Bulk Bargains!

      This blog post appears to be contrary to my last which extolled the virtues of daily shopping.  Today I will sing the praises of bulk buying and the joys of home delivery!  I have mentioned in the past my love of bargain hunting and in corrolation with this I do not like to waste money or food.  Food waste is a very real and current problem and is something that we should not take lightly. It does not sit well with me that perfectly good food should hit the bin whilst we live in a society where many rely on food banks. 

"Scotland throws away 630,00 tonnes of food and drink our homes every year and most of this could have been eaten.  This waste costs us over £1 billion a year, or £470 for the average household."  http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

I live alone and between University, burlesque, my irregular work schedule and of course - hectic social life (!!), I cannot guarentee that I will open the fridge from one day to the next, let alone use up the contents. Excepting of course the beer... that seems to disappear far too often!  I have found that bulk cooking is the solution to this problem.

A small pile of meat!

      This weekend I ordered a massive shop from Asda, spending over £150 on meat, pasta, canned food and of course some more beer!  I do this a few times a year to ensure that I always have a full freezer so when I need to eat quickly I know it is not processed, it is nutritious and cheap.  I know this is the best way to feed myself, and I believe that a lot of families could save money and minimise waste by adopting similar principles.  Buy one get one free offers are appealing but regularly lead to waste, especially on perishables, there is, after all, a limit on the amount of one food type that can be consumed!  Dedicating one day to cooking eliminates this problem, allowing you to use everything up and space your consumption out over a longer period.  Bulk cooking also reduces power bills, using the oven for lots of items at once is naturally more economical than making a stew every night during the winter.  Freezers also consume less energy when they are filled to capacity.  Moreover, as I have mentioned I do not have a car so it is a real treat to have someone else carry my heavy shopping, not only home, but up the four flights of stairs!

This pile just grew and grew...

Three different types of mince, sausages, chicken thighs, chorizo, stewing beef, beans, pasta and piles of vegetables!  I cooked up such a storm on Sunday, that I definitely have enough food, divided into individual portions, to see me through the whole winter. (Also I am handing out an open invitation should the apocalypse come! Even by my standards, I may have over done it this time!) Bolognese, meatballs, lasagne, chili-con-carne, shepherds pie, sausage casserole, chicken and chorizo stew, beef stew, goulash, soup...   

Brunoise baby!

      Something I get a kick out of is chopping vegetables: I find it therapeutic! Most dishes begin with the holy trinity: celery, onion and carrot and therefore cooking en masse provides me with an opportunity for an epic chopping session! It also stops bunches of celery going limp in my fridge and carrots wrinkling in the cupboard.  Using all the fresh ingredients in one go also stops me having to pop into the shop for a carrot or a pepper - as after all who actually manages to enter a supermarket and just spend £1?  It always inevitably ends up at the £10 mark even on a restrained day!  More money saved.  

      Last minute entertaining becomes a pleasure - no time spent in the kitchen and you can present your guest with a delicious homemade meal! Do not get me wrong, on days when I have nothing to do, I will still spend all day cooking for myself or a lucky friend.  I do not find it a chore to cook everyday, but like so many, I simply do not have the time. Bulk cooking has given me access to speedy, healthy (in comparison to processed foods with hidden sugars etc) and of course fabulous food!  It cuts down on waste - dramatically!  It even allows me to get rid of all the packaging at the same time in one recycling trip! And over all saves me money!  No need for that take away when the freezer is full!


