We went wandering this morning, out in the rather torrid heat, to play with Caitlin and Havana. After a rather delightful time at Smooch, where Havana (my favourite 2 year old) and I mucked around laughing and shooting her porpoise water pistol at the plants (and each other), we headed up to the Fort Greene flea market. If anything spells the “arrival” of our neighbourhood it’s this… the torrents of people wandering up Lafayette St every Sunday making sure that we can never afford to buy here. From the end of July we can’t even afford to rent… but that’s another, sadder, story.
I’d hoped to see and finally meet Jenna and Mark from Sweet fine day but they were nowhere to be found. A very find sandwich from the grumpy guys at Choice and we were back home.
Food – life seems a grand exploration of food and babyness at the moment. Kitchen as relaxation, and the feeling of slightly smug virtue that I’m providing for the “family”. Today it was more Banana bread – mmmm – and this evening a Bouillabaisse; my favourite thing to do with bits and pieces of fish and squid. At yesterday’s farmer’s market I’d got some rather luscious and firm Monkfish and a bunch of fresh squid, so this was the obvious thing to make. Enough to freeze and eat over many a sweet fine day.
Bouillabaisse
_serves 4-6 _
- 2 medium onions, diced fine
- 3 or so carrots, diced fine
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced fine
- small bunch of parsley, including stalks, diced.
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely ground/pounded
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbs olive oil (or so)
- dab of chili to taste
- 500ml fish stock (I cheated and used water + thai fish sauce + bonito flakes)
- pinch saffron threads
- pinch turmeric
- grated rind of half an orange
- half dozen or so peppercorns
- 14oz (375g?) tin of peeled whole tomatoes
- 1 lb (500g) firm fish – cod, monkfish, almost anything
- 1 lb (500g) squid, sliced into thin rings.
In a dutch oven or similar heavy saucepan saute vegetables, parsley, bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic & fennel seeds for around 40 minutes on low until soft. Keep mostly covered.
When soft turn up head and cook on medium/high until caramelized, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
Add tomatoes, stock, turmeric, saffron & orange rind and cook at low simmer for around 1 hour, adding squid after 10 min.
Add fish (cut into 2cm chunks) and cook for 10 min or until clearly done. Garnish with parsley and serve with toasted bread rubbed with olive oil.
