Food & Drink #2

[colouredlines]

Hurrah for you and your boyfriend. How lovely!

As for your second paragraph. Babe, same. Besides, the old threads are definitely worth a read.



Your talk of rice cooking has reminded me that I meant to share this video with the group.



RIP RICE 2020-2020.

I loooooove this!!

I think I've mentioned before that I was born and raised in East Asia*, so grew up with proper rice.

I also grew up with MSG. I have a big bag of it in the cupboard and I bung it liberally into almost everything I cook. No apologies - MSG makes things delicious! Not Jack's food though, that would need another white powder or two to seem even vaguely palatable.

* sorry for never being specific. My background is very strange and ripe for triangulation, lots of odd places in there!

 

[Spoonfulofjam]

I forgot to obvs tell you I’m INFJ and for those who love these things you need to do the https://www.16personalities.com/ test. Also thank you for just being chill and nice

 

[Aquamarina]

Oh fraus, we have had a kitchen cupboard chaos (the main food cupboard in our kitchen extension came off the wall two days ago.) We only bought the house a year ago and noticed the cupboard was leaning forwards rather a lot due to an issue with the wall behind it; so we knew it was something we’d have to sort it eventually.
On Saturday, I decided to clean and sort the cupboard out and that’s when it happened. Cue bottles of jars and sauces falling to the floor, with luckily only one bottle smashing and poor Mr Aquamarina having to hold the cupboard up whilst I frantically tried to chuck everything that had fallen onto the floor into bags and the laundry baskets.

We have since discovered that the wall the cupboard was affixed to is comprised of plasterboard and polystyrene, so it’s no wonder the bloody cupboard came off of it! Said cupboard is now on the kitchen floor and the kitchen units are unusable at the moment (Mr A has all his tools etc out to try to remedy the situation.)

So, this was my very long-winded way of saying that for dinner tonight I had a Tesco cottage pie with peas and carrots dinner. No fancy meals for me until we get the kitchen sorted.
We’re reliant on the microwave and oven at the moment. We can use the hob, but there’s just too much mess in the kitchen at the moment to do any actual cooking. We’ve had a proper kitchen chaos!

 

[Flumps]

thats amazing Thank you! Have screen shot it all and will take along to my next shop. I get baffled and don’t know what to buy cos Idont want to waste money on food I won’t eat but then don’t know what to eat it’s been a vicious cycle for years. I appreciate this so much I feel a little tearful xx

I have a kid who doesn't eat a big variety of things, so I'm often cooking just for me too. I love cooking and I'm confident doing it, but even I've been in that vicious cycle and I completely get it. Also worth doing a bit of planning, not meal planning as such, because I find that depressing, but having a bunch of things that go together.

So, to go with your salady bits, I'd also throw in the trolley a block of feta cheese, some halloumi, hummus, yoghurt, maybe falafel, and some olives. Plus pitta or flatbreads. Then you've got greek salad ready to go. Wraps or pitta with halloumi, hummus and salad, or falafel, hummus and salad. You can make tzatziki easily with yoghurt, cucumber, mint and garlic (grate cucumber, squeeze out the water, mix with a little grated garlic, yoghurt, mint and salt and a tiny bit of sugar). Then you have several Mediterranean meals and not much prep or decision making to do.

You can marinade a block of feta in olive oil, lemon, thyme, olives and pepper (and a bit of chilli if you like), then tumble over some chopped tomato or cherry tomato for a feta salad.

Microwave bags of rice are admittedly an expensive way of having rice, but they taste ok, and aren't too bad when it's just for you. Makes what to have with the main nice and easy.

A few herbs make a difference too. Add leafy ones to salad and stalky ones to roasting meat, for easy, easy taste, but low effort.

Jars of antipasti veg are good to have with things. Red peppers, articokes, aubergines, semi-dried tomatoes, that sort of thing. You can have them in salads, or with roasted chicken thighs, or put them in salmon parcels too. Or stuff them into pitta or toasted sandwiches with cheese of your choice. And they keep for a while in the fridge, so don't have to eat all at once.

