When forced to live through times of transition, uncertainty, waiting or delay, I tend to get moderately (to highly) obsessive about sorting, culling, throwing out and using up stuff. I must write a how-to guide about it someday. For now, I’m too obsessed to be writing about such obsessive behaviour.
Last night I ventured into the ‘Veal’ chapter in Marcella’s book. I think I may only have had veal once in my life, if ever, so I had left this chapter untouched up to this point. The potential cost also put me off a little – but then it turns out that because you flatten the escalopes until they are thin, it looks like your guests are getting more meat than they actually are. Also, because Marcella’s recipes tend not to have long lists of complicated ingredients, you don’t have too many other expenses.
The main reason I was venturing into the chapter of veal recipes, was to cook one particular recipe that would use up the couple of tablespoons of Grappa leftover from the ‘Drunk Roast Pork’ recipe I cooked for my friend’s 40th. In addition, it would also make use of some of the tin of anchovies in my cupboard. ‘Veal Scaloppine with Ham, Anchovies, Capers and Grappa’ was quick to cook (5-6 minutes). So quick, that I didn’t remember to take a photo – sorry.
For dessert, I used one of Nigella’s recipes that had been highlighted on a blog I was reading the night before. ‘No Churn Coffee Icecream.’ I also found the recipe on her official site. I highly recommend giving it a try!! My guests last night would concur. This recipe used up the last of some coffee powder (used for cooking purposes) and a forgotten tin of sweetened condensed milk found in the back of my cupboard. I served the icecream in coffee cups with a seasonally inevitable Ferrero Rocher on the side. Sorry, no photo of that either.
That was last night.
Today I made a ‘Glazed Bread Pudding’ in advance of a staff Christmas dinner in two day’s time. Marcella suggests making it in advance to let the flavours develop. This recipe used up the last of the rum (used for cooking purposes!) in my cupboard. I also, somewhat frustratingly, used up a half packet of caster sugar in my attempt to make the toffee glaze. After three attempts I gave up. I will make my own toffee sauce to drizzle over it on the night.
Crazy, I know! Ever so non-conformist of me! My inner ‘recipe-conformist’ is not coping very well.
Tonight, I’ll be giving another veal recipe a go – just to use up the remaining anchovies and some of the remaining Marsala (used for cooking purposes!).
Last night: #88 ‘Veal Scaloppine with Ham, Anchovies, Capers and Grappa’ and #89 ‘Smothered French Beans with Carrots Sticks and Mortadella or Ham’ with the Violinist and the Ambassador at my table.
For Monday night: #90 ‘Glazed Bread Pudding’ at my boss’s home with a collection of desserts set to be on the table.
At my table 