I’ve spent most of today thinking
about those poor drowned children in the Med, feeling totally helpless and
useless, shame at my great good fortune in being born when and where I was, and
anger that this is happening (mostly directed at David Cameron, who is a cock
of the highest order – a “swarm”?? What
the actual fuck?) Every time I go on Facebook (currently, often [I have a few
work projects on, and at such times my productivity is always inversely proportionate
to my social-networking rubber-necking]) I see another petition, which I sign,
and one great charity or organisation after another and donate, then share the
details, so much so that by now I’ve probably been defriended by almost
everyone. (Having said that - if you’re
looking for an organisation to donate to, or just want some assurance that
somebody somewhere is actually doing something (but then donate, please), pay a
visit to these people - www.moas.eu - who might restore – just a little bit – your faith in
humanity.)
I just can’t stop looking at that
child dead in the water, his trousers down around his ankles, his arms above
his head. That’s exactly how the Baby
sleeps (the arms, not the trousers). My
heart breaks for the parent who helped him get dressed, who chose the t-shirt
and the underwear and the shorts, who laced up the shoes. Who hoped that today would be the day when
their lives might begin again after the nightmares and horrors of
God-knows-what, and blocked out the other thoughts of What Could Happen. Who tried to make a game out of getting their 5
year old son into the over-crowded boat, and held on to him as the boat rocked,
and sang in his ear and shushed and kissed him as it rocked even more, and held
even tighter as they were flipped overboard, and tried to hold him above the
waves, kicking and crying and gasping. And
who then – just imagine it - couldn’t
hold him any more. I can’t stop thinking
of how he looks exactly like my own kids. His perfect baby skin and his big-boy
shoes.
Anyway.
Shall we have a recipe? Let’s!
Here’s the brilliant noodle / salad / dipping sauce I mentioned in the last
post (ages ago, I know). You might not think
it from the dearth of recipes, but this blog was actually originally conceived
as a food blog. My skills as a
complaining parent outstripped my capabilities in the kitchen I suppose. Back when I thought of it as a food blog, I
used to – still do, in fact – follow a heap of cooking blogs, including the
almost-obligatory Smitten Kitchen. It
goes without saying, of course, that by “follow” I mean I read them and think “ooooh
lovely” and then close them, and go back to staring at the wall and trying to
think up another word to add to the 72 I’ve already written for work that hour.
However! There was something about Smitten’s
recent Takeout-style-sesame-noodles-with-cucumber which caught both my eye and
my enthusiasm. Possibly because I had all of the ingredients in the fridge/cupboard,
and nothing else? Who knows. Either way I made it and it was FABULOUS and
I immediately – as in, before I had actually even eaten the noodles – made another
batch of the sauce because it is SO GOOD, and promptly ate that with my fingers
a spoon. And I made it again for lunch
the next day – just the sauce, which I ate with cucumbers, and then again the
following night, with fresh spring rolls (pictured. Flaccid is the word that springs to mind.) And then I fell into a peanut-and-sesame-induced coma.
For the full and proper recipe –
including cucumbers and noodles – head over to Smitten Kitchen. But actually, I’m not sure the full recipe is worth the
hassle. Just make the sauce and eat it
with a spoon. (And make it my way,
because her list of ingredients is a bit scary looking.)
Delicious Sesame & Peanut Sauce Thing
For enough for two to dip, or as a
dressing for a plain green salad (truly – try it) or – if you must – on noodles,
you need:
- 2 tablespoons of peanut & sesame
paste
(Either: mix a tablespoon of peanut butter & a
tablespoon of tahini – the easiest option;
or: Make your own paste, by blending a handful of
white sesame seeds and a handful of peanuts with a tablespoon of oil (sesame,
if you have it) in a blender until really smooth. (That’s what I did because I HATE tahini, and
also I managed to drop and smash my jar of peanut butter en route to the
kitchen counter. If you
make it yourself, make plenty – keeping the ration 1:1 – and you can use the
paste for hummus as well as this sauce.)
You’ll want two tablespoons of the paste.
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vinegar (Any type
apart from balsamic)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- Small clove of garlic, crushed
- ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes
Mix all of the above in a bowl with
a fork. It’ll be thick and somewhat curdled; add some warm water – just a spoonful or two –
to loosen it up. And. That. Is.
It.
Gobble up. Be grateful for what you have. And for God’s sake, do something. Sign a petition, go on a march, donate a few
quid. Open your hearts. Please.
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