      ...Unless you wake up on your birthday in need of unhealthy goodness delivered to your door!  A while ago an old colleague of mine opened up a home-delivery burger place called Brooklyn Diner and Deli. With the help of the people at Just Eat, within the hour a juicy burger was delivered to my bed (well almost - I still had to go to the door #firstworldproblems).  I chose the biggest burger from the menu and was very happy with what I unwrapped.  The burgers were juicy and tasty, the bacon was a substantial bacon steak with none of the annoying fat that sticks and drags it all out in one go. The cheese was melted to perfection and the bun was substantial enough to encase it all for most of the eating.  The only criticism would be the onion ring, which during transit had lost its crispy batter to the steam of its friends.  I would recommend this place and hope that the plans for the sit in aspect of this restaurant comes into fruition soon, so that the added pleasure of a crisp onion ring can be the crowning glory on this burger.  I am not sure, however, that a crispy onion ring would have provided enough inducement to get me out of my bed!   

Missing Mojito

Cars have had a very dramatic effect on the way in which people shop.  Focus has moved away from the high-street; popping into the butcher, baker and greengrocer are activities of a bye-gone era.  Supermarkets are king.  Having your own car allows families to travel to ever increasing supermarkets, to do weekly, ever increasing shops (to fuel ever increasing waste lines).  This is a very obvious statement for many, but the normality of this existence has always passed me by.  My parents did not get a car until I was 12 or so, and I have never learned to drive.

Taj, one of the few things I miss from Brighton!

As a young student in Brighton, I shopped in various places.  I worked beside a fruit and veg stall and quickly realised this was a more economical way for me to buy, not only cheaper, but I was able to control quantities in a way that the supermarket 'pre-pack' does not allow.  I moved all over Brighton and Hove in the 10 years I lived there, my shopping habits changing for the sake of convenience; the Open Market  or Taj replacing the stall near work.  I often got my meat from the butcher, the blood red always appealing to me more that supermarket gray.  Now, do not confuse me for a 'shop local' militant - I am a through and through bargain hunter.  I have always used three or four supermarkets, searching out offers and deals, but also sourcing the best quality of high-end products.  I love a frivolous shop in Waitrose!  Who has the time for this though?  Just get it all over with once a week.  However, necessity borne out of carrying limitations has always made me shop daily and locally, therefore allowing me to visit lots of different shops. 

I love being a canny shopper - I pride myself on it - it should be on my CV!  Shopping also never becomes routine - inspiration is fed by new layouts and products.  Lately this tradition of shopping around has gone mobile.  As the proud owner of a scooter, I have been getting out and about more than I have ever been able to, experiencing new parts of Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.  The great thing about the scooter is that again my carrying abilities are limited, so I have not fallen into the trap of the hypermarket!  I have come across lots of different shops, that not only would I not have know were there had I not rode past them, I would not have been able to access them so easily. 

My food adventures so far have taken me to Falko in Gullane.  It was a beautiful summer Sunday, the ride along the coastal route was spectacular and the pit stop here for a German sausage was really special.  A few pastries were all that would fit under the seat, but a perfect souvenir nonetheless!  The Polish Cottage, along Seafield Road has become a quicker holiday: the sun may have been shining in Gullane, but I spend my time abroad looking at food.  Some people may visit the beach and have ice-cream for that holiday feeling - for me it is a foreign shop!  (I'm pale, I burn... Ok, I'm odd, moving on...)  I have a passion for Polish food and was happy to be able to source a more diverse product range and at a cheaper price than available in Tesco.  Smoked pork belly has become a fridge staple - it has so many uses and as it is smoked it lasts a long time!  Also I have a love for Almette cream cheese, which I first discovered in the Czech Republic whilst on holiday in a supermarket!!

I look better on mine!

This Sunday, grasping to the last days of summer, I wanted to visit the market in Stockbridge - but my Aprilia Mojito is in the garage.  How can I cruise along to Stockbridge pretending to be a cooler, prettier and certainly, more female, Jamie Oliver without my scooter?

Mmmmm!

I could have walked I guess, but somehow the ride has become an important part of my shopping ritual. I am stranded! On the other hand - this shopping trip would not have fit into the savvy shopper criteria; I have probably saved enough money to pay for the repairs to the bike. Except the freedom to drink, so often restricted, led me to the nearest cocktail bar. It would be lovely, neat and contrived, dear reader if I then had a rum mojito, but hey, everyone knows I am a sazerac girl! Cheers!

