Tag: cheese

Posted in Food

Gooey, Melted and Dipped

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Though holidays have been around the corner, the requirement to stay within the premises has taken the thrill out of it for the children. Quite often the early rays see them waking up eager to soak in the morning sunshine, by evening they are quite restless. Which is why calling it an early night, helps most of the time. If the indoors become too stifling, supper outside helps to get them in the mood right for bedtime. All one needs is an old crock-pot, plenty of cheese, long dipping forks, cut pieces of bread (or crackers, roti), a camping spot, a guitar and we are good to go.

Essentially a melted cheese dish served in the pot over a stove, eaten by dipping bread into the cheese using long stemmed forks; the fondue has been found initially in the Swiss cuisine, traced to around the early 19th century by food historians. This dish can be made as simple with melted cheese and seasonings (a little flour, tiny pinch of nutmeg) together with dry white wine, flavoured with kirsch, served as a hot dip for pieces of bread or as a dish of hot liquid in which small pieces of food are cooked or dipped and also as a baked souffle-like dish usually containing cheese and cracker crumbs or breadcrumbs.

“Give me a good sharp knife and a good sharp cheese and I’m a happy man.” George R.R. Martin

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Often regarded as a peasant’s meal, the recipe required very simple ingredients and just a heavy earthenware or iron meant to distribute the heat evenly. In fact, Swiss recipes traced to the recipe can be found in the early 1600s. Obscure mention of the fondue can see in the Homer’s Iliad (around 800 BC) where it was referenced as a “mixture of goat’s cheese, wine, and flour.” Records mention of Swiss peasant families (1700s) eating aged bread and cheeses together as a wintertime food. The discovery of then, that if cheese was melted with a dash of added wine, garlic and herbs; the stale bread dipped into this flavorful mixture was a pretty enticing meal.

[1899]
“Cheese Fondu: Use one tablespoonful of butter, one cupful of fresh milk, one cupful of fine bread-crumbs, two cupfuls of grated cheese, a teaspoonful of dry mustard, two eggs, and a little cayenne. Melt the butter in a chafing-dish, add the milk, bread-crumbs, cheese, mustard, and cayenne. Stir constantly, and add two eggs, slightly beaten, just before serving. Serve on hot toast or crackers. Remember to have the plates hot.-A.R.” The American Pure Food Cook Book, David Chidlow et al [Geo. M. Hill Company:Chicago] 1899 (p.268)

From the change of ingredients to types of cheese used, cheese fondues vary based on style, region and local recipes.For instance, the Italian Fonduta alla valdostana is made of Fontina, milk, eggs, and truffles while the Swiss Vaudoise uses Gruyère cheese. Other Swiss recipes include Appenzeller cheese with cream added; Gruyère, Emmental, crushed tomatoes and wine or made spicy with Gruyère, red and green peppers, and chili; or with Gruyère, Fribourg vacherin and mushrooms.

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Source:https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/the-ultimate-swiss-cheese-fondue/

Though known famously to the Swiss cuisine, similar recipes involving melted cheese have been seen in not just the French but the Mexican and Spanish cuisine (caldo de queso,chile con queso). And where table-side cooking has been the norm in Asian cooking, dishes involving melted cheese has been always a part of the indigenous cuisine like the ema datshi, chhena jhili, rasabali or churu.

Ever since the spread of recipes over to different cuisines, the term “fondue” is referred to food dipped into a communal pot of liquid kept hot in a fondue pot. From meat to tomatoes or potatoes as well as choclate, fondue is essentially more of a way of cooking.

More than the taste of the meal, it is the friendly and family feel that is shared by the meal. One of the best memories had during the childhood was when we used to gather around the crock-pot of melted cheese and tip off the bread from the other’s fork. The inner who tips the maximum gets a whole stash of candies from the losing side. With all this and simple ingredients, making a simple dish of cheese fondue can make for a welcome change, especially in the outdoor cooking. Little wonder why then experimentation with fondue recipes can drive the strain of the lock-down away.