Hope that helps too. I so know the feeling of nice food feeling like too much work. x

 

[Babysnark]

@Flumps that all sounds wonderful! I have also screenshotted

I just did the personality test and I'm INFP

 

[Breakdance Badass]

Never thought the day would come when I'd be craving fresh vegetables (I'm Glaswegian), yet here we are.

Never had you down at a Glaswegian @Veronicaaa

 

[Aquamarina]

Another East Asian! High five!!!!

I’m not East Asian, but can’t reveal my exact ethnicity or location as I would be very easily triangulated, but I too grew up in a household where we ate rice several times a week. I certainly know how to cook rice to perfection. Although Mr Aquamarina cooks rice in a way that makes me shudder ( it involves draining.)

 

[heretoreaditall2019]

I'm sensing quite a few posters whose dislike of Jack stems from right wing sensibilities rather than the general leftie discomfort and foodie outrage which seemed to be the majority view on the early threads. Shame.

Yep yep yep this is exactly how I feel, too. I don’t mean to start tit and sorry if I’ve made anyone uncomfortable, tbh I never think about the potential repercussions of sharing my opinions because I see the forum as a place for discussion? Not I’m right / you’re wrong - funnily that’s how I feel twitter actually is as it’s SO personality led with lil think piece threads from the same old journos? I felt we were all open to discussing anything from money / politics / class / gender (although lord help me cos I don’t fully understand that stuff) and wouldn’t ever be rude to anyone who disagreed or flounce It’s weird to have been described as hateful for daring to think a landlord may be a Tory - is that really that radical a view? And to have people be intentionally obtuse, like no of course I don’t think you’re rum for being tragically widowed, surely you don’t need that clarifying...

I think the threads are a victim of their own success / SEO ranking. It’s so fab as the visibility they clearly have means it’s grown the coven massively, but like with anything as it scales you get a dilution at best, actual scary tit at worse. It’s about then deciding if you feel comfortable being there amongst some odd bits. Weird init and sorry to be a chatty patty about this x

 

[Veronicaaa]

Never had you down at a Glaswegian @Veronicaaa

Hmmm, not sure what to say to this tbh! I was trying to be all woman of mystery on account of TRIANGULATION purposes but I thought maybe my enthusiasm for Morton's crispy rolls might have given it away before now

 

[Babysnark]

@heretoreaditall2019 no I agreed wholeheartedly with everything you posted on the matter of landlords and all that ensued afterwards too. I think there's a few users on the JM thread who have some dodgy views that we just ignore but definitely don't fit with the consensus.

ETA agree with tinder swiping I miss having single friends ahaha

 

[colouredlines]

Yep yep yep this is exactly how I feel, too. I don’t mean to start tit and sorry if I’ve made anyone uncomfortable, tbh I never think about the potential repercussions of sharing my opinions because I see the forum as a place for discussion? Not I’m right / you’re wrong - funnily that’s how I feel twitter actually is as it’s SO personality led with lil think piece threads from the same old journos? I felt we were all open to discussing anything from money / politics / class / gender (although lord help me cos I don’t fully understand that stuff) and wouldn’t ever be rude to anyone who disagreed or flounce It’s weird to have been described as hateful for daring to think a landlord may be a Tory - is that really that radical a view? And to have people be intentionally obtuse, like no of course I don’t think you’re rum for being tragically widowed, surely you don’t need that clarifying...

I think the threads are a victim of their own success / SEO ranking. It’s so fab as the visibility they clearly have means it’s grown the coven massively, but like with anything as it scales you get a dilution at best, actual scary tit at worse. It’s about then deciding if you feel comfortable being there amongst some odd bits. Weird init and sorry to be a chatty patty about this x


Are you still on tinder if you don’t mind me asking? That’s one of the things I miss the most about the office, swiping through colleagues’ options and judging

I delete my account every few months because the conversations are SO TEDIOUS. Then I go back on it. My friends and I are always swapping screenshots of terrible profiles. A recent one featured the lines:

"No to abuse of animals
No to abuse of women"

Which made me laugh so hard because the second sentence seemed like such an afterthought...

