This morning I discovered through a RT (a "feature [that] helps you and others quickly share that Tweet with all of your followers") a very interesting e-exhibition of a series of snapshots that captured the contents of various fridges across the United States. As I was clicking on the each photo, it crossed my mind how indicative of our lifestyle and personality is the content of our fridge. Or in the author's own words, "a refrigerator is both a private and a shared space. One person likened the question, “May I photograph the interior of your fridge?” to asking someone to pose nude for the camera."
I have always wondered if somebody sneaked into my house, opened the fridge, and gave it a quick glance, what would they think of me? -fresh fruit and vegetables, jars of home-made jams & preserves, pickled ginger, cosmetic creams and balms, nail varnish (yes I know...I am lame), bottles of milk, freshly squeezed orange juice, still and sparkling water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, salty caramel sauce from Normadie, lemon curd, confiture du lait, chocolate, airtight containers with scones, fresh mint, oregano, thyme, parsley and lovage, yoghurt, cheese and other dairy products - would be an indication that I eat healthy. What it will also tell is that I have too much food stored in the house!
I am afraid that my pantry is absolutely bursting at the seams as well.
I have way too many types of pasta (spaghetti, spaghettoni, fusilli, lasagna, cannelloni), too many types of rice (basmati, jasmine, Camargue -which is red rice, black rice- which is very expensive in specialized shops ://, sushi rice, brown rice, medium grain rice - for Indian puddings, and puffed rice cereals), a variety of cereals (Weetbix, muesli, Nestle fitness wheat cereals, oatmeal, barley, quinoa, bulgur, tapioca), various kinds of flour (white, wholesome, tapioca & chickpea), cans, jars and plastic containers of seeds, spices, pulses. Add another exhausting list of various kinds of oil (simple olive oil used for cooking, extra virgin olive oil, nut oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, coconut oil) and vinegar on top of everything else and you can draw your own conclusions...
I don't know if having so much food is a blessing or a curse, or is it a blessing in disguise? Is it a waste or do I really need everything here and now? Maybe it is a curse of the modern man to amass more than one needs.
I could label myself a "foodie" and just get away with it.. I could blame it on the French bakeries, the farmers' markets, the bio and the gourmet shops selling sustainable, fair trade produce, the tea & coffee shops where you can also buy Buddha Bar & chillout CDs, incense sticks and cool mugs, kettles and other terribly (un)necessary accessories...
The truth is that it is very hard not to spend :(.... We have an expression here in Romania "ochii vad, inima cere", which can be loosely translated as "the heart wants what the eyes see". There is a lot of waste around me and I must sincerely and shamefully admit that I throw a lot of food away and that is breaking my heart.
Things are actually so very simple when you fix a meal out of two or three ingredients on the spur of the moment.
Take these amazing scones inspired by Delicioasa's Scone Bread with Raspberry and Kefir. I made them just with a handful of blackberries, flour and the last spoonfuls of yoghurt I had left in the fridge. Simply amazing, isn't it?
Blackberry Scones with Yoghurt
Type of cuisine: English/Fusion (aka Freestyle) :)
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Baking time: 20 minutes or so @ 180 degrees Celsius
Ingredients
2 cups of (white) self-raising flour
1 sachet of baking powder
half a cup (full fat) yoghurt
a cube of butter (approx 50 gr)
brown sugar/honey/agave syrup
Method
Preheat the oven.
Mix the flour with the sugar and the baking powder. Melt the butter and pour it onto the flour mix. The flour and the butter will turn into sweet crumble. Add the fresh blackberries and the yoghurt and knead. Make small balls of dough and place them on a baking sheet.
Ready in less than 25 minutes and perfect with coffee in the morning. :)
What I loved the most about these scones was the fact they were so moist and tender. I loved their light purple hue, the bits of fruit sticking out, and their delicately sweet taste which balanced the sharpness of blackberries. They were perfect. *love*
Mea culpa
I know I can't change the fact that I've been so reckless lately and I've bough so much food, but I promised myself that I would act more wisely in the future and I will not buy more things than I need.
At the end of the day...
"A capable wife who can find? Her value is far more than that of corals.
In her the heart of her owner has put trust, and there is no gain lacking.
She has sought wool and linen, and she works at whatever is the delight of her hands.
She also gets up while it is still night, and gives food to her household and the prescribed portion to her young women.
She has rewarded him with good, and not bad, all the days of her life.
She has proved to be like the ships of a merchant. From far away she brings in her food.
Her mouth she has opened in wisdom, and the law of loving-kindness is upon her tongue.
She is watching over the goings-on of her household, and the bread of laziness she does not eat.[...]
(taken from the book of Proverbs.)
A great way to start the day: coffee, scones, home-made jam aka gem, really :) and some great inspiration.
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| Ottolenghi & Ministry of Food by Jamie |
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