Cheese Fondue
Basic Recipe
600 g (21 oz) shredded cheese (1/2 Gruyere, 1/2 Emmentaler), 1 garlic clove, 3 dl (1 1/4 C) dry white wine, 3 tsp cornstarch, 3 small glasses kirsch, ground pepper, nutmeg. Rub a heavy saucepan or heat proof clay fondue pot (Caquelon) with the split garlic clove. Dissolve the cornstarch in the kirsch. Put the cheese and wine into the pan and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When the cheese is completely melted, add the kirsch and cornstarch mixture, stirring vigourously. Continue to cook. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Serve over an alcohol lamp. The cooking should continue on low heat. Stir constantly with small pieces of bread speared on a fondue fork. There are several varieties of fondue:
In the Canton of Vaud, fondue is prepared with Gruyere cheese only, but at varying stages of ripeness. Sometimes it is mixed with cheese from the Jura. In the Jura, the fondue is made up of 1/2 Jura cheese and enhanced with 1-2 challots per person. The challots are eaten last.
In Geneva three kinds of cheese are used: Gruyere, Emmentaler and Vaudois cheese. Then, sauteed chopped morsels (fresh or dried and pre-soaked) or diced tomatoes are added.
Fondue is usually eaten with bite-sized pieces of crusty bread speared on a fondue fork. One can also, however, use small potatoes or potato slices. Fondue aficionados dunk their bread in kirsch before dipping it into the cheese. And don’t forget: whoever loses his bread in the pan must pay for a round of beer or a bottle of wine. If it happens to a lady she must kiss the man sitting next to her. On the whole, however, the former is more popular.”
Cooking in Switzerland, Marianne Kaltenbach [Wolfgang Holker:Zurich] 1984 (p. 84)

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Posted in Food

Simple, Boxed and Wholesome

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Living the life of a college student teaches one many of the practicalities of life. Shuffling between books, part-time jobs for that extra inflow of cash, managing expenses on a very stringent budget and encountering unexpected emergencies, be it on the social, academic or family fronts; teaches one to gear up for many situations. On a personal note, it was the budget which had lead to the culinary experimentation at a very basic level.

“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—just good food from fresh ingredients.” Julia Child

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After too many peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, repeated lunches of sandwiches or rice lead to a search for recipes with basic and minimal ingredients and plenty of experimentation. One of the first attempts was to make kathi rolls for lunch. Essentially a kathi roll is a skewer-roasted kebab wrapped in a paratha bread. Homemade variants essentially imply any wrap containing a filling enfolded in an Indian flatbread (roti). With the fillings being highly varied from chutney, vegetable salad, roasted or sauteed vegetables, egg or chicken, one can be extremely creative and go with whatever is available at hand. Though similar to the burrito, the difference lies essentially in the bread that is used.

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Source:https://www.cookingclassy.com/breakfast-burrito-recipe/
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Technically the burrito is a flour tortilla wrapped into a sealed cylindrical shape with various fillings. The former may be lightly grilled or steamed, softening it or making it more pliable. Often eaten by hand as the tight wrapping keeps the filling together. As for the fillings, they are usually savoury with ingredients ranging from cooked rice or beans, vegetables (especially the salad types like lettuce, tomatoes), condiments like salsa or guacamole, meat of choice (as salad mix or diced and curried) or simply cheese. Newer styles of serving burritos include the wet style (covered with savoury sauces), spicy types, or even a mix of both. The only catch is they are all had with the cutlery at hand. .

“You don’t have to eat less, you just have to eat right.” Unknown

Turning towards the adult years, especially when rapidly approaching the two scores; counting calories becomes the norm. Which is why the morning melee doesn’t simply involve packing lunch for the kids, but also two additional lunch boxes grace the counter. While packing lunch for the two of us, the setting is kept simple and basic with plenty of protein to kill the hunger pangs and care is taken to keep the meals less greasy, fussy or spicy. Besides it is a good change from the elaborate dinner preparations. Having lunch at the work-space beats heading out for the midday meal on many levels. Not only does one get to portion out the calorie intake; the swapping of recipes, sharing of simple meals and a chance to interact beyond the work-front provides a soothing touch to the hectic or mundane tune of the morning hours. As for getting creative, this is the best opportunity to charge ahead with experimentation and palatability; keeping things simple, rich and enticing. For any food connoisseur, these are the challenges which perk up the recipe corner and discovering the fun and joy of simple and balanced meals.

