February 2022 Favourites list

Life doesn't want to give us a break right now, does it? From the anxiety and tension of the pandemic, to the current world events, we don't seem to have the opportunity for calm regrouping and settling down our jangled collective nerves. 

For me, times like this have me doing two things; one negative and the other positive. Doomscrolling is the bad habit. Sure, I keep myself informed, but it doesn't do my blood pressure or beauty sleep any good. My thumb suffers scrolling fatigue and my tired brain finds it hard to switch off. Retreating into the kitchen to immerse myself in the craft of preparing and creating dishes is the good response. I admit it, it's a distraction. No, it doesn't not mean that what is happening in the world doesn't upset me, or that I consider them irrelevant. I would argue that sometimes distraction or diversion is necessary. I'm also not saying anyone else has to do the same. We all have our own coping mechanisms, and the chances are yours are more effective than mine.

I hope that the situation in Ukraine is resolved soon. The people of Ukraine deserve self determination and independence. We would want the same for ourselves, so we should want nothing less for others.  

Here is my monthly favourites list for February 2022, with pictures of some current cooking escapades. Posted with love, from my kitchen to your screen. 

Potato and cauliflower pakoras

Food articles and writing

Fab foodie bargains you can enjoy simply by ditching more expensive branded goods for supermarket own label offerings. As chosen by chefs and food writers. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/17/i-cant-believe-its-not-nutella-chefs-and-food-writers-favourite-grocery-bargains

I was today years old when I learned there were some highly unsuitable and inauspicious gifts you should never give anyone for Lunar New Year. Really interesting! https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/things-not-give-chinese-new-year.htm

What is in season in the UK in February? Carrots, Brussel sprouts, Parsnips, Spring green cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Cauliflower, Kale and Leeks. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/whats-in-season-february

Poha

Fuchsia Dunlop on "wishes and dishes", her reminiscences of Lunar New Year food and celebrations of the past and her early travels to China in the 1990s. https://www.ft.com/content/d84e3fb9-6a47-4cce-b0fe-b5507a57ea20

Three: Acid, Texture, Contrast – The Essential Foundations to Redefine Everyday Cooking by Selin Kiazim. Brand new cookbook review by Nicky Bramley at Kavey Eats foodblog: https://www.kaveyeats.com/three-by-selin-kiazim

Supermarkets employ trickery in product placement and fake special offers to try to make you spend more than you intend to - here are their tricks exposed. Be aware and take care! https://archive.md/c6691

Recipes

Nigella Lawson's recipe for pasta with anchovies, tomatoes and mascarpone cheese: https://www.nigella.com/recipes/gemelli-with-anchovies-tomatoes-and-mascarpone

Nigella's pasta with anchovies, tomato and mascarpone

20 of the best easy dinner recipes. This is a treasure trove of ideas: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/jan/24/20-best-easy-dinner-recipes-yotam-ottolenghi-nigella-lawson-spaghetti-marmite

Mario Carbone shares his 20 minute penne with prawns recipe. Mario is the chef behind the iconic Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Carbone in NYC: https://www.insider.com/i-made-michelin-star-chefs-easy-pasta-dish-2021-8

Chicken soup with Orzo and winter greens by Scandi cook Signe Johansen for Ocado: https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/Chicken-Soup-with-Orzo-and-Winter-Greens/208171

Steamed fish with Sichuan sauce and greens, recipe by Thomasina Miers: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/jan/31/steamed-fish-sichuan-sauce-greens-thomasina-miers-recipe

Cheater's steak "pie" (lid only)

Rukmini Iyer's recipe for Crispy Artichoke, Pancetta and Butternut Squash one-tin Pasta bake: https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/Crispy-Artichoke-Pancetta-and-Butternut-Squash-One-Tin-Pasta/205826

Three seafood recipes from Janet Wei: https://www.stylist.co.uk/food-drink/asian-food-noodle-hotpot-seafood-recipe/620971

Thai salads are healthy deliciousness. Here Pailin Chongchitnant runs through the four main types (Yam, Tam, Laab and Pla) and the main ingredients: https://www.seriouseats.com/guide-to-thai-salads-5209897

Thai beef and mango salad

  

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen

My recipe for a warming, comforting but light seafood noodle soup: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2022/02/seafood-noodle-soup.html

Akash Sachdeva's Mum's chicken curry recipe

 

TV:

Rick Stein – From Venice To Istanbul

The Tourist

Chloe

The Great Songwriters: Johnny Marr

Music:

Songhoy Blues – Music In Exile

Goat Girl – On All Fours

House of Love

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

Seafood noodle soup

This was a recent suppertime experiment, inspired by finding frozen fish balls in the Vietnamese supermarket in Greenwich. These were “lobster flavour”, never claiming to actually contain lobster. They looked like they had a firm texture with good “bite” which could create interesting contrast with al dente noodles, prawns and fish. 

The soup has east Asian influences, but I cannot vouch for any kind of authenticity, nor do I claim any. As I have already said the fish balls came from a Vietnamese supermarket, and I can tell you that the dried shrimp from a Japanese grocers and the fried onion and fried garlic from a Chinese supermarket. So I used a number of east Asian ingredients, but with no unifying cultural theme for the dish. 

The result was a comforting bowl of hot soup on a cold night, dotted with seafood, full of fragrance and flavour, which managed to be light. It was warming without being heavy, leaving a feeling of comfort without feeling overindulged. We enjoyed it and intend to make it again. I hope you will like it!

Seafood noodle soup

 

Ingredients

(Serves 2 for a generous main meal)

Noodles:

2 nests dried egg noodles

1 teaspoon groundnut oil

Seafood:

6 raw king prawns, cut in half along their length

1 fillet of fish (I used tilapia on this occasion), frozen

10 fish balls (I used lobster flavour fish balls), frozen

Soup:

800ml fish stock

4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1” piece of ginger, peeled in cut into matchsticks

2 tbsp dried shrimps (I used the teeny tiny Japanese dried shrimp)

2 tablespoons crispy fried onions

1 tablespoon crispy fried garlic

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine

1 teaspoon Asian chicken bouillon (optional, or a quarter teaspoon of MSG, also optional)

1 head of pak choi cut into 2cm chunks, split up the green and the white bits

To serve:

1 teaspoon chilli oil

1 teaspoon pure sesame oil

2 spring onions finely sliced in rounds

1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander

Method

1. Cook the egg noodles according to the pack instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water and coat with the groundnut oil to prevent sticking. Work the oil through the noodles carefully, rather than add more oil, you don’t want the soup having an oil slick over the top.

2. Heat up your stock, or if using ready made, put your stock in a pan on a medium heat. Add the dried shrimp, Bouillon powder, Shaoxing, soy sauce, fish sauce, fried ginger, fried garlic, fresh ginger and fresh garlic. Let the flavours meld and ensure the stock is piping hot.

3. Add the fish balls for 5 minutes. Increase the heat if needed, as the frozen fish balls will bring down the temperature of the stock.

4. Then add the prawns, fish fillet and white parts of the pak choi and cook for another 2 minutes.

5. Add the green parts of the pak choi and cook for a further 2 minutes.

6. Get large bowls ready and split the cooked noodles among the bowls.

7. Serve the soup on top of the noodles.

8. Top with the coriander, spring onions, chilli oil and sesame oil.

9. Bring to the table with chopsticks, a ramen/noodle soup spoon and, if needed, a knife and fork.

Enjoy!