September 2022 favourites list

Hello readers,

Welcome once again to my virtual kitchen table! I hope you have been having a great September. 

As an academic whose main work is teaching, September is my "new year". My strange little January. I am armed with my new academic year diary, new white board pens and I am getting used to running around from building to building on campus with all my books and papers.

My new students are getting used to a course which will be teaching them unfamiliar areas of knowledge and new, highly practical skills. Obviously, what they have to get used to is far more complicated and difficult than my challenges.

Teaching skills as I do often reminds me of cooking. When you are cooking savoury dishes, you build up the flavours bit by bit, rather than shoving everything in a pan and hoping for the best. Often, a dish will start by frying off an onion... then the garlic.... etc. When you are baking, you might rub the fat into the flour before bringing in the "wet" ingredients.

Taking things bit by bit, keeping things manageable, planning ahead, getting your preparing done in advance... as important with cooking as they are with courtroom advocacy.

Welcome to this month's favourites list. I've collected together some food I have enjoyed cooking and eating, along with my selections of food writings and recipes. This month I have opted to choose two articles to help manage the cost of living, in the hope they may be of a small amount of assistance. The cultural pickings are brief this month, as I have been kept busy with other things.

I hope you will enjoy this month's selection. And yes, I know it is a little bit late.

Food writing

What's in season in the UK in September; salads, tomatoes, courgettes, cucumbers and runner beans.  https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/whats-in-season-september

If you are keen to avoid food waste, here are 14 foods you can safely eat past their best before date. Please note carefully that you shouldn't eat other foods beyond either BBE or use before dates. https://metro.co.uk/2022/09/01/what-foods-can-you-safely-eat-past-by-the-best-before-date-2-17284684/

Bought a brand new stone mortar and pestle and want to start using it? You'll need to get rid of any remaining stone dust and dirt. Here is how: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-season-a-mortar-and-pestle

Can we let go of the term ‘fusion cooking’ once and for all? Food is food! https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2022-08-27/tasting-notes-letting-go-of-term-fusion-tasting-notes

Everything you want to know about Paneer, the young and fresh Indian cheese you can either make at home or buy in the supermarket. By food writer and curry philosopher Sejal Sukhadwala: https://www.lovefood.com/news/58760/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-paneer

 

What is "katsu", the famous Japanese dish? @ElsaEats starts with what it definitely is NOT. Katsu is not a sauce. http://www.elsaeats.com/katsu-is-not-a-sauce/

A guide to the many different varieties of chilli and when to use them: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/sep/13/which-chilli-to-use-when-kitchen-aide

Cost of living

 

As the cost of living is increasing, energy for heating our homes, cooking our food and powering our appliances is becoming more expensive than ever. Here are some energy myths exploded, to help you save money: https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/ten-energy-myths-busted-leaving-27876932

Here are some more tips with a cooking emphasis, to help you keep your energy costs down. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/aug/30/cheap-heats-microwave-cooking-tips-to-save-you-time-and-money

 

Recipes

As the new academic year begins, here are 54 healthy student recipes: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/healthy-student-recipes

From a brand new cookbook dedicated to butter, this is a recipe for Lancashire butter pie made from pastry, potato and onion, traditionally served with braised red cabbage: https://www.nigella.com/recipes/guests/lancashire-butter-pie

Chinese Cooking Demystified is a great YouTube channel with recipe demonstrations and ingredient explanations. I made their Beef Mala Sauce recipe, which was delicious and you can find here: https://youtu.be/krag7AWtTmA  

 

Spanish almond chicken, a one pan wonder to serve with crusty bread: https://www.saveur.com/recipes-by-cuisine/almond-chicken-recipe/

Wanting a change from chick pea hummus? This is a recipe for beetroot hummus from a pre-prepared pack, for convenience: https://www.thekitchn.com/beet-hummus-264798

 

While sweetcorn is still available, here’s a recipe for a late summer Chorizo, orzo and sweetcorn stew:  https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/chorizo-orzo-sweetcorn-summer-stew

Film

Don’t Look Up

TV

The Cavern Club: The Beat Goes On

Classic Albums – Pieces Of A Man (Gil Scott-Heron)

Stranger Things (Series 1)

 

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.