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Of Cheese and Blue Streaks

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

While cleaning out the larder over last weekend, I had chanced upon a blue veined gooey stuff enclosed tight in a packet. On closer inspection, apparently it was a piece of cheese misplaced post the local grocery shopping and was out of sight for a month, resulting in the mold setting in. Seeing the blue green veins streaking across the white; what came to mind was the difference between blue and bad cheese.

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Blue cheese was believed to be an accidental discovery. As legend says of the making of Roquefort cheese by a young boy who had abandoned his meal of bread and ewes’ milk cheese (on seeing a beautiful girl) returned back months later to find his old cheese soft, crumbly, blue veined and with a tangy flavour transformed so by the mold (Penicillium roqueforti). Similar legends have been heard with the drunken man and his cheese. The early years saw that cheeses were stored in natural temperatures and moisture-controlled caves which happen to be favorable environments for many varieties of harmless mold.

Over the years, many varieties of blue cheese have been created with few having their own stories. For instance, the Gorgonzola one of the oldest known blue cheeses, having been created around AD 879, is said that to have its blue veins only around the 11th century. Stilton cheese, an English cheese (popular since the 1700s) was set in the modern shape and style by Frances Pawlett (or Paulet), a “skilled cheese maker” of Wymondham, Leicestershire. Thus with strict codes, only the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire had market the cheese as Stilton. Later varieties(20th century) of blue cheese like the Danablu and Cambozola (cow’s milk cheese of a combination in style of a French soft-ripened triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola) were made with few variations from the original. Danablu was made from full fat cow’s milk and homogenized cream with copper wires or rods used to pierce the formed curds to distribute the mould (Penicillium roqueforti) evenly through the cheese and then the cheese is aged for eight to twelve weeks.

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With blue cheese varieties, one must know to differentiate between the good and bad mold. If mold grows on soft cheeses like cottage cheese, cream cheese or ricotta; or on shredded, crumbled and sliced cheese, it is best to be discarded. As far as hard and semi-soft cheese like cheddar, Colby, Parmesan or Swiss are concerned, the moldy part with an inch extra around it can be removed and the rest of the cheese can be used. With moldy cheese one has to be careful with its’ use and storage.

For foodimentarians with a special love of desserts, home food or for that quick added or unique touch to the regular meals, cheese (be it from cow, goat or sheep milk or homemade, local store bought, cheese market special or blue cheese varieties) is a pantry must. With a change from the regular, cheese gives an option of taking Stilton sandwiches to work, Gronozola on toast, shredded Brie or Danablu on salads, dressings or crumbled and used in cheesecake recipes, cheese themed parties or simply the change from the sweet dessert to the cheese platter with wine for afters.

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Posted in Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

Of Cheesecake, Origins, Style and Evolution

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Pound the cheese until smooth and pasty. Mix the pounded cheese in a brass pan with honey and spring wheat flour. Heat the cheese cake “in one mass”, allow to cool and serve. ( Records from the oldest known Greek recipe, Athenaeus 230 A.D.)

One of the well loved desserts of “cheese cake” has its’ origins as early as the Greek civilizations of 6th century B.C. . Although it was believed that the first cheese cake may have been created on the Greek island of Samos, this mayn’t be exact. In fact, cheese and related products may have been there since the domestication of animals and use of milk by the primitive man. Th earliest evidence of cheese cake, was as per Greek records ( 5th century records of Greek physician Aegimus, Olympic records of 776 B.C. or Athenaeus writings of 230 A.D.) during sports and weddings (as the main wedding cake). Then the basic ingredients of flour, cheese, honey and wheat were taken in the right amounts and baked.

With the conquering of Greece by the Romans, the “cheesecake recipe” was modified to include crushed cheese and eggs. Either baked under a hot brick and served warm, or put into the pastry as a filling; the Roman cheesecake known as “libuma” was meant for special occasions. Cato the Elder’s De Agri Cultura accounts the earliest cheesecake recipes, which mentions three types; libum, savillum and placenta. The latter is almost like the modern cheesecake recipe with a crust that is separately prepared and baked.

