by Diana
I believe the happiest people are the ones who find pleasure in simple yet comforting things. I admire those who find beauty in the everyday, in the normal, in the humble little, unobserved things and events that those like me who over complicate themselves perhaps underestimate. The art of appreciation. It reminds me of mindfulness. It reminds me of Buddhism. The act of letting go from all we think we need.
Everyone that knows my husband would agree that he is the happiest man alive. As much as I would like to, I can’t take the credit for such statement though. From him I’ve patiently learnt to be patient and to choose simply, when I remember to do so. The kitchen is the perfect example. I would spend hours researching appealing recipes and new ingredients to surprise him with after a long weekend of A&E night shifts but whenever I decide to ask him if he has any cravings he would always reply a ‘tortica’ -a little cake- ‘but not too sweet’. I would still ignore him and make what I consider something ‘more special’ and he would always love it (he would never say otherwise but I could tell whether he would as per the rapidness in which the dish disappears over the course of the week). This time I just want to please him with the simplest yet incredibly comforting Madeira cake that I know he adores. I hope you like it too.
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| © The Teaspoon |
by Diana
The word magic and hummus don’t often go in hand, especially as its accessibility and readyness has made the once exotic hummus almost ordinary. It’s so common nowadays that there are numerous versions already available in the supermarket shelves, hence the challenge to make it interesting again. But why? you may wonder, I’ll go with the magic again. Earlier last year, an excessively healthy approach to diet (combined with a lack of food writing!) had me professionally prescribed by a nutritionist with a daily dose of nuts, avocado and above all, hummus. I had to ‘take it’ everyday in order to recover but in just a matter of months I was back on my feet again. Therefore I am forever grateful to hummus. But no matter the various available options, you have to be creative to tolerate a hummus routine. As ever, my beloved gluttonous husband doesn’t seem to mind but I do get bored of flavours quite quickly.
My Syrian grandma, of course, had the best hummus recipe, which I treasure solemnly and will only reveal when I publish her kitchen memories book, sometime later in life.
Meanwhile, this is one of those versions I played with over those months last year. The essence of the recipe is maintained (otherwise I would be cursed from the afterlife) and remains ‘medicinal’ but just slightly more spiced up to make it exciting. I haven’t seen this one out there yet so hurry up and make it before it’s easier to just buy it.
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| © The Teaspoon |
by Diana
If going vegan/gluten-free/processed-sugar-free/lactose-free, and so on and so forth, is among your New Year’s resolutions then this will set you up to failure straight away so look away, otherwise you may be still on time to edit up that list of yours.
I spent the first few days of January in Pamplona, visiting my family. As it's often the case, we don’t do that many spanish-related things, much less we cook traditional dishes, even though they live in the cradle of Navarra's culinary delights. Instead we improvised with the Venezuelan traditional dish one day and then with other latinamerican nibbles here and then, combined with fresh delivered German stollen from Leipzig that we ate whilst flipping through ‘The Aleppo Cookbook’ I gave my brother and his wife for Christmas. I think you already have a picture of what type of family we are, don’t you?
On my last day, I often pay a visit to the local supermarket and stock up my hand luggage with Spanish products, with an intention of extending the ‘holiday’ at home in London and make it up for not embracing the Iberian culture. This recipe represents my craving for tortilla española, which by the way I learnt to make with my brother many years ago. I adapted it (Spanish people please don’t be offended) with a baked version and adding vegetables, spices and herbs. It’s not healthier in anyway, in case your hopes were still up for those new year resolutions. Happy New Year!
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| © The Teaspoon |
