Long before everyone aspired to be a gourmet chef and cooking programs were all the rage, it wasn’t so easy to get good advice about what to cook and how to do it. Of course, the posh papers had their Sunday supplements with glossy accounts of exotic meals first tasted in far-off places like Mykonos, Sicily, and the South of France. They always looked tempting but included all kinds of pricey ingredients not available at the corner shop in Clapham Junction.
And then came the craze for home-made Indian food and for that there was a superb cook – Wendy Hewing – on hand with all kinds of expertise. First, just pop some seeds, she would say. The seeds being an aromatic mix of anise, cumin, cloves, cardamom, nigella, fenugreek and fennel. Plus the ones to pop: The little cannonballs of black mustard. And every time I make a curry – which is quite often – I hear those words: “Pop some seeds”. And so I do.
Just Three Words
I was reminded of that in another context this week while reading Mark Bittman’s Heated where Kerry Conan has a “3 Words” feature with headings like Make Hot Sauce, Swap in Berries, Smash your Chickpeas, and Add Pickle Juice. All short articles about simple steps to make and transform dishes.
And of course, that set me off with 3-word cooking injunctions from things that I make. On the list is “Rinse your Leeks” – also connected with Wendy. I once served her sautéed leeks topped with mashed potatoes – an old favorite and quite delicious stand-by. But the leeks were not adequately cleaned. In typical fashion, she dubbed it True Grit Pie.
So when you have that curry almost ready, pop some more seeds for this 3-Words Raita to go with.
Meanwhile – below left – are some more of those 3-word culinary injunctions. They’re written out in shadorma. The first line has three syllables, then 5, 3, 3, 7. 5. It’s a totally bogus literary form, but fun to play with.
3-Word Cooking
Pop some seeds
Melt an anchovy
Clear the fridge
Rinse your leeks
Light the coals, drain the pasta
Add smoked paprika
Soak your beans
And add pickle juice
Eat your greens
Grow your own
Marinade the tofu and
Simmer the liquid.
Chop the herbs
Blister the onions
Sear the meat
Wilt the kale
And check the temperature
Toss until coated
Add red wine
Simmer to reduce
Scrape the pot
Salt to taste
And cook stirring frequently
Test for tenderness
Zest a lime
Heat the olive oil
Grind the spice
Rinse the rice
Season the meat, salt to taste
And slather the sauce.
Make your stock
Fold the wantons and
Crimp the crust
Whip the cream
Add the vanilla extract
Strain the strawberries.
Spread the paste
Smash the potatoes
Shred the chard
Toss the greens
And drizzle with olive oil
Spritz with balsamic
Trim the sprouts
Squeeze the lemon and
Chop the thyme
Grate the cheese
Add brown sugar and fish sauce
And blend until smooth.
Mash the peas
Combine with parsley
Drop of oil
Splash of cream
Hasselback the kielbasa
Plaster with mustard
It’s now time
Put the kettle on
Brew some tea
Take a nap
Pour the gin and squeeze the lime
Almost dinner time.
I absolutely love it!
It’s constantly a good idea to be flexible with your ingredients and provide room for chance substitutions.
What a playful, creative and delicious blog post. I love leeks and have learned to wash them thoroughly. Your skills as a poet are considerable: “Ruin the Meal with a Grain of Sand/See Hell in the Grit of Unwashed Leeks
Hold Disappointment on the Fork in your Hand/Utter Dejection Water your Cheeks.” Wow. Great updated version. Time for me to go an pop some seeds!
You are very generous.
Pop the seeds
And you save the meal
From so-so
And blandness
Light up your taste buds, relish
The joy of spices.
Roast the bones
Simmer with vinegar
Add some veg
Cook all day
Eat by the fire with good bread
Leftovers tomorrow
(I think cheated with “vinegar.” Say it with 2 syllables. Or substitute red wine.)
Love it!
Always important to be flexible with the ingredients and allow for the serendipity of substitution.
What a fun way to approach cooking. True grit pie is, I’m afraid, well within my experience, too. Thanks for sharing it. I’ll try and remember the phrase for the next time… if you don’t mind.
As Blake should have written:
Ruin the Meal with a Grain of Sand
See Hell in the Grit of Unwashed Leeks
Hold Disappointment on the Fork in your Hand
Utter Dejection Water your Cheeks.
…or something.
May you never have cause to use True Grit Pie in dining discourse.
Great post, Josie! Yes, those leeks really are a challenge to rid of all the sand, aren’t they? Cumin is my favorite spice, above all, and your recipe looks wonderful.
They can be the very devil with the grit engrained top to tail. But so worth it! Cumin makes everything better.
Yes!
And enjoy it!
Over the years I completely forgot re the popping of seeds step…then last curry I suddenly remembered and popped the few spices I had…made it delicious…but I have never forgotten True Grit Pie and assiduously wash leeks…leek cheese and potatoes pie yum could eat it now!
Without a doubt, True Grit Pie is a gourmet dish. And of course, it would be enhanced with a few popped seeds on top!
What a fun post for today – a cold outdoors, with leftover chickpea curry waiting in the kitchen, as we speak! Interesting, how similar are the recipes for raita and tzatziki, basically changing from one to the other with “Swap in Dill!” Thanks for the smile! — Elizabeth
Ideal for when you overdo the hot peppers and cayenne! Cheers Elizabeth.