“A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye.” Anthelme Brillat

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With the extension of Roman empire, later fall and rise of other civilization; cuisines and recipes were exchanged, experimented and evolved throughout Europe. From Great Britain to Eastern Europe, each region had their unique differences of ingredients, texture, method and presentation of cheesecake. The twelfth century had seen, a cheesecake recipe in the English cookbook, Forme of Curry (1390). Described as a flour based sweet food, various accounts also state cheesecake recipes as “cheese cut into very small pieces, soaked in milk for three hours; the mixture strained and eggs, butter and sugar being added (accounts of chef in employ of Henry VIII).”

Although the name “cheesecake” was used since the 15th century; the modern form of “cheesecake” had evolved around the 18th century. Then yeast was substituted with beaten eggs; thereby removing the overpowering yeast flavour and make it more “dessert-ish” and sweet. With immigration and migration to Americas, the recipes were further modified. The modern American cream cheese was developed in 1872 as an accidental discovery by William Lawrence (Chester, New York) as he tried to recreate the soft, French cheese Neufchâtel. Although he had made an “unripened cheese”, heavier and creamier than the regular; similar creations were made independently by other dairymen.

“New York means many different things to me. It certainly means cheesecake, more species of cheesecake than I ever knew existed: rum, orange, hazelnut, chocolate marble, Italian, Boston, and of course, New York.” David Frost

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On a technical point, cheesecake today is more as a torte (based on number of eggs), tart or flan than being a “cake” as they have a separate crust, soft filling and the absence of flour in most recipes. In fact, modern cheesecake comes as two different types; of the baked cheesecake or cheesecakes made with uncooked cream-cheese on a crumbled-biscuit base.

With cheesecakes being broadly categorized as two basic types of baked or unbaked, each region or continent have their own versions or varieties. Like the most popular variety of South African made with whipped cream, cream cheese, gelatin filling, buttered digestive biscuit crust with Amarula liqueur, if not baked or the Asian style cheesecake of cornstarch and eggs (Japan) or cottage cheese, sugar and nuts ( Indian chhena poda, Odishan recipe) or the common unbaked Australian cheesecakes; one can modify the recipe for more fruit based or sweet (chocolate, vanilla or caramel) based flavouring.

“My favourite pudding is a toss-up between cheesecake – proper, New York cheesecake – and apple crumble and custard. Custard is very important, or dark chocolate mousse. Tea: probably Earl Grey, splash of milk.” Tom Hiddleston

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For a more global cheesecake style, one can experiment and base recipes as per the French style (Neufchâtel cheese, gelatin), Italian-style (ricotta or mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, small bits of candied fruit and sometimes barley flakes), Polish sernik, Russina vatrushka or like in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The latter make their cheesecake typically with a base of crushed, buttered biscuits and often topped with a fruit compote. The usual filling is a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, cream and gelatin at times. Popular non fruit variations are banoffee, coffee, tea, chocolate, Irish cream, white chocolate, marshmallow flavors and even smoked salmon (Scotland). The New York style (heavy cream or sour cream based) and Chicago style (baked cream-cheese, fluffy with a shortbread based crust) cheesecakes are few of the popular American varieties.

The versatility, wide variety and variants, ease as well as simple ingredients of cheesecake are what makes them popular for quick occasions, simple desserts or more elaborate functions. To celebrate the National Cheesecake Day (July 30th), it would be fun to start a “cheesecake” tradition or recipe for family and friends. After all, cheese refines with age, in taste, flavours and texture. Intermixing recipes for new palatable combinations would be an interesting experimentation for the homemaker, artisan as well as the “chef’s eye”.

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Posted in Daily, Food, Stories Around the World

“Canna” with the “petite duchesse”

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Ever had “flashes of lighting” alongside “tubes of rich goodness” ? If the answer is in the negative or a query; with the month of June nearing to an end, it would be a good time to take up on the celebratory days of the éclair (choclate éclair, to be very specific, June 22nd) as well as the cannoli (June 16th), respectively. With the local deli’s and bakers’ going on full swing of celebratory discounts as well as interesting combinations to mark these days for foodists; delving a little bit into their food history would be quite interesting.

