Photo backlog!

Ahem, no, I haven't given up the yoga + writing challenge, actually it's going quite well, just not on the food writing level. PMS does not make a good cook, or eater :( Neither does getting back to cooking for just yourself. I might re-think that. Or just get very fat.

However, I discovered there are many forgotten meals on my camera from more ambitious times:

This was a meal with recipes all from A vegan Taste of North Africa by Linda Majzlik, my favourite book in the serious. Pea and mint couscous, tomato, cucumber and herb salad and sweet onion baked aubergines, plus ajvar (ok, Turkish). I used fancy Japanese aubergines I found at Japan Centre - I was so excited to see the sexy slender Japanese ones, but when I got home, I discovered that I don't really know all that many Japanese aubergine recipes, so they were used just like the plain fat mediterranean ones.


I love orzo, I could eat it every day. Just like gigant mushrooms and garlic bread (although I am starting to think we have eaten our garlic bread allowance for a lifetime by now... for weeks, dinners evolved around 'garlic bread and something'). Also, lots of parsley and parmesan (or was it plain nooch?).


Oh Phoenicia, I love you. In case I haven't told you yet, Phoenicia is an amazing Middle Eastern/Mediterranean supermarket/deli/cafe in Kentish Town. Their mezze are all 70p for 100g, which is not only cheap for London, but unbelievable for this part of the city. I also love the staff and they love me right back with free Turkish Delight. What I don't love is that I could go there every day... ok, I do go there at least every other day... I leave less of my money in Whole Foods.

Anyway, a no-cook dinner, consisting of Phoenicia's pickled peppers (just like the ones you get in Döner Kebab shops in Germany), olives, a big mixed salad and the weirdest but yummiest, mullusc-like Lebanese stuffed roasted Aubergines with pepper, tomato and walnut filling. The good thing is that everybody thinks they look so gross that I get to eat those all by myself! Oh, and hummus.


Last but not least, weird cakes from Chinatown! I read only good things about Wonderful Patisserie but couldn't imagine them having any vegan options as it's a very Chinese place. Until my Sunday morning Soho co-foodie pointed out that he goes there all the time. Definitely check this place out - all the freshly baked cakes and pastries have detailed ingredients lists, and the staff is very helpful. So I sampled quite a few and took home a sesame-red bean pastry, a heavenly pineapple pastry and a weird and gooey, but tasty, banana dumpling thing with something like a pink peace sign on it.