I am on such a mission at the moment but it’s really difficult to articulate it, so I am just going to say it.
Although I cook every single day – I don’t ‘cook, COOK’ enough.
Cooking means many things to me, its work, love, passion, focus, escape and it is my joy but recently, it easily overwhelms me.
Not all of it (I love my work!), mostly the social cooking side.
In fact, the thought of ‘having people over’ on the weekend feels like a massive commitment, one that feels like I don’t have the energy for.
Plainly put – I have lost the art & will to ‘entertain’ – completely.
My dilemma
I am not a slap-something-together person OR a laid back cook. Choosing what to cook is quite a process for me (what do I feel like eating, what’s the season, inspiring produce, energy levels, weather – you get my point).
The dilemma is this, I would love to have people over and connect but at this stage I am scraping my weekend energy together to simply meet a friend for coffee.
I need my ‘vibe’ back
I do – I need to cook.
I want the food to feel special, the space intentional but I can do less of the fretting and faffing tbh. So here is my baby steps to a great tasting menu that was a joy to eat but yet I could cook it in a couple of hours without much thought.
A good menu that won’t overwhelm and is delicious – in other words,
for me, this menu is –
The Perfect Start
The Menu
- Roast Turmeric Chicken with Leeks
- Olive & Pistachio Salsa
- Potato Hasslebacks with Sage & Chilli
- Radicchio, Apple & Fennel Salad with Candied Walnuts
- and possibly a dessert of Grapefruit Possets (that I will make the day before)
The Shopping List
Shopping List for getting my VIBE back
Things NOT to ‘faff’ about
- dishes will not be hot ALL at the same time, eating food warm is fine
- if making a dessert, and you don’t have to, always make it the day before
- flowers, candles and nice serviettes makes all the difference
Things TO ‘faff’ about
- try to source the best chicken & produce especially for laid back recipes (pasture raised chickens & in season produce)
- think colour – different coloured peppers, interesting potatoes and prettiest salad leaves.
- bring out the pretty plates – life is short
The dishes
Roast Turmeric Chicken with Leeks and an Olive & Pistachio Salsa
Italian Olive & Pistachio Salsa
I love these olives which I bashed and tore by hand, if this seems like way too much trouble or effort you can use any pitted olives.
Potato Hasslebacks with Sage & Chilli
Radicchio Salad with Fennel, Apple & Strong Cheese
The promise
If you like my vibe and food I would love for you to come and join my membership where I love to share what I cook, what I love to eat, what inspires me with you inside this little membership bubble. A space free of annoying ‘adds’, sales talk and where I am genuinely trying to solve the friction around how we actually start and enjoy cooking.
