Sanctuary from The Mad World
Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch. - Orson Welles

One restless Monday evening, I was craving for something to munch and there was nothing in the pantry. I reached for the freezer and took out Mövenpick’s vanilla ice-cream. After a few half-hearted spoonfuls, I realized I wanted salty snacks and there was none in the house.

Suddenly, I thought, "Why not roast chickpeas?" I love chickpeas and I wonder how they taste roasted. A quick googling brought me to this and this site. Apparently, I wasn’t crazy. There is such thing as roasted chickpeas.

I used dried chickpeas so the snack was available only the next day. Mine didn’t turn out completely crispy: some were still soft in the centre. I’ll just have to play around with the temperatures and dryness to ensure that I get it right (I’ll put the notes later as an afterthought). You should too (and tell me, please…)

Ingredients: (continue…)

Servings: for two

In my spare time, I often look at the Bittman’s videos in NYT. One day, he had Jamie Oliver over as a guest. I thought the chicken recipe was clever and proceeded to make it. The secret is in the heavy pounding:  make it as thin as possible for even and quick cooking.  It was beautiful served with foil-steamed, olive-salt-and-pepper seasoned green asparagus.  Just make sure that the chicken is pounded really thinly otherwise cooking takes a while and the chicken becomes too dry.

The video is here.

Ingredients: (continue…)

A friend gave me a bottle of sambal from Singapore and by habit, I looked at the label.  A prominent sign at the front screamed "No preservatives".  Great!  I scrutinize the English list of ingredients, they’re all legit.  Check out the ingredient list in French.

I am not naive.  Of course preservatives are used.  But I dislike the trickiness.  In the French list of ingredients?  Written in English?  As if no one would notice.

Having said that, I will use this sambal with gratitude to produce delicious dishes.  Nasi Lemak, Kangkong Belachan, coming up!

The picture at My Kind of Food was calling me.  It was like sunshine captured in one lemony, delicious bar.  And there is something to the words "lemon squares".  I had to make it.  

It took me a while because I’m rather traumatic by anything involving making a crust (the reason I’ve not attempted Quiche Lorraine, an eternal favourite, until now).  But this recipe is easy to follow.  The result was deeply satisfying as refreshing summer dessert.  The tangy flavour also suits my husband who doesn’t have a sweet tooth.  The texture was enticing:  soft, crumbly, neutral biscuit (I managed, yay!) alternates with creamy lemon.  I polished two bars right on the kitchen counter while ‘checking out’ the result. 

Thanks Hungry Gal.  Now I too have something more exciting to bring to dinner parties than my usual Lemon Pound Cake. 

Recipe is verbatim from My Kind of Food (except for those in bold which I tweaked to my taste).

Ingredients: (continue…)

Tender at The Bone is a hilarious, light-hearted account of Ruth Reichl’s living with a manic-depressive mother, dealing with low self-confidence, and getting to know food. It is the first of the series, published in 1999. Comfort Me with Apples, the second installation published in 2002, provides a more honest, open and personal story. Some parts, particularly during her affairs and breakdown of her marriage, are actually so sensually graphic and personal they probably belong more to a harlequin novels than a memoir of a living public person.  (continue…)