Company

“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink, for dining alone is leading the life of a lion or wolf”Epicurus

In my last and indeed previous blogs, I have mentioned the importance or at least the significance of the people who were to share my experience.  It is true that company can transform mediocre food into a great meal - as long as the wine is flowing and the conversation is stimulating.  The word company is derived from 'companio', someone you share bread with, the roots are the Latin words cum, "with", and panis "bread".  It seems that having someone to share food with is an intrinsic part of our eating experience.  I believe, however, that this is only one way of looking at food.

A militant vegetarian for example will greatly detract from your enjoyment of eating a rare steak; no doubt their disapproving glances will instil a level of guilt as you spread bone marrow onto bread and mop up the blood and juices...  Let's also bear in mind the conversation that happened before the steak even hit the pan...

            "White wine will go better with my salad."

            "Yes, but I would like a full bodied red to match my steak" (which costs about three

            times as much as the grass you are about to consume)

            "Let's compromise, how about rose?"

            "Let's never speak again".

Eating with and in front of  someone takes a degree of trust.  Long gone are the days when we fear poisoning by our host, first asking our poor servant to try it; but let's consider the first date scenario!  I am sure I am not alone when I say that I do not like eating in front of strangers, especially those that I am attracted to.  Many things have to be considered, obviously the spinach in the teeth situation, but further more - can you eat that spaghetti without re-accessorising your outfit with tomato sauce polka dots?

Even your best companion can pilfer the pleasure to be gained from some food moments.  I am currently sitting by my balconette, soaking up the last of the early morning sunshine in early September; enjoying an espresso, a glass of sparkling water and an almond croissant.  I am savouring every fold of the delicate pastry, every flake of almond that falls into my lap.  My lips are covered in icing sugar, my fingers are sticky and all is bliss.  Should my nearest and dearest be here, this would be a very different moment.  My concentration would be divided, apparently it is not polite to ignore people for pastry (even if you paid £2 for it).  The conversation would be entertaining and there would be the chance of them getting me a second espresso but I would be feeling a different level of contentment.  Since Monday afternoon when I booked my darling scooter in for a service up at Abbeyhill, I have planned on popping into Manna House on Easter Road for an almond croissant to bring home and enjoy with espresso.  A simple pleasure, a pure pleasure, but most of all a planned pleasure to be enjoyed with myself.

My solo eating is not always so contrived, or indeed indulgent.  What you choose to eat when there is no one else around is an important part of what makes us individuals, it exposes a bit of your true character.  Are you a lazy eater?  A picker?  Do you go for healthy food?  Or is a take away the way forward?  None of these take a higher position than the other, and often it depends on our moods and what the day has entailed.  I would like to consider our 'dirtier' food habits - what gives you pleasure that you would never admit? - and certainly not blog about!  My name is Nicola, I am a foodie (for all that phrase means) and I sometimes eat corned beef from a can with Smash.  This dish reminds me of being a child and camping with my father; it reminds me I grew up in the 80's (and that I should be having Angel Delight for pudding!); it reminds me of the working class background I grew up in; it helps me to rediscover myself and my home.  It is a dish full of pride.  It is a dish that would require more justifying than a plate of pasta, and therefore best kept just for me.  I come from a mixed background without a food tradition to cling onto (I don't think Matzo counts as a tradition on its own), this is all I have.  Let us not hide our solo eating - celebrate the special moment you are having.  A true expression of yourself, your family and even your heritage through your individual food choices.

Sometimes to dine alone seems pointless, but sometimes it is the simplest pleasure.  Sometimes I do not want the share my bread - sometimes I want to bite the end of a baguette and lead the life of a lion or a wolf!

