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Hello hello! HNY! 2021! New Year! Same me! Still here! Still cooking!
I think that's enough !!! for the entire post. Let's get into it!
It's been a while so let's catch you up on things I cooked/watched in the second half of December -
Quick pesto pasta for lunch one afternoon 🌱
Our basil plant was going crazy and needed some intervention badly, so all those excess leaves made it into this pesto with walnuts, olive oil, parmesan & garlic. Those tiny basil flowers on top - so aromatic! 💜
In December drinking Horchata ❄️
The very first song on Vampire Weekend's 2010 album, Contra, starts something like this:
In December drinking horchata; I'd look psychotic in a balaclava
Ever since listening to the song and becoming a fan of the band I've wanted to make Horchata *in December* just to be that dedicated. Well, I've officially accomplished it last (this?) year.
Three things I learnt in the process:
Horchata tastes amazing. (It's a Mexican summer drink made from rice and cinnamon.)
Straining the liquid to get no grit and rice flour is a very tedious process. (I spent two hours behind it. Ouch.)
Horchata is not meant for the winters. (I drank two ice-cold glasses last week and now I have a mild cold as I write this. I'm not saying these events are related, but I'm not entirely convinced they're not related either.)
Discovered the comfort of steamed eggs 🍲
This was a recipe I came across on The Sun Kitchen's Instagram, run by the lovely Jonny & Elissa. When I saw them make it, I knew I had to make it because it looked amazing and so easy to make. Also, eggs anything and I'm sold. So 🤷🏻♀️
The recipe they followed was this one by Red House Spice, so that was what I went with. One egg, double the volume of water or stock, seasoned & mixed, steamed for 10ish minutes and done!
The texture is certainly the most wonderful aspect of this dish. So soft and velvety when eaten warm. Also, the soy sauce and sesame oil on top elevate the flavour to another level and it's one of the most comforting eating experiences.
Some great bake-offs 🧁
These were of the most fun things I watched on Youtube in these past weeks.
First up was this Gingerbread Showdown between Priya+Seth & Sohla+Ham. If you already know these two, then this video will probably be a Christmas dream come true.
The two pairs create their wildest-dream-come-true edible houses (won't say gingerbread, well, because you just have to watch to find out why) and it is the most fun thing to watch the contrast between their approaches, styles and culinary minds.
Second up was another bake-off featuring Sohla, but this time with Andrew Rea of Binging with Babish fame. Sohla is officially a member of team Babish and I couldn't be any happier to see more of her and her creative genius!
The bake-off is a knock on the famous Great British Bake Off and it features some amazing sweet creations and a couple of fan-favourite guests!
...And We'll Be Homies Cooking
Sad to report that the Home Cooking podcast aired its last episode in December. 😖😭🥺😫😢
We all knew the podcast was a limited time thing, but seeing it end so soon did leave me feeling a bit sad. This podcast was one of my brightest spots in the past year and I don't have enough words to appreciate it. So... I baked cookies!
The last episode of the podcast was all about cookies - my kryptonite. These tangy lemon cookies were one of the cookies discussed in the episode and there is such a cool story behind it!
A listener calls in describing a cookie her mom used to make but lost the recipe for. All she remembers is that the recipe was from an 80s edition of Gourmet Magazine. Samin takes up the challenge and through her network of friends and acquaintances, discovers the exact recipe through a former contributor of the magazine.
This particular anecdote filled me with so much joy I decided then and there while listening that I was going to bake these cookies. And here they are -
Lemony, sweet, crisp and chewy, these cookies are a citrus delight. Although I would have liked the cookies to be a little less flat and a bit sweeter, the intention behind the bake already made it a satisfying one for me.
It'll be bittersweet to not have new episodes of Home Cooking every alternate Wednesday in the new year, but, hey, who's to stop me from re-listening to the existing ones whenever I want? 😉
Samin & Hrishi - in the slightest chance that you read this - I want to give you a big thank you and the warmest virtual hug for creating this wholesome show. You have filled the lives of so many people around the world with little joys and I'm definitely one of then. We will all be homies cooking. 💛
Cute Instagram Things
That's it for this one, frens. I hope this new year is a good one filled with all the good things. 🌻
See you soon! Pasta la vista 🤜🏼🤛🏼