Make a meal of it
Consequently, it is well worth putting as much effort as possible into sourcing good, fresh, naturally produced food in season as our much-loved GP, the late Dr Derry McCarthy, was fond of saying: "If you don't put the petrol in the tank, the car won't go." Food is after all the fuel to nourish our bodies.
Nowadays, many of us spend our time racing from one thing to the next, always in a mad hurry in many ways, it's just a habit, easy to acquire but so difficult to kick. When life takes on this frenetic quality, cooking or even stopping to eat meals properly is one of the first things to be sidelined. It's easy to get into the mindset that there are more important things to do than stopping to cook or even to eat a meal properly.
This is a great mistake apart from the obvious importance of the food we eat, one misses out on the relaxation and satisfaction of doing something different and, dare I say, creative. Allow yourself the time to relax and have fun in the kitchen. One of the greatest pleasures in life and the one that so many memories are made of is sitting down together with family and friends around the kitchen table. When we share a meal, a bond is formed. It doesn't have to be an elaborate feast, it could just be a boiled egg and soldiers or a bowl of saucy pasta.
Its particularly important to keep the tradition of family meals. This takes tremendous effort nowadays when family members are involved in so many activities. Sports, classes and work commitments are all reasons why family meals have to be eaten at different times, often on the run. But its worth making an effort to have a family meal where everyone sits down together, at least couple of times a week.
It keeps the lines of communication open and it may turn into a fun time.
A quick message for those of you who are being cooked for: don't forget to at least offer to help with the washing up and remember a big hug for the cook, it makes the world of difference.
A well stocked store cupboard is more important than ever, when so many people are trying to keep so many balls in the air simultaneously. If you have lots of pasta, beans, cheese, some salami, a few tins of tomatoes, maybe a piece of chorizo, then you can whip up myriad dishes in a few minutes. Combine it with a freezer containing a few judiciously frozen items and you'll never be stuck. I always have tomato fondue, piperonata and mushroom a la crème in the freezer.
Next week, I'll have lots of ideas for these three brilliant standbys, but this week I include some delicious and nutritious dishes that can be quickly assembled from your store cupboard.
Risotto alla
Parmigiana
Serves 6
RISOTTO is a brilliant standby, made in just 30 minutes, it can be basic with some freshly grated parmesan or pecorino, and it can include peas, broad beans, rocket leaves, roast tomatoes, shrimps, courgettes, mushrooms, smoked salmon, and much more besides can be added to enhance or embellish the risotto.
1-1.3 litres (1¾-2¼ pints) broth or light chicken stock
30g (1oz) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
400g (14oz) arboria or carnaroli rice
30g (1oz) butter
50g (2oz) freshly grated parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano is best)
sea salt
First bring the broth or stock to the boil, turn down the heat and keep it simmering. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan with the oil. Add the onion and sweat over a gentle heat for 4-5 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the rice and stir until well coated (so far the technique is the same as for a pilaff and this is where people become confused). Cook for a minute or so and then add 150ml (¼pint) of the simmering broth, stir continuously and as soon as the liquid is absorbed add another 150ml (¼pint) broth.
Continue to cook, stirring continuously. The heat should be brisk, but on the other hand if it's too hot the rice will be soft outside but still chewy inside. If it's too slow, the rice will be gluey. Its difficult to know which is worse so the trick is to regulate the heat so that the rice bubbles continuously.
The risotto should take about 25-30 minutes to cook.
When it is cooking for about 20 minutes, add the remaining broth about 4 tablespoons at a time. I use a small ladle. Watch it very carefully from there on. The risotto is done when the rice is cooked but is still ever so slightly 'al dente'. It should be soft and creamy and quite loose, rather than thick. The moment you are happy with the texture, stir in the remaining butter and Parmesan cheese, taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve immediately. Risotto does not benefit from hanging around.
