I was pondering yesterday the influence of Project Spectrum in my kitchen. For many years I believed that cooking was my sole creative outlet. I still enjoy the creative aspects of cooking, though am challenged now by the lack of access to ingredients. I particularly miss the Asian supermarkets, especially at moments when my brain goes “I know -Â a pistachio cake!”
Well, pistachios are out. I’d have to buy those tiny wee bags at exorbitant prices… so how can I reflect the current PS4 bearing in my kitchen? I’d like to do something with the camera, so I don’t figure repetitive meals of frozen spinach to be quite meeting the need here – though I have fish for lunch today and maybe a Florentine would be good. I hate eating food that isn’t piping hot though, so would be reluctant to snap my dinner plate en route to the dining table.
Salads are, well, challenging… they are green and they come from the Earth, but not from my earth as I don’t have a veggie garden operating yet[1]. They certainly don’t come from the local shops… except in their most basic, and somewhat ageing form.
Can I reflect the North aspect? How about a nice Baked Alaska? Now, there’s an idea! Could I explore the culinary influences of our Northern neighbours, in Shetland? Do they have a culinary tradition?
There’s the rocks/stones/gems facet too. How can I combine that in my cooking? I could make some “lava” – and brew up some honeycomb toffee. Or make a fruit cobbler. Ha! Rocky Road!!!
Dear reader, do you have any ideas you can share with me? Do you have any answers?
How about we cook up a weekend three course meal, dedicated to PS4 North? It should reflect all aspects of this quarter: Green, Winter, North, Earth, Rocks. I may have to put it on hold until I can get the boat to Kirkwall and fetch home some fresh pretty green things. In the meantime, I’ll look for Shetland, Nordic and Icelandic recipes.
I’ll make the meal, take the photos, and post the recipes. We’ll make an event of it – perhaps over the Easter holiday.
(Mr L says he has the solution: fish, chips and mushy peas. He says “fish from the North Sea, green peas, and spuds from the earth” You know, he has a point there! Not a wholly photogenic concept, though?)
We can repeat this exercise through the year, with the remaining cardinal directions. I am looking forward to East the most, I think! I do like my spices – and we can have yellow rice 🙂
Today we have smoked haddock, fresh from the North Sea. I plan to marry it to the East – and make Kedgeree, but I could be talked into making a Florentine of it.
[1] Clearly, the one PS4 project I should be deeply engaged in is the preparation of a seed bed in which to raise some earth-grown greens!