Jaded

"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans" or more often than not, when you are on Facebook.  Incidentally, it has been just over four years since I returned to Edinburgh and began this blog, and over three years since I last wrote.  That is around 1093 meals consumed without comment.  (Let's face it I am too busy to eat more than one meal a day!)  Thankfully my situation, although altered since I last wrote, has not relegated me to the realms of beans on toast.  A fair percentage of those 1093 dinner times were spent in lovely restaurants; lets also through in a few liquid lunches and medicinal breakfasts consumed in cozy cafes.  The food I have had has been mainly of high quality, peppered with a few poor meals which have now become little more than anecdotes.  Life, however, has got in the way of my culinary chronicling!

Edinburgh simply stopped being new.  The Auld Reekie became a familiar smell, like a Grandmother, still with the occasional surprise but essentially comforting and homely.  I quickly found the places that I liked when I moved back and have frequented them ever since!  This is great as  I am rarely disappointed, however, it is not so interesting for blog topics and inspiration!  One must experience something out of the mundane to inspire the pen, simply: Edinburgh had made me jaded.

However, something has obviously piqued my interest to get my ink flowing again.  Last night I was very lucky to be invited out for dinner with a group of friends.  These guys are serious about their food: to be taken to a tried and tested Chinese restaurant therefore, was met with a degree of expectation.  (Wow, she has been on the down low for the last few years - she is blogging about sweet and sour chicken...)  This particular restaurant, Jade Garden, (Cannon Street) has the much fabled 'other' menu i.e. an actual Chinese menu, featuring Chinese food for Chinese people.  Ladies and Gentleman I ate pig trotters!  As per a prearrangement, they had bought in lobster for us, our numbers unfortunately diminutive, left us the arduous task of consuming three between four.  Never before have I felt like a Queen in what is essentially a greasy spoon setting!  The lobsters were prepared in a deliciously subtle ginger sauce.  I am not a fan of ginger, it is in fact one of the few things on my hate list; but I have to concede the heat of the ginger against the sweet and succulent lobster meat had me cursing the entire Chinese nation (yes, all 1,343,239,924 of them) and their culture for not having bread to mop up the juices.

I have to admit that I am a big bread and juices type of girl.  Frequently we get together and enjoy slow cooked meat, (rabbit, ribs - at one point there was a whole piglet...) simply roasted with garlic, chili and rosemary.  Once the boys have licked the bones clean, I get my dipping on and I am as happy as a pig in... well, a roasting tin!  However, this evening I got in with the bones.  While we were waiting for one of our party to arrive, we ordered some salt and chili ribs to nibble on.  They were flavorful nuggets of meat with an addictive crumb that was able to be tidied up with some prawn crackers.  In fact this dish was so good, we ordered more for 'dessert'!

We all work in the Italian food and drink milieu and are therefore, are accustomed to calamari.  The platter of squid that we were presented with, again with salt and chili, was cooked to perfection.  It was soft and succulent, fried to the exact second...  Talking of soft and succulent, the dish of lamb in cumin was also divine.  This struck me as an interesting combination as I more commonly associate cumin with Mexican and Indian cuisines.  If I see this on a Chinese menu in the future I will definitely order it again.  The pigs trotters on the other hand (or other foot i guess!)...  They have been scored off the food 'bucket' list (to avoid KFC connotations perhaps another word has to be found for foods to eat before one dies!) and the sauce they were served in provided a nice dressing for the ubiquitous rice.  I am going to assume that these were just not to our taste rather than being prepared badly, we found then too gelatinous and let's face it after feasting on lobster I doubt we were going to find much pleasure in chewing on a pigs foot!

Jade Garden will now become one of my staples - never to be written of again.  The food, wine and company all complimented each other to create a fantastic dining experience.  My appetite for food has changed; I have been reading more about food history and culture, so to have this adventure appealed to this new side of me.  I hope to write more about food in the future within this context and I am about to start a course relating to this at Edinburgh University.  Future blogs will be inspired by food experiences but not so heavily based on reviews - after all taste is so arbitrary and Trip Advisor can fill in the details!