Last week marked my two year anniversary of not working, and it’s raised the question “Do I still introduce myself as a chef (de cuisine) if people I meet ask me what I do”?
Two years of not waking up at 5am, two years of not driving to work under the dawn light with music pumping out of my paltry car speaker, two years of not having my day already prepared with bowls of fresh green herbs, waxy yellow lemons, ripe glistening tomatoes, sandy potatoes, knives racked up alongside bleached cutting boards. Two years of not having to appease to clients and customers who seem to know better. Do I miss it? Absolutely. It was always a challenge I could face, although that changed considerably towards the end, and there are areas of the industry that I do not miss, which stay safely buried at the back of my mind.
However, two years have passed since I was paid to do what I do well, and somehow being a kept woman has equated to lost confidence. I have long since given up trying to impress upon my children the need to ‘try something new every day’ (although I was amazed to see La Petite Monstre battle her way through a hot Thai Green Curry last week!). In those two years, I actually haven’t taught myself anything new- I haven’t ventured to cooking turnips, swedes, parsnips, radishes, purple potatoes, un-South African Sweet Potatoes (that are orange) and those extra-terrestrial Alsace root thingys that look like they have no taste whatsoever. I simply cannot move away from my absolute favourite root vegetable- the potato- that other root veggies hold no appeal. I even have had no inclination to cook my own artichokes- they are so much more delicious if I just treat my grocery basket to a jar of preserved hearts in oil. Quite clearly, I will never attain the distinction of being very French.
All of that said, cooking is still my everything. It’s what I’m good at. I have ventured into the idea of applying for menial work, just to bring in a bit of extra income, but at the age of 37, after 17 years working as a fairly accomplished chef, with the added bonus of having two children to look after, there is a line to be drawn. I have also considered doing an apprenticeship at the boulangere but unfortunately the appy-ship salary (and tax issues) just won’t cover the need for child care, so I have shelved that idea for now.
Every now and then I ask A to invite collagues for dinner, and I enjoy the opportunity to show off, which is good for my morale.
A friend here suggests I take to doing something more foodie-related here on this blog, but to find that niche that hasn’t been done before puts me off.
But, I do know of a man out there who is having to cook for himself these days. He’s a man of simple tastes, and my style of cooking is somewhat more elaborate, . But still, he needs to eat, so my Sus suggested sending on a Recipe of the Week. The question is whether I do basic recipes- mince, roast beef, school curry etc, or do I extend him to more adventurous tastes, so as not to offend.
I taught A how to make lasagne- well, to make a delectable lasagne anyway- to the extent that he’s got a reputation for it, so I figured a good place to start would be with a basic Red Mince, that you can serve kids (my girls love it) and respectable widows alike.
500g good quality Beef Mince
30ml cooking oil
1 large Onion
1 large Carrot
1 clove Garlic
1 stick fresh Rosemary (or a sprinkle of dried if you don’t have fresh)
150g white Mushrooms (you are welcome to add or omit- its up to you entirely)
1 Tomato Paste (either 1/2 packet, or 1/2 a small tin, or one decent squeeze from a tube)
1 glass Red Wine
1 tin (+- 470g) chopped peeled Tomatoes
* (additional option) 200g courgettes, washed and grated
Salt and Pepper
Peel and finely chop the onion, peel and grate the carrot, crush the garlic and chop up the rosemary.
Slice the mushrooms, and set aside.
Turn the heat up to hot under a large sauce pan, add the oil, onion, carrots garlic,the chopped rosemary and the mince. I try to squash the mince up between my fingers for a more even texture, but then, raw meat doesn’t gross me out, so you don’t HAVE to do this.
Cook the meat until is starts to brown nicely, stirring it so that it doesn’t actually burn. Once it is all cooked, add the mushrooms, cook them through and then add a tablespoon of tomato paste.
Continue cooking and stirring until the tomato paste is stirred in, and allow to cook for a minute further. Add the glass of red wine, turn the heat down to medium, and let the wine simmer for 3 minutes.
Now add the tin of chopped peeled tomatoes, add half a tin of water to rinse the tin, and add that into the mince. Stir it through. (Sometime I substitute this for a tin of whole peeled tomatoes: I drain the liquid from the tin, and then use a stick blender directly into the tin, and blend up the whole tomatoes. If you do this for children who don’t like tomatoes, this disguises them).
(If you are so inclined, you can add grated courgette at this point. My children have no clue how often I disguise courgettes in tomato-based meals. Once grated, they cook through and soften, and you generally don’t taste them.)
Reduce the cooking temperature below medium, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Keep a lid on, and check occasionally to add a little water if too much liquid cooks off. (Don’t drown the mince in water- just add enough to keep it in a sauce). You are welcome to add beef stock if you so wish, but unless you’re using home made stock, I personally wouldn’t bother with stock cubes. The tinned tomatoes is really good enough to give your mince a good deep flavour.
At the end, add enough salt and pepper to suit your taste. Serve on pasta, mashed potatoes or anything that fills you up. You can use it for Spaghetti Bolognese, in lasagne, Cottage Pie, or even on a chunk of crusty ciabatta bread. I’ve taken to serving it on cheesey courgette and cauliflower mash for Anton and I- a la mode du jour, but the girls are not enamoured with cheesey anything.
If you were a older bachelor who has to start fending for himself in the kitchen, what recipes would help you?
Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals 