Category Archives: Cooking

Thai Dinner

While I was cooking dinner tonigh, Sam had a question in Google Talk, when I told her I need to go finish dinner, she said she wants some too,,,, how do we do that?

I poured myself a portion and sent it to Sam in Google Talk:

Hmmm Yummy

After I sent her this one, I remembered she actually prefer the dish this way:

A nice spicy pork dish

It is a pity this is the only way we can have a family dinner these days, but it is better than nothing, right?

Do you want to tell me which is your favorite way of eating such dishes?

You can find the recipe in one of my favorite cook books:
Foolproof Thai Cooking: Popular and Easy Recipes from the World’s Favorite Asian Chef by Ken Holm

Bete’avon!

Fava Bean, Peas and Pearl Barley Soup

What should a girl blog about when she is very loyal to one knitting project that is not a very photgenic big blob these days:

My Pi Shawl that may turn into a throw

(The colours are quite off in this photo, the yarn I am currently knitting is more like a very rich red wine mixed with purples).

I wanted to tell you about our trip to Idyllwild, California last weekend, where we celebrated our anniversary and show you some pretty birds we spotted on the way back home but the soup that is now cooking on my stove won the spotlight.

It is a fresh Fava Beans, Peas and Pearl Barley soup and what made it blog worthy was the process of getting to the part of the Fava Bean that went into my soup! As the idea to blog about it came only when we saw those lovely beans, we had to take the photos in reverse so you will have to excuse our garbage can!

I found the recipe for this soup in an Israeli cookbook called: Haim Cohen & Eli Landau Mevashlim = Cooking (male plural) – the name in English as it appears in the book: Haim Cohen & Eli Landau’s Cook Book. I like this cook book because it is arranged by vegetables and has the most beautiful photos in it and also (probably mainly) because anything I tried from it turned out delicious.

I never cooked Fava Beans before, I don’t know why, In the back of my mind I have some reservation about them but as hard as I try, I can’t remember what it is!

In the chapter about these beans you can find instructions how to clean the fresh beans: they tell you that it is quite easy to take the beans out of the pods

The outer shells of the Fava Beans

but in order to get rid of the thin skin you need to put the beans in boiling, slightly salted water and let them boil for one minute, then strain them and after that it is quite easy to peel this skin.

I opened the first pod and found in it a light green bean that didn’t seem to me to have any thin skin on it. I called Joe to have a second opinion, he looked, opened another pod and said he can’t see anything either but we better do as instructed and see what happens. Instead of going back to his desk he brought the garbage can and helped me open the shells. After awhile he said the pods are quite sensual (no wonder he decided to volunteer and help me,,,,) and he was quite right. the pods are large, easy to open, feel cushiony and have an inner white layer that looks like very soft fur. While we were peeling, I told Joe these beans are really spoiled, look at the tender soft shelter they grow in!

I followed the instructions in the book and after the boiling we found out that the light green outer part of the bean is actually a skin and not so thin at all:

The inner skin of a Fava Bean

Look what we found inside those skins:

Fresh Cleaned Fava Beans

I think there really is something very sensual in these little beauties!

And the soup you ask?

My Fava Beans,Peas and Pearl Barley Soup

Suffice is to say that I am not sure we have enough soup for lunch tomorrow; I ate one bowl and no, we didn’t have any company for lunch today! My man is a well known lover of soups in general and yummy new ones in particular.

Look Who Came to Visit

Look who came to visit

Do you see the little bugger? Actually it did not come to visit but was brought in very unceremoniously by Saki, Joe decided to save it and the little bugger jumped and went to check Joe’s calf (very handsome calf),,, as you can see Saki was on the watch, trying to get his toy back. Cruel us, do not enjoy his gifts and do not let him play with them either, ackh .

Oh and the other night my stew tried to kill me,,, you can see the result in the photo that Joe had to take (he thought it was funny too, the wicked man)

.The Wicked Stew Attack

Luckily no real damage was done and the stew was very tasty too.

Apparently I put the lid on the pot too soon after I added the white wine and when I noticed that something was going on in there and opened the lid, I saw fire on the stew, I think some burning alcohol was on the lid and this is what caught some of my hair, it is a good thing I still have my chemist instincts, I pulled my head back automatically and moved away from the stove. Having glasses helped to!

And the knitting keeps going on! One Kaleidee is ready and his brother is on the needles as we speak.

My autumn throw gained another one and a half pattern repeats! Oh and the best thing about it? It helped! Last night we slept with open windows for the first time in months and months and it is after one o’clock already and the windows are still open – YAY!!!