Originating from the 19th century France, also known as sweet baguette, an éclair was an oblong pastry made with choux dough filled with a cream and topped with chocolate icing. Typically piped into an oblong shape, the dough is baked until it becomes crisp and hollow within. When cooled, the pastry can be filled with a wide range of flavours, like vanilla, coffee or chocolate-flavoured custard (crème pâtissière), with whipped or chiboust cream and then iced with fondant icing. More exotic fillings include pistachio and rum flavoured custard, fruit-flavoured fillings or chestnut purée. If the icing is of caramel, the dessert is known as “a bâton de Jacob.”

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Etymology speaking, the pastry title comes from French éclair “flash of lightning”, named so because it is eaten quickly (in a flash). Initially known as “pain à la Duchesse” or “petite duchesse” til the 1850. Towards the 1860s the word eclair took over, both in English and French. Historically the speculation was that this little delight was first made by Antonin Carême (1784–1833), the famous French chef of grande cuisine.

“Leave the gun. Take the cannolis.” Clemenza, in ‘The Godfather’

Moving across to the Sicilian and the Italian-American cuisine, delicate “tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough”, usually with a sweet, creamy filling (most commonly containing ricotta) have been quite popular especially in the island of Sicily. Known as “cannoli”, they range from sizes of cannulicchi (smaller than finger sized) to the fist-sized proportions typically found south of Palermo, Sicily, in Piana degli Albanesi.

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With its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages; this best known Sicilian pastry takes its’ name “cannolo (cannoli in English)” from the long tubular shape, as a diminutive of canna (a cane like reed) like sugar cane stalk. Back in the ninth centruy, Arabs had introduced sugar cane into the Sicilian cooking, thereby replacing honey as the sweetener of Sicilian confectionary to sugar. Similar desserts from the Middle East include Zainab’s fingers (filled with nuts) and qanawāt which were deep fried dough tubes filled with various sweets.

During the medieval years, the tubular shell shape was formed by rolling the paste into a flat, circular shape, then wrapping it around a sugar cane stalk. Legends abound but among them, most lead to the origin from western Sicily, probably in Palermo or nearby. Made often as a springtime item, most commonly associated when sheep produced more milk for ricotta around the Fat Tuesday (Carnevale).

Summer still going strong and picnics in full swing, for the first timers it would be a good time to experiment the sweet delicacies for a change. As for the kitchen experimenters and part time chefs, getting creative with homemade eclairs and cannoli would be a good change from the routine desserts.

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Source:https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/eclairs
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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Food

“Food Fun”: Mix , Match and Experiment

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”  Virginia Woolf

Imagine a menu planned by kids. This was one of the tasks allotted to my child in his kindergarten class. On first hearing this; for all parents, this plan may set off alarm bells of the aftermath of a mass gastric upsets, whereas secretly many among us crave these foods on certain or many occasions. 

 

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Imagine a list that ranges from Cheetos to ice cream, pancakes, sandwiches and all the sweet as well as the “street food” in the world. While this may sound too good to be true, some of these combinations though weird actually taste good.

Oreos and Orange Juice
Frosted Flakes and Cheese
Soya Sauce on Ice Cream
Apples with Salt, Pepper and Chilli Flakes
Cake of “Banana Pancakes with Nutella, Cream and Honey”
Avocados and Chocolate
Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches
Bananas on Cheese Toastie
Butter and Sugar Sandwiches
Peanut Butter in Burgers
Rice and Ketchup
Grape Jelly on Scrambled Eggs or Omelettes ..and the list goes on, up to one’s choice of taste, artistic eye and palatable combinations.

 

Source:https://www.buzzfuse.net/96-1/50-weird-food-combinations-which-sound-gross-but-taste-amazing/
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Though everyday food involves eating healthy as well enjoying food that we love guilt free, the daily meals get a bit of livening up when we get free with the mix and match, go creative as well as enjoy surprising the taste senses.
With “Eat What You Want Day” (May 11th) is being celebrated today, which was initially started to enjoy a guilt free “indulge in your favourite food” day; this is one of the best days to try weird combinations or have breakfast for dinner, break the routine and let the young ones plan one meal for the day (few of us can tolerate Doritos, pizza and ice cream only to an extent).