 

[Flumps]

I delete my account every few months because the conversations are SO TEDIOUS. Then I go back on it. My friends and I are always swapping screenshots of terrible profiles. A recent one featured the lines:

"No to abuse of animals
No to abuse of women"

Which made me laugh so hard because the second sentence seemed like such an afterthought...

Hahaha. Also... if you have to say it..... surely that's weird, or is it just me?

 

[colouredlines]

Hahaha. Also... if you have to say it..... surely that's weird, or is it just me?

I feel like he had a "what do women want to hear?" moment...

 

[Veronicaaa]

I've noticed on twitter too (though I'm off it now and feel a lot better for it) that discussion around landlords can get really heated. I mean, clearly it's a systemic issue but people who rent out homes can really sensitive about it, and can't seem to separate their own personal circumstances from the discussion in order to talk about it more generally. Idk, it seems to me that perhaps there's a guilt surrounding it (ie maybe they know what they're doing doesn't really match up with how they see themselves politically) which would explain the dramatic flouncing, rather than anyone being to blame for the crime of ... bringing the subject up, and voicing their own views on it! (I can see Jack responding in the same way if/when her dad's property portfolio is made public!)

ETA - but the whole landlord discussion is only part of what's gone wrong with the thread, as you say @heretoreaditall2019. Some very weird vibes coming from there these days.

 

[Harrybosch]

I’m not veggie but not really a huge meat eater either, I need to eat more veg really but because I don’t cook I buy basic salad then watch it go off.

Like mention of veggie lasagne did just set my appetite off that sounds awesome but I make all these excuses not to cook like I live alone (part time kid here who eats her own favourites so don’t have to consider her).

I think working from home means I could potentially try a bit more cookery, but I’ve stuck to grabbing a bacon butty. I finally feel I might have a bit of a grip on the binge eating I was doing but I’m a bit ‘scared’ of enjoying food now I think? I’ve eaten freezer gravel today and feel crappy for it. left to my own devices I just eat toast and various other easy to grab beige carbs

I lik smoothies and soups (hot or cold) when I can't be bothered with much. Nice breakfast smoothie is banana, berries (frozen), spinach (frozen works well here), oat milk and peanut butter. You only need a teaspoon of peanut butter and make sure your banana is really ripe. It's really filling, not too calorific and you immediately have 3-4 portions of fruit and veg. Only works with a good blender though to properly pulverise the spinach.

I love gazpacho: 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, half a peeled cucumber, a roasted pepper in brine (rinsed!), 2 cloves of garlic, sherry vinegar, glug of olive oil and half a slice of toasted bread. Puree, season, add some capers or olives, or finely chopped parsley. Takes minutes to make. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

I also find having nice salad ingredients ready to go in the fridge helps me want to eat salads at lunch, because it takes just a few minutes to put something together. I always have chickpeas or canellini or pinto beans ready in the fridge, either roasted or dressed with herbs, garlic, maybe lemon or chilli. I also have peppers ready sliced or diced , grated or chopped carrot (in water), lightly pickled radishes or grapes, washed cherry tomatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted squash or finely sliced onion and some greens (I prefer whole lettuces to bagged they last longer) I can come up with tons of different combinations for salads, wraps or rice bowls with these basic ingredients, by adding chopped up sun dried tomatoes, olives, roasted nuts, and dressings.

 

[GrunkaLunka]

RIP delicious apple wee.

Have been catching up and the apple wee (Gawd rest ya soul) made me laugh so much.

@Pocahontas, I love your stairs, window, Robins and you!

Am SO invested in the shagging (and relaxing) in Paris that's occurring. I hope you're having the best time @crystaleyesd Can't wait for the update.

