Lady Lunchalot

Here is a naked lasagne. She is now in the oven getting dressed in a cheese coat ready for when the next batch of guests arrive. I did have the webcam on the oven before, but I thought that was a bit voyeuristic so I moved it.

Isn’t she pretty?

I live in a renovators delight. The first thing O and I did when we bought this place was put in a new oven.

I love my oven. It’s my most prized possession (yes O, after my engagement ring). It cost more than my first car, and I’ve even spent more time buffing and polishing it than I did on my first car. Actually, now that I think about it, I’ve spent more time buffing and polishing my oven than I have spent on my current car. Now that I think about it some more, I’ve never actually buffed and polished anything other than my oven.

Quick blog. Stirring. Must avoid lumps.

A few years ago I was on a training course and was eating at a hotel seafood buffet with a bunch of strangers. There was a pile of oysters at the buffet, and I love oysters, so I came back to our table with a plate. One of the women was quite grossed out that I could eat them, and after chatting with her about it for a while she revealed that she’d never actually tasted an oyster before. She just knew she wouldn’t like them.

This I cannot understand. You HAVE to try foods to know what they taste like, otherwise how will you ever know? When I was a kid I hated smoked salmon, avocados, broccoli, zucchini and mangoes. I love all these things now, and would have missed out if I didn’t keep on trying them.

Anyway, I somehow talked this woman into trying an oyster, and as it turned out, she didn’t mind them so much.

At least, that’s what she told me. She might have just been trying to get me off her back.

K & T have given the bagels, chutney and tagine the seal of approval. The tagine has been going for almost 12 hours now, so the meat is really tender. And the bagels were chewy and soft all at the same time! Woo hoo!

Kathryn and Tim are here eating my unholy bagels with chutney. They haven’t broken any teeth yet when they’ve bitten into the bagels, so I guess that’s a good sign.

More friends arriving for lasagne and brownies this afternoon.

Tim says: “Have a stiff drink to keep the creativity flowing out the oven door.”

Kathryn says: “You get more value for your bagel when there’s no hole in the middle!”

I’m boiling my bagels and sticking them in the oven as we speak. I hope they’re ok!

Kathryn and Tim are coming over for breakfast, so I’m getting the bagels underway. Pity I haven’t got any smoked salmon to go with them.

My first ever preserves are ready. I am so proud. I have three jars of quince and apple chutney, made by my own two hands.

I should have organised those jars a little earlier. Hmmm… I hope chutney doesn’t overcook like jam can. I’ve heard of jam that sets in jars like concrete because of overcooking.

Bagels soon…