June 2022 favourites list

Welcome to my list of favourite things I've been enjoying this month, along with my recent writing and blogging. 

Over the recent Platinum Jubilee long weekend here in the UK (celebrating the anniversary of the Queen's coronation), we decided to take a short trip to East and West Sussex. One stop off was Petworth House in Petworth, West Sussex. 

The small town of Petworth is a quaint little town with many old fashioned antique shops and cute little historic houses with cottage gardens. Pottering around the streets in the sunshine was so pleasant, it put a real smile on my face. 

A particular highlight was visiting Petworth House, a property looked after by the National Trust. It is a very imposing place with great historical importance which is chock full of art. As a privately created collection, it is unique and of genuine cultural importance. There are many original works by Turner, who visited frequently. 

 

But... this month's pictures are not going to be of Petworth House's sumptous interiors or the museum quality artworks. There are almost so many, I felt overwhelmed, and unable to take them all in. Instead, I am going to share pictures of the kitchens in the servants' quarters. The staff here had a hard life, working long hours and taking little time off. These industrious people nevertheless used their skills and creativity to create feasts for guests, daily meals for the incumbents, and, of course, their own more modest "family" meal.

The arrays of perfectly polished and pristine pots, pans and equipment would have been heavy and difficult to clean. Cracked and sore hands would have been commonplace.

 

To learn how to use this rotating roasting rack would have taken a great deal of time and effort to master. There is something similar at Heston Blumenthal's "Dinner" restaurant in London - operated by electricity. Here, someone would have had to rotate and monitor the roasting by hand and eye alone. 

I hope you look at these pictures and marvel at the skill, dedication and grit of these workers. I certainly did. I will now leave you to enjoy my collection of things related to food, cooking, music, film and TV.

 

Food writing and articles:

What’s in season in the UK in June? Finally the soft fruit has arrived; strawberries, raspberries and cherries: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/whats-in-season-june

London’s best rooftop bars: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/london-best-rooftop-bars-sunny

In case you are hoping to enjoy some al fresco dining, here are the picks of the top supermarket picnic food: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-picnic-food

Vegans making east Asian food need a substitute for fish sauce. Could Maggi seasoning liquid be the perfect vegan alternative? https://lifehacker.com/the-best-vegan-fish-sauce-is-a-bottle-of-maggi-seasonin-1848945167

Dare I recommend this for my dissertation students? The Japanese writer’s café where staff prod and cajole procrastinators into finishing their writing tasks. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/coffee-tea-nagging-japans-anti-procrastination-cafe-2022-04-26

An essay on “keema spaghetti” (or keema macaroni), a decidedly Asian (Desi) meaty pasta dish, and a recipe.

Essay: https://tastecooking.com/keema-spaghetti-is-4500-miles-away-from-bolognese

Recipe: https://tastecooking.com/recipes/keema-spaghetti/

“Velveting” is the Chinese wok cooking technique which keeps meat juicy and soft, even after cooking through. Chef J Kenji Lopez-Alt talks Emily Kwong through the process (9 minute listen). https://www.npr.org/2022/06/01/1102406135/how-to-keep-meat-juicy-with-science

Recipes:

If you have leftover pork chops or roast pork, this quick and spicy salad is an easy meal-in-a-bowl: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/curried-pork-bulghar-salad

Nigel Slater’s clear summer soup with prawn cakes, plus a recipe for Asparagus and broad bean soup: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/jun/12/nigel-slater-recipes-clear-summer-soup-with-prawn-cakes-asparagus-broad-bean-soup

Jack Monroe’s “Sardinesca” – a sardine replacing version of spaghetti puttanesca – low cost and low energy for people struggling with household bills: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sardinesca_94123

Sesame dressed noodles – Liang mian Taiwanese noodle salad recipe from Chef Jeremy Pang: https://schoolofwok.co.uk/tips-and-recipes/liang-mian

Sejal Sukhadwala, author of The Philosophy of Curry, shares a recipe for Strawberry curry and gives the lowdown on fruit curries in Indian food: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/strawberry-curry

Jose Pizarro makes a variation on the classic Spanish potato Tortilla – an asparagus tortilla: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/asparagus-tortilla/

Rangoon Sisters Amy Chung & Emily Chung share their recipe for khayan jin thee thoke – tomato and crunchy peanut salad: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/may/30/the-rangoon-sisters-recipe-khayan-jin-thee-thoke-tomato-and-crunchy-peanut-salad

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen

My recipe for Risotto primavera: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2020/07/risotto-primavera.html

My salad of black Provencal rice, asparagus and fine beans. Have it vegan style, or top it with oven baked Toulouse sausage and a poached egg. https://snigskitchen.tumblr.com/post/686966302531878912/cooked-provencal-black-rice-steamed-fine-green

A version of cheater’s bhel puri (an Indian light meal from the chaat family), with a link to the twitter thread of steps and preparation: https://snigskitchen.tumblr.com/post/686509909269004289/cheaters-bhel-puri-potato-tomato-cucumber-red

My other writing

“Bad enough MPs are gaslighting us about food poverty, but will the trolls please just stop.” My opinion piece on food poverty (and the explosion of food banks), the UK cost of living crisis, gaslighting by government and the twitter trolls who assist them. https://mediadiversified.org/2022/05/31/bad-enough-mps-are-gaslighting-us-about-food-poverty-will-the-trolls-please-just-stop/

Film

Parasite

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

TV

Glastonbury 2022: Paul McCartney

Glastonbury 2022: Crowded House

Glastonbury 2022: Billie Eilish

Glastonbury 2022: Burna Boy

Glastonbury 2022: Khruangbin

Sex Education Series 1 and 2

Suspect https://www.channel4.com/programmes/suspect

Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You (non UK: https://youtu.be/pTBCwcgrtkg) (UK: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m0017njl/jeff-buckley-everybody-here-wants-you)

Music

Jeff Buckley - Grace

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.