Thursday night has come around. Thursday was meant to be the start of this project. I felt tired, really tired. I didn’t want to start the project like this. So I didn’t. What I should have done was go to bed early. Instead I went to the pub. I went very specifically for one beer. Which turned out into two. But then I did go home and to bed.
Although I have no intention of cooking the meals in order it did seem like a good idea to start with the first meal. It just made sense. This requires a bamboo steamer. I do not have a bamboo steamer. I have a steamer, of sorts, and I contemplated using it. But the recipe calls for two elements of the dish to be served in the steamer. I have to buy a steamer. A bamboo one.
I have today off. It’s nice to not have to do anything. I have just bought a new computer and I spend the large part of the day copying all the records I have bought in the two or three years since my old laptop refused to accept anymore music. This will be a long job and not nearly finished yet. Having the day off has allowed me to get a bit organised. I pick three meals. One for Friday night. One for Saturday. And one for Sunday lunch. I go shopping for all the ingredients. I have to go to two supermarkets because one of the meals calls for mixed tomatoes. Which means a mix of colours. Sainsbury’s only has red tomatoes. I know Tesco sell orange/yellow tomatoes so I go there as well. I have included the Chicken Dim Sum in the meals so I now have the ingredients which means I MUST buy a bamboo steamer. I fail. The only bamboo steamer I can find is in the delightful little cooking shop near my home. It cost £17. I don’t buy it. I know very well that if I went to a Chinese supermarket I could pick one up for a few quid. What this means is that tonight I cannot cook the Chicken Dim Sum so I am cooking the Mighty Mackerel – Mixed Tomato & Quinoa Salad on page 148 instead. Anyway my brother is coming for the weekend and he thinks he doesn’t like chicken. He will be more pleased with mackerel.