@heretoreaditall2019 I think you've always been pretty clear that the btl landlords are (generally) the bad guys, it is a shame when people get upset but it's not like you've been going around slagging off folk who inherited Granny's house and can't bring themselves to sell it yet

I haven't had dinner yet and I'm so hungry. Might make some vegetable fried rice (undrained) with Linda McCartney duck in it. I am feeling very upset that I do not have any MSG to sling in it.

 

[Harrybosch]

Yep yep yep this is exactly how I feel, too. I don’t mean to start tit and sorry if I’ve made anyone uncomfortable, tbh I never think about the potential repercussions of sharing my opinions because I see the forum as a place for discussion? Not I’m right / you’re wrong - funnily that’s how I feel twitter actually is as it’s SO personality led with lil think piece threads from the same old journos? I felt we were all open to discussing anything from money / politics / class / gender (although lord help me cos I don’t fully understand that stuff) and wouldn’t ever be rude to anyone who disagreed or flounce It’s weird to have been described as hateful for daring to think a landlord may be a Tory - is that really that radical a view? And to have people be intentionally obtuse, like no of course I don’t think you’re rum for being tragically widowed, surely you don’t need that clarifying...

I think the threads are a victim of their own success / SEO ranking. It’s so fab as the visibility they clearly have means it’s grown the coven massively, but like with anything as it scales you get a dilution at best, actual scary tit at worse. It’s about then deciding if you feel comfortable being there amongst some odd bits. Weird init and sorry to be a chatty patty about this x



Are you still on tinder if you don’t mind me asking? That’s one of the things I miss the most about the office, swiping through colleagues’ options and judging

Yes to all of this.

 

[colouredlines]

I'm finding this thread quite inspiring. I used to love cooking and was forever experimenting with new dishes, back when I lived with my ex. We broke up years ago, and I find cooking for one never really has the same appeal...so much of the joy of cooking is in sharing your food with others. Ironically it was wasted on my ex, who was a tastebud-free zone who, left to his own devices, would put pasta in a pan of cold water and bring it to the boil...

I've always had an uncomfortable relationship with food (long history of bulimia), but I know I'm happier when I'm cooking regularly and properly. I really feel that this thread is inspiring me to get into the single-fridged kitchen of my (rented) flat.

 

[blurstoftimes]

Today we had leftover homemade chickpea masala and cabbage thoran from Saturday, so we had that with turmeric rice, grilled lamb chops, and homemade raita and carrot pickles. My fave kind of food.

Also feeling FANTASTIC because I finally had my hair done today, flicking my bouncy waves all over the place but kind of let down by my mumsy rain jacket

 

[Alansbigplate]

I lik smoothies and soups (hot or cold) when I can't be bothered with much. Nice breakfast smoothie is banana, berries (frozen), spinach (frozen works well here), oat milk and peanut butter. You only need a teaspoon of peanut butter and make sure your banana is really ripe. It's really filling, not too calorific and you immediately have 3-4 portions of fruit and veg. Only works with a good blender though to properly pulverise the spinach.

I love gazpacho: 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, half a peeled cucumber, a roasted pepper in brine (rinsed!), 2 cloves of garlic, sherry vinegar, glug of olive oil and half a slice of toasted bread. Puree, season, add some capers or olives, or finely chopped parsley. Takes minutes to make. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

I also find having nice salad ingredients ready to go in the fridge helps me want to eat salads at lunch, because it takes just a few minutes to put something together. I always have chickpeas or canellini or pinto beans ready in the fridge, either roasted or dressed with herbs, garlic, maybe lemon or chilli. I also have peppers ready sliced or diced , grated or chopped carrot (in water), lightly pickled radishes or grapes, washed cherry tomatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted squash or finely sliced onion and some greens (I prefer whole lettuces to bagged they last longer) I can come up with tons of different combinations for salads, wraps or rice bowls with these basic ingredients, by adding chopped up sun dried tomatoes, olives, roasted nuts, and dressings.

Thank you not to worry I’ve got a nutribullet (never packed it in a suitcase though)