Yesterday was chain saw day. It was a good time to examine the yard and cut away the dead wood and useless understory - at least until the blade was too dull and needs sharpening. My trouble with all gardening is that when you are done and the debris is neatly cleared away, the area looks as if it always looked that way and nothing has been done.
I've been doing some of the same in the house. Looking at the pantry, I wonder what anardana (dried pomegranate seeds), mace, star anise, and cardamom pods were ever used for? Will I ever use brown rice flour or 1/2 a pack of old ladyfingers again? I'd hate to throw them away and then have to buy them again. So the cooking and baking is getting a little more inspired, in an attempt to use these old odd ingredients in various recipes over the last month - red wine vinegar (marinated pork roast), bay leaves (creamy chicken potato soup which didn't call for bay leaf but I used it anyway), smoked paprika (patatas bravas), pickled okra (cuban chicken rice bake). Baking now seems to use up common ingredients which you can no longer find in the stores - raisins, chocolate chips, flour, sugar. So I've tried to make more unusual (if less successful) desserts like Carrot Banana Ginger cake with yogurt and honey frosting. I think the frosting was worth it.
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp honey
2 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup of hazelnuts (optional)
cinnamon to taste
Have you been using any unusual ingredients lately? What has coronavirus lockdown caused you to uncover in your house or yard?
