January 2024 Favourites list

Happy new year to you! I hope that 2024 is treating you well so far.

I am sharing this month’s favourites list with some of my recent cooking escapades.

I am hoping to do more food blogging in 2024. But if you’re a long term reader of my blog, you will know that I am not good at New Year’s resolutions. Making lasting changes to your habits in the coldest and darkest time of year isn’t easy. Wish me well, and I promise to do my best.

Food articles

Many of my friends, both in real life and online, have been feeling unwell recently, either because of flu/covid or norovirus. Here is a useful article on what to eat when you’re feeling under the weather. I can vouch for spicy food. https://www.self.com/story/best-foods-to-eat-when-sick

How diet can affect your mental wellbeing: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/diet_wellbeing

Dishoom's spicy broccoli salad

 

Kitchen know how and cooking tips

TikTokker Alessandro (AKA “Spicy Moustache”) is an urban gardener and zero waste evangelist. A no-waste tip of his I’d like to try to using garlic and onion peel to make a flavourful condiment for sprinkling on your chips and other cooking: https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/03/never-throw-garlic-peel-away-20056866

Alessandro’s original video can be found here: https://www.tiktok.com/@spicymoustache/video/7200431303475432709

I’m not entirely sure why you would want to chuck out your Christmas bottle of Bailey’s cream. But if you do, then don’t sling it down the sink. You might find the fat content blocks up your pipes. https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/08/serious-warning-issued-brits-leftovers-christmas-staple-20080364

If you have a jar of chilli oil such as Lao Gan Ma (often called chilli crisp) and you weren’t sure what to do with it, this might help: https://www.tastingtable.com/1487449/creative-uses-for-chili-crisp-cooking/

Roti King’s roti canai is pure magic. This Indian flatbread is Sugen Gopal’s signature dish, which you might want to try to make for yourself: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/how-to-make-roti-canai-with-the-roti-king/

Petit pois a la Francaise

 

Recipes

Mildred’s a place where even meat eaters will marvel at the vegetarian deliciousness. Here they share 3 Middle Eastern style vegan recipes; a lentil harira stew/soup, a chermoula cauliflower galette and Persian style jackfruit wraps: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/jan/10/mildreds-vegan-recipes-for-middle-eastern-classics-harira-galette-jackfruit-wraps

Julia Child’s vinaigrette recipe – with slightly different oil to acid proportions than you might be used to: https://www.tastingtable.com/1497186/julia-child-favorite-vinaigrette-recipe/

Tacos with birria stew (a soupy beef or goat stew from Jalisco, western Mexico): https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/birria_tacos_86772

Crostini (toasted baguette or ciabatta rounds) with toppings make a great weekend lunch. Here are some ideas from Danielle Alvarez: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/jan/03/best-crostini-recipes-easy-danielle-alvarez

French onion soup is one of my favourites, so I’m curious about turning the base (caramelised onions with thyme and white wine) into a pasta. https://lifehacker.com/food-drink/french-onion-soup-pasta-recipe

I’m sharing this vegan Korean recipe for Mushroom Bulgogi and mashed potato, as found on Dorothy Porker’s excellent food blog. https://www.dorothy-porker.com/asian/mushroom-bulgogi-and-mashed-potato/

Aloo Gobi

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen

I was recently given the honour of writing a noodle review for Alex’s fab Gingey Bites food blog. Alex was also kind enough to allow me to share my review on my own blog. Here it is: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2024/01/nissin-x-shoryu-ramen-masters-cup.html

Film

Poor Things

I’d heard that “Poor Things” was a steam punk vision of what if Frankenstein’s “monster” was a woman. However, this film is much more than that; it’s a visually inventive and stunning film which pushes the envelope in unexpected ways. Emma Stone plays the Bella, the beautiful “monster”, created from the body of a woman who committed suicide while pregnant, whose brain is that of her own unborn baby, a jarring notion communicated in Bella’s jarring and jerky movements. Bella is initially childlike, but quick to learn. Her awakening, intellectually, sexually and politically is the focus of the film. It’s not quite the allegory of Scotland (Bella Caledonia) original author Alasdair Gray had in mind, but it’s definitely worth watching.

Available in cinemas.  

Mushroom risotto

 

TV

Big Boys (Series 1 and 2)

Series One of Big Boys appeared to pass me by when it first aired, and I can’t think for the life of my how or why. I binged these two series over the course of 2-3 days, greedily gorging myself on not just the humour, but the camaraderie, friendship, and warmth of this comedy series. Every good sitcom needs great characters, along with some emotional depth and sadness to contrast with the laughs gained from misadventure, the joshing and japes, and embarrassing moments. Jack, Danny, Corinne and Yemi are characters you will enjoy spending time with.

Available on All 4.

