Not Fish-'n-Chips

I really hate wasting food. Actually, I hate wasting anything at all. We live in an age where everything is disposable, nothing is precious, and change is discontinuous. And yet, at the same time, we are depleting our natural resources and filling landfills faster than we can empty them... But let me go back to the food theme before I turn this into a rant about our wasteful society.

So I had some random leftovers in my fridge last Sunday night, consisting of precisely:

• half an aubergine;
• a quarter of a red pepper;
• coriander
• half a lemon;
• a bit of natural yogurt;
• a tortilla wrap; and
• some mayo.

For some inexplicable reason this combination made me think of fish and chips. Well, not fish and chips exactly, but it made me think of the concept of fish and chips; the notion of eating something in a fish-'n-chip-like fashion. This may not make sense to others, but it does to me. So what I did was this:

The Amazing Aubergine

The Americans say "eggplant",  in South Africa and India it's a "brinjal", and the Brits speak of an "aubergine". Call it what you may, there is no other vegetable quite like it.

In fact, the aubergine is strictly not even a vegetable; it is actually classified as a berry and is also very closely related to the tobacco plant. It has the highest concentration of nicotine out of all edible plants (although the actual amount is negligible - 9kg of aubergines contains as much nicotine as one cigarette). Nevertheless, if you are trying to quite smoking, you now have a very good reason to go forth and consume copious amounts of aubergine!

Although it was originally cultivated in India, the aubergine has become an integral ingredient in traditional cooking styles all over the world. The Greeks use it in Moussaka, the French for Ratatouille, the Italians in Parmigiana de Melanzane, and not to mention the myriad ways it is used in Middle Eastern dishes and Asian curries.

Thanks to its versatility, the aubergine lends itself to countless cooking techniques - you can char-grill it, roast it, sear it, bake it, fry it, batter it, stuff it, smoke it...the possibilities are endless.

There are also many ways to describe the texture of an aubergine - succulent, tender, fleshy, juicy - not unlike the words that meat-eaters might use to describe a steak. Which inspired me to create a recipe for an "aubergine steak" that is sure to be a winner veggie dish for meat lovers.

Succulent and Tender: Aubergine Steak

Storecupboard Korma

As Europe's financial crisis rages on, I am experiencing a mini "post-redundancy" financial crisis of my own. Which means goodbye to everyday luxuries for the time being. 

My fridge bemoans the loss of its weekly intake of organic market veggies and locally sourced cheeses, just as my storecupboard misses the truffle oil and black garlic of days gone by...

And so I came home tonight and found myself staring into a gaping fridge and a peasant's larder. (Well, maybe not quite a peasant's larder: I think I did spot some muscovado sugar cowering in a corner in the back...)


I imagine that this is a nightly challenge for many; this coming home to an under-stocked kitchen and an over-stocked brain. It's difficult enough for most to concoct a dinner when there actually are ingredients to choose from. It's even more difficult when there is little-to-nothing on offer, and (I should think) especially so when that offering does not include meat. 

It doesn't have to be hard though. Normally there are some trusty storecupboard staples lurking around, they just need to be used differently.

I managed to excavate enough of these old faithfuls to be able to cook a hearty and satisfying meal. What transpired tasted so good, I decided even meatlovers would agree.  

And so, I present my very own...

"Tafathalo"

Food is for sharing. There is no point cooking unless you have someone to cook for. The Arabic word "Tafathalo" translates to something along the lines of "do me the honour" and is used as an invitation to come to the table. I love the ceremonious implication of that word; the idea of inviting people to share your food with you.

I believe the best meals for sharing are those that can be eaten with the hands, and middle eastern dishes are perfect for this. To me there is nothing better than using a piece of khobez as a utensil to pick up wonderfully fragrant mouthfuls. So I set myself a challenge last night: I wanted to create a veggie meal that was perfect for sharing, inspired by middle eastern cooking, where the meat would not be missed.

Eat with your hands

Falafel Chick

I came home from work the other day with an overwhelming desire for home-made falafel balls. You know those funny round balls that they give to vegetarians at kebab shops at 2am on a Saturday night? Yep, those are them. 

But contrary to urban belief, falafels were not invented in kebab shops to satisfy the late-night hunger of pissed vegetarians; rather, they are traditional middle-eastern snacks purported to have originated in Egypt. Which wouldn't surprise me as it was in Egypt in 1997 that I had my first ever taste and I don't think I have had a better falafel since. 

Anyway, I digress. So back to the night I came home with the overwhelming desire: I made my falafel balls, tucked them into warm pita pockets, garnished with grilled veggies and thick yogurt and settled down on the sofa in the living room with my supper. To which my flatmate exclaimed: "you're eating meat!". Noting my quizzical expression, she elaborated: "I know those things...they are like chicken falafs or something. At least that's what they taste like...". And so, I share with you my first veggie recipe for meat lovers...