Back in August of last year I bought a Cook Along box with recipes from the Hellenic Republic. I enjoyed very much Cooking Along with George and had every intention of buying further Cook Along boxes as and when.
The Cook Along with George boxes closed when the restaurants re-opened in Melbourne. Every now and then I would see Cook Along boxes which looked interesting, but they mostly wanted you to sign up for 12 months worth of boxes and I didn't want to. I don't need a box of ingredients with cooking instructions and videos every month. I held fire until I could find something that looked interesting and which would let me buy one box, every now and then.
Then Atlas Masterclass came into view. I watched them for a while. They feature the cuisine of a different country or region every fortnight, but you can chose from other cuisines as well or instead, if you are minded. This fortnight just gone was Persian food. So I ordered a lamb dish, a pilaff and an Italian pumpkin ravioli with fennel and sage.
Lindsey, Jim and I had the pumpkin ravioli for lunches during the week. Each meal is designed for four dinners, so we got 6 lunches from the ravioli kit. I don't suppose I really need a kit or, indeed, cooking instructions for making ravioli for lunch but I would never have thought to combine fennel and sage with pumpkin ravioli. It is a very delicious mix.
Rupert and Hugo came for lunch when I got my Cook Along with George box. They came again yesterday, bringing Lindsey and Ian with them. We positively feasted on leg of lamb fillets, encrusted with paprika and coriander seed with a cucumber and radish salad on the side, together with the pilaff which was accompanied by roasted carrots and green capsicums with feta. I added a bit of saffron to the turmeric mix for the rice. Ordinarily I would say that you shouldn't mess with a recipe the very first time you make it but I have saffron in my spice cupboard and the rice looked as though it wanted it. I am glad I added the saffron! I put a bowl of yoghurt on the table, which wasn't called for in the kit but I bet people from Persia, Iran and Iraq would have put yoghurt on the table I also added some green beans because I had them and rather fancied some. It was all absolutely delicious.
It was also the first time that Rupert and Hugo had been to our place since the Cook Along adventure last August. I had shut Brandy and Whiskey in our bedroom out the way, in case Hugo in particular decided they would make a tasty lunchtime snack. The dogs were ever so excited to come to our place, particularly when they discovered the cat biscuits and the little soft toys that live on a shelf that is accessible to Great Danes. We should perhaps have them over slightly more often so they don't get quite so excited when they come. And Hugo didn't want to go home. He equally didn't want to be left behind at our place when the others left. But he flatly refused to get in the car. And if a Great Dane doesn't want to get in the car it is extremely difficult to make it. He ignored the offering of tasty treats. He ignored the left over lamb. He ignored Rupert eating the tasty treats and left over lamb (Rupert had got into the car with no argument). Eventually, I thought: I wonder if melty cheese slices might help. Hugo LERVS melty cheese slices. And lo - He stepped into the car with alacrity when I offered melty cheese slices from the other door. We must have the cheese on hand next time!
It was a good lunch. But next time I make it I might use shoulder of lamb instead of fillets of leg. I think it would be magnificent with slow cooked shoulder.
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| Hugo has helped himself to a small hippo |
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