Berrycakeness

Note on the song choice: If anyone can tell me why I recognise this version of the song “Substitute” better than the original (The Who) or other covers (Clout), I’d like to hear your thoughts. I spent ages trying to find it; naturally, my sister found it within a few minutes. Anyway, moving on…

My current cooking obsession is using up everything in the house so I can start fresh for the Autumn months. My spice collection still gives me anxiety. Ok, that’s quite dramatic, but I still struggle to see what I have. The only things that give me cooking inspiration in that cupboard are my dried chillies, and I currently have habanero, chipotle, ancho and Scotch bonnet.

I batch-cooked a chilli con carne for the freezer last week, and I’m making jerk chicken this week. All because I have the spices (and the beans).

I’m looking forward to warm salads, spiced soups, and fruit crumbles. I now have a pressure cooker thanks to Jackie, so I will be looking for recipes for that too.

Speaking of recipes, scallops are particularly good at this time of the year, so I may make my annual scallop and black pudding dish, which is quite simple, but you do need to know how to cook both properly. The answer, of course, is butter, and plenty of it.

I also make an apple sauce from scratch to add to the dish, and this time, I’m making a larger portion for the freezer, as when I made my first roast of the season the other week, I defrosted what I thought was apple sauce but was instead the last of a very scrumptious parsnip soup. Welcomed, but not quite what I was looking for.

The problem with trying to use up what you have in the house, rather than buying lots of additional ingredients, is the game of “Should I substitute that or go to the local shop?” Trust your instincts and give it a go. I always have such a glut of vegetables that I’m forever squeezing them into a dish where they don’t belong. Double up on ginger, cinnamon and vanilla without a doubt, and add nuts where applicable. However, try not to substitute an ingredient when baking unless you’re comfortable – or experimental – as the results will be potentially inedible.

From experience, these cookies were crunchy. I didn’t have the right sugar, so I used demerara because why not.

Lesson learned.

Of course, using up all the ingredients to make more space for new ones is all well and good, but I must remind myself that I’m supposed to actually finish the old food before I buy the new food. I cannot help myself, and so I have already started buying autumnal goodies, and the freezer wonders why I only label half of the things I make.

I prefer chaos it would seem.

Peace out xoxo