanted to take it. There are a lot of books in this series. I have tried Japan: The Cookbook and I had the same issues. Dense, repetitious, inaccessible ingredients…I love Japanese cuisine but I could not use the book. I don’t think I’ll be trying any other books from the series.
I found it really hard to choose a dish for our banquet. In the end I chose Vegetarian Causa Potatoes, which honestly sounded strange to me and I was intrigued. It wasn’t to my taste, too much mayonnaise, but others in the group seemed to like it. I wasn’t impressed with anything that anyone made. The food was ok but to my mind it was all lacking something. I wasn’t alone on my opinion so I don’t think it’s just me being snooty at the unfamiliar cuisine.
Cooking From Memory
Cooking From Memory explores the food and history of Jewish immigrants to Australia. The migrants came from countries all over the world and it is interesting to see the similarities and differences between the people. Alas, I was unable to a copy of the book so I could not appreciate it 😦
Obviously it’s not possible for me to judge this book. From what I can tell it seems like the recipes do not hold your hand and give you all the details for making the dish. With the recipe I picked I had the feeling that what I really needed was a grandmother showing me how to make it.
What I did choose to make were strudel biscuits. I had the recipe on my phone and I was zoomed into the instructions and completely failed to look at the pictures. The recipe didn’t explain how to lay the biscuits on the baking trays and because I missed the pictures I took a guess. I was wrong. The filling oozed it of the biscuits as they baked! Oops. So then I thought I would try a log with the remainder of the mix. Three filling was saved but the biscuit in the middle was raw! :O
Despite the banking fail, the biscuits tasted amazing. I love that filling. Though maybe if I make it again I’ll try it as a tart…
The rest of the food we had at the banquet was delicious. So I’m guessing that this is a good book and worth a look at. If you can find it…
Jerusalem
Is it any surprise that someone chose an Ottolenghi book? We are big fans and even had dinner at a restaurant just because he recommended it! (For anyone in Melbourne who’s interested: it was Tulum and it was delicious).
Jerusalem is a collaboration between Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi both of which grew up on the different sides of Jerusalem. As such the book captures the diversity of Jerusalem.
I have owned the book for a year and must confess that I haven’t made a lot from it. For me many of the recipes require a commitment that I don’t always have (more so now that I have a puppy who wants me to spend less time in the kitchen (and behind the sewing machine) and more time with him. But the food that I have made from the book has been absolutely delicious. I am in love with Maqluba.
Unfortunately, my notes of our Jerusalem feast were lost in a saving incident and I guess the food wasn’t that outstanding because I can’t remember it? I’m just going to assume that it tasted good…At any rate, I made Spicy Carrot Salad and Roasted Cauliflower, Hazelnut and Pomegranate Seed Salad.
Rick Stein’s India
I do not like watching Rick Stein’s TV shows and I ignore his commentary on his books because I’m sure they’ll be as silly as what he says on the show. Nope, I’m here for the recipes, not Rick’s take on the locals.
I do really value Rick Stein’s India because I love Indian yet it is one of my cooking weaknesses. I don’t know how authentic this book is but it has helped me transition from spicy-yet-bland watery curries to something worth eating. And so this was the book I chose when it became my turn to host.
We had a wonderful vegetarian feast. The standout dish was definitely Yellow Dal with Tomato, Turmeric and Fried Kashmiri Chillibut it was all so tasty and worked well together. I made My Breakfast Bhaji and Paneer Jalfrezi. Because of dietary requirements I made paneer using goat’s milk. I mustn’t have pressed it enough because the cheese did break apart during cooking but it was still good. I like the sender of freshness and acidity that the Jalfrezi offered to the banquet.
I also made naan, which tasted great but I did have a bit of trouble with the dough. It was too sticky to work with but my bread-making boyfriend suggested I let it rest for 30min and then do more kneading, which made a big difference.
This was also the month that we got a puppy. Yoshi was very well received by the group. 🙂
Barcelona Cult Recipes
From India to Spain. Barcelona Cult Recipes by Stephan Mitsch covers Catalan cuisine. The book certainly makes a great first impression but as I delved more deeply into the book I found it to be mediocre.
The food we ate on the day was nice but I wouldn’t say it was a standout banquet. As a group we did have some issues with not enough detail in the instructions. In my case, what I needed was a photo. I chose Baked Apples in Puff Pastry, which was described as “very easy to prepare” (so long as you have an apple corer – I had to buy one). It wasn’t that I thought the dish was difficult, it was just that I had never before come across such a dish and wasn’t sure what I was doing with the pastry. A photo of the final product might have been useful, as opposed to the photo of a tray of apples. At any rate, the baked apples turned out lovely.
At home I made two types of croquettes. The balance between bechamel and filling was completely off and I only managed to eat three before I decided that they weren’t for me and I could not eat anymore (this left me with many uncooked croquettes, which I used to make a lasagna so they didn’t go to waste). This soured my indifferent feelings for the cookbook and I quickly returned it to the library. So yeah, there might be some nice recipes within but it isn’t a book I would recommend.
Bazaar
And here we are with the final book for the year – Bazaar: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes by Sabrina Ghayour I was blown away by Sabrina’s first book, Persiana, which was actually the second book our group tried out. There are some stunning vegetable dishes within Persiana and I was so excited when I heard that Sabrina was going to release a vegetarian book. Since it’s release I’ve been making my way through the recipes in Bazaar. The book didn’t end up blowing me away as I had hoped yet it is still a good book with plenty of yummy easy to make food.
For our feast I chose to make Chickpeas and Vegetable Koftas with Tahini Sauce (which the group called “ball sauce”). It was delicious, as were the other chosen dishes (though I’m not sold on a risotto-y that uses basmati rice). I appreciate what the book is trying to do – make good simple vegetarian dishes whilst also exploring less common combinations (ras el hanout tastes amazing in cake!). And yet…I guess I was hoping for more… something…I don’t know…
And that’s it for another year! I cannot wait to see what 2020 brings. 🙂
Smite Thee With Apples 