From an old writer's block to a new one
- rosemary
- Sep 28
- 5 min read
At least I now have a title, for today's attempt at a post. And I also have a few ideas buzzing quietly in my head. I took that photo just now - and on that screen is a blank page, which I am now trying to fill.
Surrounding my place at the keyboard are some of the props I use to stimulate the brain and hopefully give me ideas. Desk calendar and diary, unseen under the open cookbook which is one of the stimuli for today; the pile of books I'm working my way through which include my current lucky dip and first recipe supposed ideas; my notebooks just seen on the left, with lists of blogs, ideas, quotes and so on; torn pages from Coles Magazines; two of Nigel's books with lots of sticky postits bookmarks ... And possibibly most important of all, if not for ideas, but at least for calm, the view of our back garden. Not particularly beautiful, or green, but soothing. I would hate for my desk to not be looking out at the world. Observing the wind fluttering the leaves, and clouds coming and going in the sky is indeed, soothing.
So here's today's ramble, following a loose and tangled thread of things from here and there.
I began with an idea that came from last night's meal, but it needs a follow-up, so it will be left for a day or so. I don't normally have such forethought, so I hope I actually follow through on this one.
Then I remembered, that as I was making that list of posts I had written in far off times, I noticed a post that I had written a long time ago called A nifty writer's block idea. It was one of my posts about another foodie blog called What's cooking on page 32?
The author of the website was Peggy Bright who was working her way through her 500 odd cookbooks - yes 500 - looking at and cooking the recipe that she found on page 32. Which is obviously similar to my first recipe thing. She also had faced that same problem as I, because page 32 - tending to be near the beginning of a book - also tended to be of similar content. She got around this by instead choosing page 132, 232 - 16 (half of 32) or 64 (double) ... I can do that thought I, but decided that instead of fixating on one number I would choose according to the date on which I decided to go for this option. Although I then realised that this might lead to the same problem of same old, same old, but like Peggy I could use the same workarounds. Alas her last post was in 2013. Maybe she has worked her way through them all. Maybe she is concentrating on travel - she has another website on travel.
All of which led me to today's page 28 in a book I had removed from my library to look for a quote I thought was in there, that would illustrate that idea still to be fulfilled, based on last night's dinner.
The book is my beloved Love Your Leftovers by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - one of the increasingly few books on my shelves that I repeatedly refer to. But page 28 was disappointing as it was all about Stocks - "where it all starts really", says Hugh, which may be true, but I've done stocks in various guises before, so I turned to page 128 to find this roast dinner soup. Roast dinner soup because it's a Monday dinner made from the remains of the Sunday roast. Which rather brightened my day, and not just because of needing to find something to write about here.
As you know I am trying to write a cookbook for my grandchildren based on techniques and methods to make something from nothing - well from what's in your fridge. Soups were going to be one of my cooking genres to tackle, and here was Hugh saying
"It's a free-form feast so I haven't even given approximate quantities. Just use what you have."
Which was so in line with what I am trying to do with this book. Here's his list of ingredients - because the recipe is not online - not many from this book are.
"Roast meat, such as pork, beef, lamb or chicken, shredded or chopped
400g tin chickpeas or any beans (he says white but any will do), drained and rinsed
Some well-flavoured chicken or veg stock or mushroom broth
Any greens, shredded
Some chopped herbs, such as parsley, thyme or rosemary (optional)
Pinch or two of curry powder or smoked paprika (optional) - (from me - any spice or spice mix you fancy)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper"
His method is equally basic - roots, meats and beans in a pan. Pour on water or stock cook for 5 minutes. Add greens. Cook for another couple of minutes. Add greens, herbs, seasonings. Warm through and serve.
Now I know you can improve on that, both in the method and the ingredients, but for a learner it's pretty fail safe really, and an attractive way to write a recipe. It won't be exciting, or even super tasty, but it will be very eatable, even comforting. And he does suggest minor improvements with garnishes of crème fraîche, cheese, and so on, the addition of tinned tomatoes and pasta, and also the process of puréeing it.
A last word on this little decoration at the foot of the actual recipe, and the importance of book design. As well as the excellent photographs by Simon Wheeler, the book is littered with fun illustrations like this one by Tim Hopgood. The photographs tell you that you are dealing with a professional and the illustrations emphasis the idea that cooking is fun.
I have already added this recipe to my cookbook, although I can see that I shall have to expand on it a bit, because there are other, slightly more complicated ways of making a soup, which will give you a better result.
And look I've written a post. Now will I do what my mentor here Peggy Bright does, make it and commment on it? Maybe, but obviously not today as I have no roast dinner remains.
In fact that shows my lack of forethought with all of these writer's block ideas. I always present the recipe or the whatever it is and don't follow through with cooking it. Of course, this is down to my spur of the moment way of thinking. I don't plan. Really I should have waited until I had some remains of a roast dinner, cooked the soup, and then written about the whole process. Never mind it's a start at yet another occasional writer's block breaker.
Maybe today's posts from yesteryear will have similar stimulants.
YEARS GONE BY
September 28
2023 - Nothing
2020 - Missing
2017 - Nothing
2016 - How hard can it be?
Well there's a thought.
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