Well, that’s almost all, folks. The very last photoshoot happened on Saturday, meaning this cookbook-writing montage is whirling to a close and the inspirational eighties song accompanying it is in the coda stage. I still have to edit the heck out of it – to make sure that I don’t use the word ‘buttery’ or ‘bodacious’ on every single page, which is…of concerningly high likelihood.
I also still have to test a bulging handful of recipes, which means, and has meant, that I have made more or less nothing in the last couple of weeks that isn’t specifically for this cookbook.
Apart from these nuts. They seem an even less worthy offering for you than the raspberry smoothie I blogged about last time but what can I do? We are overrun with food that I just can’t talk about.
I made these for a birthday party that we had for Tim on Saturday night, along with a cake that I iced to look like Jack White. I was particularly proud of managing to ice some sweaty strands of hair to Cake-Jack’s forehead. We drank some excellent whisky and danced and talked and sang “Happy Birthday” to the tune of the Game of Thrones theme song and everyone wrote nice things about Tim in a giant birthday card which was supposed to be a surprise but I forgot about it till an hour before the party started and had to tell Tim, then run out and buy it while he cleaned the house and the only big cards that were in the shop were either hideous or for a specific age (or both) so I got a card which said “good luck” in glittery letters because at that point it felt like the right sentiment.
The uber-dapper and somewhat long-suffering birthday man.
Maple Horseradish Cashews
A recipe by myself.
700g cashews
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt, in abundance
Tip the cashews with a clatter into a large saucepan. Toast them, stirring constantly, over a low heat till they start to become fragrant and lightly browned in places. Stir in the oil, the horseradish, the syrup, and plenty of salt, and continue to stir till any liquid is evaporated and the cashews are varying stages of stickily scorched and shiny. You don’t want them actually burnt, as they’ll turn acrid and bitter, but try to get them as close to it as you can.
These nuts, with their burnished, sticky coating combine horseradish’s compellingly back-of-the-throat mustard flavour with the smokily sweet taste of maple. Cashews have their own mild sweetness which complements both but use what you have, I just happened to be hosting more than I knew what to do with in my pantry. If you don’t have horseradish sauce, try a tablespoon of dijon or American mustard, or as much wasabi as you dare – both will provide that hot-mouthed zing.
Title via: Something’s Coming, from the beautiful musical West Side Story. I rather enjoy limber-voiced adorable gem Gavin Creel’s take on this stunning song.
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Music lately:
Rodriguez, Crucify Your Mind: I don’t normally say things like this, but this man should be a billion times bigger than Dylan. He just should.
Sky Ferreira, Everything Is Embarrassing. Terribly relatable.
O’Lovely, Bright Lights. I’ve been listening to this a lot lately, it’s so twinkly and dreamy so of course I adore it.
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Next time: As I said: Sooner! Better than nuts!
Today finds me in oversized, baggy pants, that while baggy fit nicely in the knees and bum. They have just the right amount of dirt on them to look stylish. Topping my head is a jaunty sidewaysish baseball cap underneath a larger, warmer knit hat. #kishi.
Did I do it right? It actually isn't Kishi at all. Good on you, rejuvenating BSC love!
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Happiness post! So much goodness! Cookbook and NUTS GLORIOUS NUTS and Wicked (I saw it in Chicago; I didn't know anything about it before, and it made me cry. At several points. I think I sobbed a little at “As Long As You're Mine”, but that's because I'm incredibly alone and always have been) and marriage equality and Twitter Queendom!
I would play along with #kishi, but right now I'm heading out for delicious Indian food in Kansas City. But I am wearing my top that has a stole printed on it. I think stole is the right word. Anyway.
Hannah out!
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Hope that the final writing frenzy ends on a high and you have plenty of energy left for your trip to the big Apple. Love the nuts recipe so my thing right now.
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Happy travels Laura…& can't wait to get my mitts on the book…really can one have too much buttery & bodaciousness!
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Congratulations on the final photo shoot! can't wait to see the finished product. And I've been enjoying the #kishi twitter feed! (I'm @time4alittle these days) I've been channelling Stacey lately with smart colour blocking 🙂
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oh good luck with the deadline and all the editing – fingers crossed!!
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