FEBRUARY 7 + 9

by wattecanon

Dear Nigel,

It was a strained and chaotic early morning when I cooked those two dishes at the same time(February 7 Fish, some new thoughts and February 9 A little brown stew for a little brown day). There was no minute for appreciating the February grey-white sky nor contemplating on a calm grey-brown like day. All I wanted to do was cook them delicious and then pack them into my lunch box. A good wish but probably a greedy one as well, the cooking process didn’t go as neatly as determined.

The idea was bring the two high contrast colored grains onto one plate. Arborio risotto and pearled spelt, they don’t differ as Yin and Yang but are more like two of the basic elements-water and earth. White water carries fishes, brown earth fosters mushrooms. They together unite two to one, bring the variety and make a solo main course not boring. I could have cooked this morning very stylish, only if I hadn’t confounded Arborio with already drained spelt and only if I hadn’t hesitated too long why the risotto today didn’t soak up the liquor. Maybe mistakes can only be revealed when things are muddled up enough. Well, it was literally not difficult to start everything again from the beginning, I was just too late for work.

It was a pleasant lunch sharing with Nitnit but sorry I let her starve.

Sincerely

CZ

 

A risotto of smoked cod and spinach + A little brown stew of mushrooms and spelt

It turns out to be normal now that I can’t always find the exact ingredients. This time smoked Rotbarsch(in German) stood in for cod or haddock. To be honest, the tenderness of cod was really missing there, because the rice is cooked rather dry by me and chewy as it usually is.

For the dried mushrooms in brown rice I used Shiitake which is my favourite flavor maker since Childhood. I stewed the spelt a bit too long or too few water I poured in, the result was also not as watery as it should be. I had my best excuse though. That is food that is taken out should be safely dry.