Ahahahaha "confined"

 So my neighbours have started their extension work. One corner of my kitchen is held up on a strut. The back of the house is open to foxes and anything else passing. (I feel great about this.) There is nothing confined about my kitchen. My life, otoh, is fairly confined. I'm very tied up with interviewing this week and spending a lot of time sitting, while looking worriedly sideways when an especially crunchy sound comes up. So when I have a chance of half an hour outside, it'd be nice if I could open my front door. Which, mostly, has just about sort of happened. Ish. They are trying hard, but I would v much like to be whisked somewhere elsewhere, but also not have to move.

And still to have a kitchen. I've been cooking some excellent stuff. It's sadly hideous, on the whole, but tasty.

 

Not so hideous. We'll get to this.

 

And still to have a kitchen. I've been cooking some excellent stuff. It's sadly hideous, on the whole, but tasty. 

Bacon bits with grated tomato cooked down, with a bit of butter and thyme. On toast. Good for lunch, good for tired dinner. Absolutely hideous, especially when made with mixed colour tomatoes (some where green). So tasty I ate half of it before a photo.

Then there was steak and not-chips, with a shallot and pickled walnut garnish (from Crave). Absolutely amazingly delicious. Also hideous. 

Then, there was a most delicious pasta - with cauliflower, onions and raisins. It's a classic combination of flavours but there is no way of making it pretty. Would recommend though, for winter and cupboard cooking. 

You will need: as much of a cauliflower as you can stand to eat (about half a big one for two meals here). Parboil it well - recipe suggests 6 minutes, but not so long it's falling apart. Keep the water to do your pasta while you're finishing the sauce.

Meanwhile, cook onion slices in plenty of oil - this is your sauce, don't be shy. Soak some raisins in warm water for a couple of minutes to plump them up, assuming they are as dodgy as mine, which are Not Young. Then dissolve a few anchovies in your onion pan - obviously you could use salt if veggie, but this is a lovely salty touch. Add the cauli and cook it gently for a while with all the other flavours - 2 minutes says the recipe, I gave it a bit more. Add pine nuts, if you can afford them - some kind of alternative chopped nut if not, they are endlessly pricey.

But, lord, it's ugly. This is a terrible photo but it does the situation justice. Beige with darkish blobs. Adding conchiglie does no favours.

I've not been posting this hideous run out of bad photo shame. But today's dinner was sweet potato wedges mixed with avocado, lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, rocket, basil and mint. Finally, something which doesn't look too bad. But it's not so tasty as most of the above.