Oat Digestive Biscuits

by Diana

Empty supermarkets shelves at the beginning of the lockdown encouraged me to think a bit more creatively as I was running out of flour, very much needed to continue topping up the breastfeeding energy supply and surviving what it seems to be our endlessly energetic baby!

As I never buy ready made cookies and wanted to save as much gluten as possible y opted to go for -mostly- oats - and coincidentally, I have read- probably from an untrusted source-  that oats are recommended for breastfeeding mums. So even for the sake of embracing the placebo effect I made this utterly delicious digestive biscuits. I guess the placebo effect is maximised here as in my experience these don't add any magic to the function of body digestion but somehow the sound of it masquerades the guilt free enjoyment. Hope you like them too!

© The Teaspoon

Baby-Friendly Banana Cookies

by Diana

As a kid my favourite meal of the day was ‘la merienda’ which I don’t think has an equivalent translation in English that does it justice, the closest perhaps being an 'afternoon snack’. But 'la merienda' was so much more than just a 4pm bite- it felt like a reward when coming back home after my gymnastics practice or swimming lessons or a litte treat after completing my homework. After all, the word derives from ‘mereri’ which means to earn/to deserve/to have merit. Therefore an 'afternoon edible reward' is probably a more accurate translation. As much as I enjoyed my meriendas on weekdays I never appreciated them as much as on Saturdays when we visited 'Mimina', my maternal grandmother. There was something quite soothing about those afternoons at her house, probably because the invitation to snack together implied a dedicated sharing moment, a bite of attention, love and affection translated into a piece of homemade cake - specially made for those family afternoons- and the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

There is still something quite rewarding and indulging about a little afternoon bite - a revitalising prize after a day at work - or play if like myself, you are on maternity leave, which can be equally exhausting! But beyond the energy booster fact, I want my baby to get the idea that a 'merienda' is a time to sit together before the end of the afternoon and enjoy a moment of tranquility with one another whilst enjoying a shared sweet bite of genuine bonding time. 

These banana cookies were our little merienda earlier this week- naturally sweetened and full of texture and flavour- suitable for everyone- no matter how many tooth you have or have left. Enjoy!
  

© The Teaspoon

Creamy Cod Pie

by Diana 

As much as we have been gladly embracing British life, we haven’t been able to adopt their love for potatoes. You’ll be lucky to find one or two potatoes a month in our larder- and if you do they have usually started sprouting as they have been there forever hoping to be used, and is just sad to witness their failure attempt to reproduce in such a potato-unwelcoming home.  

Having said that, I don’t want our 9 month old British tot to grow up and be the unpopular potato avoidant of the class so in order to prevent any form of bullying I am introducing him slowly to the national crop through some of those classic dishes we  ourselves have evaded for the last decade. 

I want to be able to say that this was a success and that the British culture is more powerful than our baby's heterogenous genes but he too hated even the sight of the little dish. My husband got excellent feedback about the pie though, from his British colleagues at the hospital, as he ended up with a choice-less packed lunch to take to his shift. They even discussed recipes and fish pie styles and methods - I knew at least one of us would gain some form of popularity from the old potatoes. Hope you enjoy this recipe more than we did!

© The Teaspoon

Pistachio and Rose Water Cake

by Diana 

The current challenging situation is triggering different things for me everyday but this week in particular the key word has to be nostalgia, a somehow exacerbated sentimentalism for the underestimated freedom I was enjoying until just a few days ago.

This post could go in two directions. I could embrace the longing for the past and hit bottom with a gloomy text about how this was such a delicious cake I did the last time we hosted friends over for lunch in what it seems to be an eternity ago and I could go on then suggesting this would be the perfect 'back to normality' celebratory cake to make once this is all over. Or, I could actually stop the nonsense and be grateful as I still have some flour in my kitchen cupboard and a couple of mouths to feed who wouldn't mind a showstopper bake in the middle of the week, specially if it's one that takes us on a journey to exotic and exuberant distant lands. I hope you also remember to be present and to enjoy every moment as well as every mouthful of this glamorous Persian cake. 

© The Teaspoon