Whether one wants to have sweet or sour, or indulge in the “mood for something different to taste” for the day; having fun while eating is the first along with being healthy, wise, happy and creative too.

 

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Posted in Daily, Food

Evolution of the “Salad”

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“A salad is not a meal, it is a style.” Fran Lebowitz

Originating from the Latin sal (means salt) to the Provençal “salada”, later as the Old French salade to finally the late Middle English “sallet” of 14th century or the modern day “salad” which it is now known by, salads have gradually evolved over the years. From simply starting a meal to being the main meal by itself, salads have been redefined both in content, style and flavours. With summer in full swing, fresh produce available and kids at home, salads can be both fun, entertaining and creative.

“Salad can get a bad rap. People think of bland and watery iceberg lettuce, but in fact, salads are an art form, from the simplest rendition to a colorful kitchen-sink approach.” Marcus Samuelsson

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Salads were favored since the early Babylonian Era, where the greens were dressed with oil and vinegar. Likewise Egyptians made salad dressed with oil, vinegar and Asian. Even the Romans and ancient Greek Era saw mixed greens with dressing, a type of mixed salad. With imperial expansions, these layered and dressed salads were favourites in the menus of the European courts. Royal chefs often combined many ingredients in one enormous salad bowl including exotic greens as well as flower petals. The favourite salad of King Henry IV was a tossed mixture of new potatoes (boiled and diced), sardines and herb dressing, where as Mary, Queen of Scots, preferred boiled celery root diced and tossed with lettuce, creamy mustard dressing, truffles, chervil and hard-cooked egg slices.

“To make a good salad is to be a brilliant diplomatist – the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one’s vinegar.” Oscar Wilde

Today salads are made in two classical manners of being artfully arranged or “composed” to ingredients being mixed with dressings or “tossed”. At any point of time on the meal salads may be served; as appetizers or side salads, as well as main course salads with high protein foods (like meat, eggs or fish), or as dessert salads. The latter version is one of the most popular with these sweet versions containing fruit, gelatin, sweeteners or whipped cream.

“It takes four men to dress a salad: a wise man for the salt, a madman for the pepper, a miser for the vinegar, and a spendthrift for the oil.” Anonymous

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Technically there are five types of salads. Starting with the green salad or garden salad, consisting mostly of leafy greens with a healthy mix of coloured vegetables. If the latter are more, it is termed as a “vegetable salad”. From olives, artichokes as well as beans, celery or nuts, berries and seeds; these salads can be made in a colourful array. When made on a lettuce leaf, the “wedge salad” is created. When thick sauces are added to salads, they become “bound salads”, the second category of salads. Most types include those with mayonnaise like tuna salad, chicken salads, potato salad or egg salad, which can be served as “scoops” or sandwich fillers, making it a popular necessity for picnics and barbecues.

“As long as mixed grills and combination salads are popular, anthologies will undoubtedly continue in favor.” Elizabeth Janeway

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The remaining three types include the “dinner salads” or main course salads, fruit and dessert salads. The former is made with meat, seafood or even eggs like the Cobb salad, Caesar salad and the Chinese chicken salad. With culinary fruits, a quick “fruit salad” can be made to complete the meal or a more elaborate “dessert salad” like jello salad, pistachio salad or ambrosia can answer the sweet cravings. Fancier creations like cookie salads, rice crispies salad, snickers salad or glorified rice salad. Finally topping the salads are the dressings which can be vinaigrette, creamy dressings as well as honey mustard or Italian dressing to mention a few. Dressing a salad depends on the final flavour that one wants to have.

Either for fun or for hunger, salad making can be an entertaining as well creative art, giving ample pleasure for both the taste buds, hunger pangs and health goals. With June being the foodimentarian ” National Month of Salads”, it would be fun to give few fancy salads a try.

“Kids in aprons appeared, putting tureens of vegetable soup on the tables and plates of boiled eggs, potatoes and lentils, bowls of endive-and-radish salad, small rounds of cheese and loaves of brown bread, all looking quite delicious, in Zoe’s opinion.” Christine Brodien-Jones, The Glass Puzzle

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