Season 2 Episode 1 is here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/big-boys/on-demand/73785-001

Season 1 Episode 1 is here if you want to start from the beginning: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/big-boys/on-demand/70198-001

Junior Bake Off 2024

There’s something very special about the kid’s edition of Great British Bake Off. Watching these children use their already accomplished skills is always amazing. Then there we have the literal thrills and spills of the contestants working against the clock to make their different creation. But best of all for me is seeing these children interact. They help each other out, the encourage each other, displaying a will to win but not at any cost. The kids are all right.

Available on All 4. Episode 1 of Season 9 is here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/junior-bake-off/on-demand/74084-001

Mr Bates v The Post Office

I recommended this last month as one to watch over Christmas/New Year because I thought the story of the wrongful prosecution of the postmasters (based on reading Private Eye's coverage of the issue over the years) would be gripping, and because I thought Toby Jones would do the role of Alan Bates justice. But I was not expecting the drama to be such a hit and such a huge talking point. If you were wondering what all fuss has been about, wonder no more - just watch it! https://www.itv.com/watch/mr-bates-vs-the-post-office/10a0469/10a0469a0001

I’m looking for new TV for 2024. This list has some new productions, and series returning for new seasons. Andrew “hot priest from Fleabag” Scott as (the Talented Mr) Ripley? The return of We Are Lady Parts? Yes, please! https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/dec/28/the-must-see-tv-shows-to-look-forward-to-in-2024

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

Nissin x Shoryu “The Ramen Masters” Cup Noodles review

When you write a food blog, you find you get to know lots of other food bloggers. Alex, the author of the Gingey Bites blog is one of my online friends, who I came to know through Kavey of Kavey Eats and our many interactions on social media. 

 I was very pleased when Alex agreed that I could contribute an review to her blog, as I have followed her blogging and foodie social media content for a long time. She and I share a love for instant noodles and Japanese instant ramen in particular. My original guest review can be found here:  https://gingeybites.com/2023/07/nissin-x-shoryu-the-ramen-masters-cup-noodles-review-by-snigdha.html

Alex was kind enough to allow me to share my review here on my own food blog. Thank you very much, Alex!

Do check out Alex's guide to Instant noodles here: https://gingeybites.com/guide-to-instant-noodles You will find all her noodle reviews indexed there!

Nissin x Shoryu “The Ramen Masters” Cup Noodles review

Instant noodles are, for me, a lunch-in-a-hurry godsend. Perhaps we’re running out of ingredients at home, or perhaps I am in a rush at work, and didn’t have the chance to bring something in to eat. Have noodles, no worries! I always keep a pack in my desk drawer and a couple of packs at home.

The thing about instant noodles is, if you manage to find the good ones, you have an instant meal which is hot, slurpy and comforting. If I plan ahead, I add some chopped spring onion, chopped fresh coriander, or toasted sesame seeds to the noodles. I know that Kavey (of the excellent Kavey Eats blog) adds homemade ramen eggs to her instant noodles. You will find her recipe here; https://www.kaveyeats.com/how-to-make-ajitsuke-tamago-ramen-eggs. MiMi Aye, author of the sumptuous Burmese cookbook Mandalay recommends adding things like cooked ham.

The product

Nissin are famously the inventors of Cup Noodle, having been founded by Momofuko Ando, the inventor of instant noodles. So famous and popular are Nissin’s Cup Noodle products that cult Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo have made Cup Noodle T shirts and you can even visit a Cup Noodle museum in Yokohama Japan.

Here, Nissin have teamed up with ramen restaurant Shoryu (famous for their tonkotsu ramen) to make an instant noodle product which reputedly took 9 months to develop. That’s a lot of dedication to noodling!

What’s inside

As this is a pot noodle style product, there are no fancy packets of flavourings. Everything is under the lid, dry in the pot, waiting to be brought back to soupy life. All I could see on lifting the lid was the powdery stock and the cake of noodles.

Because this is a Nissin Cup Noodle product, the lid is easy to partially lift off, and the fill line is clear to see on the inside of the cup, so making the instant noodles is an absolute doddle. I filled the pot up to the line, and replaced the lid, folding the foil pull over the ridge of the lid, so there was minimal loss of heat during the rehydration process. 

 

What does it taste like?

This product is not cheap, selling at £1.99 in the Japan Centre in Central London. It boasts “restaurant quality” ramen on their website. My expectations are therefore high. 

 

The noodles themselves are Ganso ramen, beautiful curly noodles, with a decent bite to them. The soup base was quite a surprise, it tasted meaty, with discernible pork bone and chicken broth flavours and the creaminess reminiscent of tonkotsu broth. How they have done this in powder form leaves me puzzled and full of admiration. I have eaten at Shoryu a few times, the broth being a particular highlight, and this is a good attempt at recreating the soup element in an instant product. Another treat is the veggies in the pot; spring onion, red ginger, and kikurage mushrooms, these add another element of texture to the experience (although my rating for texture below will only be for the noodles themselves).

