September 2024 favourites list

If, like me, you work in education, this month has brought with it the new academic year. Since I teach on a one year course, it has also brought the new, keen, fresh faces of the new student cohort. Welcoming them is always exciting and fun, even after all of these years working in the law school. 

 

I had wanted to share more cultural picks in this month’s list, but being busy at this time has meant I have not had the same time to devote to film, TV, or Music.

This month’s photos are from Taro Catford, a new Japanese restaurant from Mr Taro, who has succeeded in bringing casual Japanese dining to London in 8 locations. Mr Taro wanted his restaurants to be Taishu shokudo or everyday dining rooms. The atmosphere is relaxed and jovial, and the food is authentic with good value for money. I think I may have found my new favourite local restaurant!

Food writing

Margaret Eby has written a cookbook with a unique angle – that maybe sometimes you don’t have the time or inclination to cook, but still need to feed yourself. This interview with the author is very thought provoking for those of us who share or write recipes. https://www.eater.com/24228934/you-gotta-eat-cookbook-margaret-eby-interview

MSG has long been maligned. But attitudes are changing. Food writer MiMi Aye (whose Burmese cookbook Mandalay is unmissable) has championed this hero ingredient for years. Get some umami in your life! https://web.archive.org/web/20240905180745/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/msg-is-no-longer-a-guilty-secret-how-to-cook-with-it/

Food advice and kitchen tips

Squishy and slimy mushrooms are an insult to the noble funghi kingdom. Here are some useful tips on getting your mushrooms restaurant style – this would make a great topping for a mushroom risotto. https://www.mashed.com/1574123/why-restaurant-mushrooms-taste-better/

I’m always looking out for new kitchen tips and hacks – the freezing food as “tiles” both to save space and allow for taking small amounts without thawing in this collection seems like a useful, free tip! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/kitchen-hacks-that-will-change-your-life

Non paywalled version: https://archive.ph/ABv6j

Want to give making your own pickled cucumbers or fine green beans? Here is how, with quantities of brine for the most common sized jars: https://lifehacker.com/food-drink/how-to-make-the-best-shelf-stable-pickles

 

Recipes

Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipes for Soy chicken and mushroom biryani and Cinnamon and lemon rice pudding with blackberries: https://www.theguardian.com/food/article/2024/aug/31/yotam-ottolenghi-comforting-rice-recipes-blackberry-rice-pudding-and-soy-chicken-biryani

Sweetcorn is still in season, and there are many versions of sweetcorn cakes and fritters around the world. Here is a recipe for an Indonesian version with chilli and tomato sambal, taken from Petty Pandean-Elliot's book “The Indonesian Table”:  https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/entertain/indonesian-sweetcorn-fritters-with-chilli-and-tomato-sambal/

A wedge salad, made of iceberg lettuce with bacon and cream cheese sauce, is a classic American side dish. Here is a novel innovation, where Napa cabbage (aka Chinese cabbage) is used with a miso dressing.  https://smittenkitchen.com/2024/08/napa-cabbage-wedge-with-miso-dressing/

Nine one-pan recipes for simple midweek meals - Curried Paneer, Courgette, Coconut and Quinoa Stew; Spiced Cherry Tomato Rice; One-Tray Greek Style Chicken Orzo with Feta; One-Pan Chicken Fajita Gnocchi; One-Pan Beef Enchiladas; One Pan Cheat’s Cottage Pie; Halloumi, Chorizo and Quinoa Traybake; Mushroom Goulash One-Pot Pasta; Chicken Feta Saag Pie: https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/food-and-drink/one-pan-recipes-simple-midweek-meals-3262847

 

Bringing the taste of Iran/Persia to your table – a recipe for Shirazi salad, with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions dressed in olive oil and lemon juice: https://www.eater.com/24220450/shirazi-salad-recipe-persian-feasts

Tuna salads are a great thrifty packed lunch if you are trying to save money on workplace lunches. But avoiding them getting boring can be a problem. This article is a helpful “no recipe” approach to putting the crunch into your tuna salad: https://www.thetakeout.com/1654489/ingredients-give-tuna-salad-crunch/

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen

If you follow my blog, you will know I have started to review instant noodle products. Here is my review of a “fusion” Korean product, Nongshim brands “Chapagetti” noodle: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2024/09/nongshim-chapagetti-noodle-review.html

Music

Air's 1998 album Moon Safari is one of my favourite albums and I'd go as far as to say it's one of the best albums of the 90s. Here is a unique concert from London's Royal Albert Hall, as shown on French TV. Merveilleux!

https://youtu.be/uQauaVbPEAA

TV

Sherwood – Series 1

Sherwood is a fictional murder mystery series with its roots in the very real tension and acrimony of the Miners’ Strikes of the 1980s. This first series combines not only an excellent cast, effective storytelling and tension, but it demonstrates how the problems of the present can be caused by the problems of the past. Series 2 is also available on BBC iPlayer, but this first series feels like it has a more fulfilling and realistic story.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0c725bc/sherwood-series-1-episode-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