WINTER COOKING

Dinners served aboard the Floating Empire in the depths of winter tend heavily toward comfort food: warm, hearty one dish meals that are intended to feed and warm the soul as much as nourish the body.

Mungo's birthday meal in the making

If you have been following (hint, hint) Onboard Cooking you will likely remember that we only have a cooktop; no oven yet, and really only have one burner. Well, now that its gotten cold enough to have our kerosene heater running full time i will admit to 'cheating' a bit by utilizing the heater top to heat and cook things like potatoes, pasta, and with care, rice. Still and all most meals are made with one pot, one cook top. This does present a challenge: not just the practical physical aspects of getting it all done, but the ingenuity required to come up with interesting variations on the themes of soup and stew.

Chicken and Dumplings, oh so yummy!

From Mungo's birthday dinner of beef bourguignon, to cassoulet, to chicken and dumplings, the lovely stuffed peppers i made for dinner last night and all the beautiful Malaysian curries, soups and stews, we have been eating very well and, i need to point out, very affordably as well.

Without a doubt the best Chicken Curry soup, ever!

Mungo's birthday meal on the table!

I have heard the arguments repeatedly that people living on a fixed income or gasp, 'assistance' should only be eating pink slime, spam and nasty surplus canned vegetables and other packaged an over processed food; people kibble if you will. Nothing's further from the truth. Over-processed factory food has little nutritional value, leaves the eater undernourished, hungry and unhappy. Cooking and eating is about more than filling your belly and satisfying your cravings for sweet, salt or fat. It is about nourishing and sustaining life: about love and comfort. A well set table with beautiful, lovingly made food should be one of the most important centers of the home. It is here.

I think he liked it!

Bon appetite!

More later,
Morgainne