Last
Saturday I was invited to a friends birthday party. While enjoying
some nice red wine we started talking about cooking and our view at
it. We all agree that cooking has something therapeutic to it. Even
though the reasons were rather different. Some said it it because it
is something you do by yourself, others said because it clears your
head. I agree with both versions but for me it is therapeutic because
I can get rid of any frustration by beating egg whites by hand and
secondly because it wakes all my senses.
For me
cooking has something very sensual to it. The feel of the different
textures of the ingredients, the different tastes of herbs and spices
when they get together, even the sizzling of hot oil and not to
forget the vibrant colours of fresh vegetables. Something for all
senses.
We were
also talking about eating with your hands rather than eating with
cutlery.
Traditionally
people here in India eat with their right hand, the left is
considered as unclean. Interestingly in many countries in Europe any
food that you touch will be held with the left hand because it is
considered impolite to shake hands with a dirty right hand.
People
here in India also say that the food is tastes better and is easier
to digest if you eat with your hand. As a reason they state that the
moisture of your hands and the enzymes in it have an influence on the
chemical structure of the food. I so far have not found any
scientific proof for that.
For me
personally it depends on what I eat where and with who. For example,
Saturdays birthday cake was a chocolate cream cake with a chocolate
ganache on the outside. And was served in a bar. I decided to eat it
with my hands. It just tasted so much better and not to forget the
childlike happiness when you can lick your fingers after such a
treat. It has something lustful to it. On the other hand would it
have been served in a sit down restaurant I definitely would have
eaten it with a fork.
Bottom
line on the this subject is you should adapt to your surrounding an
follow their customs because what is good manners in one place might be bad manners in another. As long as you enjoy the food with all your senses.
This
brings me to another reason why I enjoy cooking so much. The sharing
of the food along with some nice drinks and wonderful conversations
among friends. I say, that is the best reason of all that cooking is
therapeutic.
And for
those f you that evening who discovered the joy of cooking just
recently here a quick and easy recipe for a light summer dessert.
Just in time for mango season.
For four
portions I take 800g yoghurt an pour them into a strainer
lined with cheese cloth of a white fabric napkin and let it stand
with a bowl underneath it overnight in the fridge. The result is a
nice firm hung curd which has the texture of cream cheese or quark.
The liquid
that is collected in the bowl is very healthy and refreshing and
tastes great when mixed with some juice like guava or mango.
I peel 2
mid size mangoes and cut the flesh into 1cm dices. I found potato
peeler a great tool for that as you do not waste any of the gorgeous
fruit. To the mango I add 5-6 tablespoons vanilla sugar, 1
tablespoon lemon juice, mix it well and let it stand in the
fridge for about 1 hour.
At this
point I start pre-heating the oven to 175°C. I take 4 oven proof
dessert bowls and split the mango evenly among them. In a mixing bowl
I mix 60g egg with 2 levelled tablespoons vanilla sugar
and 2 tablespoons warm water. This mixture I beat until all
sugar is dissolved and I have a pale yellow foam. Add the hung
yoghurt to it and mix it well. This mixture I spoon carefully over
the mango so that the fruit is sealed in by the yoghurt cream.
Bake it in
the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the yoghurt mixture is set
and starts getting brown at the edges.
You can
serve this either warm or well chilled.
Enjoy and
have fun in the kitchen!
Love
Carola
yammie
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