When I tried to remember the reason for starting this project in the first place, I couldn't remember at first. I remember that it was Anna who inspired me to do it - she is such a creative soul and often has a ton of fun projects going on at the same time. I guess that I began this series because I wanted to document my newfound hobby more closely.
I ended up with an even bigger passion for food and all that it brings than I had when I first started. I have seen myself shift from someone who used to prepare processed food every day, to someone who likes to dabble a bit in the kitchen during the weekends, to someone who eats food inspired by cookbooks every day, to someone who'd rather make her own pizza dough from scratch on a Friday night than order lousy take-out pizza.
I certainly don't consider myself some sort of expert on cooking, but if you take anything from this very personal experiment, let it be this:
* Prefer quality over quantity. Most days Jochem and I eat vegetarian meals. We almost never eat meat or fish, but when we do, we have the best of the best. You really don't need a lot to be satisfied.
* 'Real' food (e.g. butter, full fat milk, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, free range eggs or dark chocolate) are not the enemy. In fact, I would argue that they're probably better for you than those chemically-enhanced substitutes that you have in your fridge. As with so many things in life, it comes down to enjoyment in moderation. That way, you can have anything you want! Sure, I've gained some pounds during this year. But it's a small price to pay for leading a life that doesn't include counting calories or watching fat and sugar contents. I never understand those people who substitute low-fat, no-sugar type foods for the real deal. What could possibly be the point of having a low-fat, no-sugar brownie? Of course this excludes those people who actually like this type of food (though I must admit that I'm quite suspicious of them). But for most of you I'd say: suck it up, eat some nice nuts and dried fruit during the week, and get yourselves a real brownie for the weekend.
* As a consumer, you have all the power. Coming from a very personal and thus subjective point of view, I truly believe that the majority of supermarkets out there represent so much that I think is wrong with this world. The audacity with which these chains lure you under false pretenses and get you to buy crappy food for lots of money infuriates me. What's killing me is the fact that everyone (or at least in the Netherlands) appears to be in such awe of these places. Wake up people! Things will never change unless you request (no, demand!) it. Become one of those people who is knowledgeable about their food - know where your food comes from and what needed to happen for it to get there. Visit a local business and learn from the passion that these people have for their produce. And please, please, please, at least consider buying free range eggs, organic meat and MSC-certified fish. And if you don't, at least be conscious of what that choice means in the big scheme of things.
Wow! That sounded suspiciously like a rant and/or sermon. As you can probably tell, though, I am extremely passionate about all of this. And on that note, I would like to thank one person in particular for his never-ending passion concerning all things food and that is (of course) Jamie Oliver. Without his inspiration, I'd probably still be cooking from tins and cans. And I would also like to express a special thank you to Nigella Lawson, who knows her priorities in food, looks beautiful in the kitchen, as who has made the art of baking a reality rather than a fantasy for me.
THE LAST SUPPER
For the last day in this series I really wanted to go back to where I came from. This is the first dish that I ever learned how to cook (though from a package) and have improved upon over years and years of practice (but still from a package). My boyfriend at the time taught me and eventually I mastered the recipe. I can make it with tofu and it still tastes nice. I am talking, of course, about chicken tandoori.
For this meal I went back to the basics. I was determined to make a chicken tandoori from scratch. I used the things that I've learnt from the pre-packaged stuff, as well as some online resources and my common sense to make this dish. First, I made garam masala from scratch:
Then I made my own tandoori paste:
Then I stir-fried the marinated chicken (real chicken, no tofu allowed), onion and green bell pepper. I like green bell pepper for color and onion for flavor. Red onion would probably be prettier, but I find it too strong. I usually cut my food jullienne (a fancy French word for 'little strips') because I like how it looks: not too fine, not too bulky. I cut the onion brunoise, though, (a fancy French word for 'little cubes') because otherwise you run the risk of having too much onion in one mouthful:
I added more tandoori paste and creme fraiche to the chicken and vegetables, cooked some basmati rice, and served it with fresh coriander and some leftover Greek herb sauce (which I was very grateful for because it was HOT):
And thus the end result is as such:
It tasted nothing like the chicken tandoori I usually make, but I guess the point is to keep practicing. And although this part of my blog is over for now, you'll see me around here - cooking and eating, because that's what I love to do. So thank you reading (if you did indeed) and stay tuned!
