29 August 2011

Yesterday I had lunch with four old friends.  The operative word is ‘old’.  Both in age and the time we have know each other.  The four of us have known each other for the past forty years, we have had ten husbands between us and produced ten children. 

There is something comforting about old friends and the reminiscing about the things that we all know, remember and understand.  We have been though a lot together.  Marriages (both our own and our children), divorces (both our own and our children’s), the deaths of spouses and unfortunately the death of one of our children.  We have wept together over the deaths of our parents and our mutual friends.  We  understand each other without words. There is unspoken telepathy, a connection that time and experiences has dictated.  As one of these friends once said to me ‘we are bound together by our secrets’ and in some cases our lies. We can't afford to fall out, there is a cement that will continue until our own demises.

Lunch was a quiche studded with black olives and little red cherry tomatoes. The filling was creamy and rich, full of finely sliced onions which gave it textural element which all quiches need. The quiche was followed by chocolate mousse, rich and a perfect ending.

In the late seventies a friend and I had a little restaurant called Eve and I.  One of the main lunch time draw-cards was the quiche that we served and let me tell you men do eat quiche.  And they come back for seconds. But I still can’t get my children to eat quiche now as the were bought up eating the leftovers for their dinner.  Although I say men do eat quiche the husband wont. I now serve a self crusting quiche if I need something to serve to someone drops in suddenly and stays on for lunch.

With the husband still away it was to me a simple meal in the evening.  I make an Asian broth, once again from the store cupboard.  I started to make this at work when I was trying to find a way to like tofu. It works and is delicious. I also make this at home and I add a few prawns from the freezer (soaked in warm water until thawed) or it is also very fresh and appealing if you just poach sliced white fish in it for just a few minutes.

Someone asked me the other day about tofu and if there is any way to cook it or serve it which makes it more palatable.  I have always run a mile from the stuff and have tried it in many guises.  Stir fried, deep fried egg and bread crumbed but firm tofu in the broth is the only way I have found that I like the stuff.

RECIPES

Self crusting quiche

Mix together:

1 cup milk

1 cup cream

1 cup white flour

4 eggs

1 cup of tasty cheese

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 teaspoon chicken stock powder

This is the basic mixture and the things that you can add are unlimited. I have used a drained tin of salmon, a cup of creamed corn, grated zucchini, softened  onion and bacon. You can bake it at 150c for about 40 minutes but do not overcook, softer is better.

Chocolate mousse

This has to be quick and easy and as I always have cream in the fridge, I am almost ashamed to admit this in this age of the fat police, and the rest of the ingredients in the pantry cupboard.  I can also make this on the boat with the help of long life cream, it works.

I use Nigella Lawson’s recipe as it fast and easy

3 cups mini marshmallows
100gms softened
250 gms best quality semisweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup hot water from a recently boiled kettle
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the marshmallows, butter, chocolate, and water in a heavy-based saucepan. Cool but don’t let it go cold.

Whip the cream with the vanilla and fold together.

Asian broth

This is a true fridge/pantry cupboard broth but at work I can keep everything for a hasty lunch with or without tofu or fish.  If I am at home I can add finely chopped coriander and mint.

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice from one of those little plastic lime bottles

1 tablespoon fish sauce

A good squeeze from the tubes of lemon grass, coriander, garlic and ginger

1 teaspoon of chicken stock power

Simmer together and adjust any flavouring to your own personal taste.