Using Alex’s rating system I would rate this product as excellent all round:

Texture 8/10

Flavour 9/10

Ease of making 10/10

Would I buy again – yes!

This review represents the genuine opinions of Snigdha, who has received no incentive to write this review, and who purchased the product with her own money.

December 2023 Favourites list

As we approach the festive season, I would like to wish all my online friends and their families a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

I hope you make wonderful memories of good times, good food, and good company.
This month's list includes my predictions for the best television this Christmas/New Year. Please do let me know if you watch any of the programmes, what your thoughts are!
 

 

Food writing and articles
 

Christmas food and cooking Q&A from Delia Smith's team: https://www.deliaonline.com/features/2023/11/ask-lindsey-christmas-questions
 

Whole grains can keep you feeling fuller for longer and provide fibre in your diet. They can also be used to help a healthy diet for those with high blood pressure: https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8077182/best-whole-grains-for-high-blood-pressure
 

 

Food, cooking, culture and personal history all combine in Jason Diamond's article on "The Many Garlics of my Childhood" musing on his American Jewish heritage and beyond:  https://tastecooking.com/the-many-garlics-of-my-childhood/
 

Delicious magazine's collection of Christmas gifts for foodies: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/christmas-gift-guide-for-foodies/
 

Olive magazine's best food and drink hampers for Christmas: https://www.olivemagazine.com/guides/best-foodie-hampers-for-christmas/
 

Recipes
 

Jose Pizarro's wintry braised pork belly with spinach and chestnuts is a nod to his childhood in Spain. I might cheat and buy a pack of cooked chestnuts to make this a weeknight warmer:  https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/nov/25/sherry-braised-pork-belly-recipe-spinach-chestnuts-jose-pizarro
 

If you have turkey left over from Christmas, here is a recipe for congee to deal with the leftovers: https://thewoksoflife.com/leftover-thanksgiving-turkey-congee/
 

Thrifty air fryer cooking - skin on roast potatoes from tinned: https://archive.ph/EDinL
How to make the perfect ful medames - Felicity Cloake cooks up a number of recipes for this Middle Eastern classic bean stew to arrive at her version of perfection: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/nov/22/how-to-make-the-perfect-ful-medames-recipe-felicity-cloake
 

Mark Diacono's festive drinks recipes, including a mulled cider and a Christmas negroni:
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/dec/02/mulled-cider-festive-punch-christmas-drinks-recipes-mark-diacono
 

Nasu dengaku by Emiko Davies combines silky aubergine and intensely flavourful sweet miso sauce:
https://theweek.com/culture-life/food-drink/recipe-nasu-dengaku-miso-aubergine-by-emiko-davies
 

American food chain Chipotle shares their honey vinaigrette recipe (with a hint of kick!): https://thetakeout.com/chipotle-honey-vinaigrette-dressing-official-recipe-1850083244
 

Podcasts
 

BBC Sounds has put together a collection of podcasts celebrating the sadly recently departed Benjamin Zephaniah. The Colin Murray interview is a treat, as his episode of Colouring In Britain. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/curation/m001v1jn
 

Music
 

Lucinda Chua - Xian

Ezra Collective - Where I'm Meant to Be

Snigdha's 2023 music playlist: here's my selection of songs I've enjoyed this year. Hope you find something for the heart, the soul, and for moving your feet. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcZVuU7Jd5iZX27xklo7ftwEhmKPpM69C&si=8I9k_3P-WrLrxBGm
 

What to watch on TV this Christmas
 

A Ghost Story For Christmas: Lot No.249, BBC2, Christmas Eve, Arthur Conan Doyle's short story as dramatized by Mark Gatiss. It's going to be spooky and atmospheric, with stars Kit Harington, Colin Ryan and Freddie Fox.
 

Tabby McTat, BBC1, Christmas Day, following on from the brilliant animation of The Gruffalo comes this new animation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Schleffer's picture book. With voices from national treasures Jodie Whittaker and Rob Brydon.
 

Doctor Who, BBC1, Christmas Day, the 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa (of Sex Education fame) was introduced to us briefly in the last David Tennant return story. The Church On Ruby Road will be his first proper story as the Doctor. Hopefully he will have found some trousers!
 

Ghosts, BBC1, Christmas Day, our very last visit to Button House will be emotional. Alison's due date is getting close and she, Mike and the Ghosts must prepare for a new arrival. This triumph of a sitcom from the Horrible Histories team will, I hope, be going out on a high.
 

Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, ITV1, New Year's Day, the always excellent Toby Jones plays one of the 700 sub-postmasters wrongly prosecuted and sacked by the Post Office as a result of accusations of false accounting caused by a defective computer system. This scandal is the largest miscarriage of justice in British legal history.
 

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.