When I was growing up, the closest thing to culinary excitement was when Vesta curry mix came on the market. I was my mother’s guinea pig for all things new in the 1970s as I was the youngest of eight and she was thoroughly fed up cooking. I embraced it though, lapping up everything that was put in front of me, always crunching it down afterwards with a few Bourbon biscuits and a glass of milk. I was a pudgy little fella.
My very first foray into cooking was sausages boiled up in that curry sauce, a sort of Indian fusion coddle. It wasn’t the best idea. But it was a sign that I was never afraid to try out new things even if they didn’t always work.
Even now, I often use a little gentle spice in my food. In my cookery courses, I always talk about how the simplest of dishes can be transformed from bland to beguiling by the addition of a stick of cinnamon, some star anise or a couple of cloves. I get heavier with the spices as Christmas approaches. You can smell the season in the kitchen.
Using spices doesn’t mean chilli heat. There are a myriad of spices that have been used from antiquity, none of them will cause discomfort. Spice doesn’t have to be dominant, it should be there for reassurance, complexity and fortification. Curiosity is a very important part of cooking, and I approach it with a sense of adventure.
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A word of warning though. I always compare the use of spices to perfume or aftershave. A little goes a long way. Too much, no matter how expensive, and you will ruin the desired effect. Be judicious in your application. You can always add but never subtract.
My love of one-pot cooking comes into its own at this time of the year. As soon as I sense an autumnal chill, my mind switches to stews, casseroles and slow cooking. My Aga at home gets cranked up in anticipation of the chilly nights ahead. These dishes today all have some mild spicing in one form or another, and are perfect for this time of year.
Recipe: Creamy corn, carrot and mango chowder
Recipe: Pork and spiced onion Wellington, khubani chutney
Recipe: Beetroot, fig and almond salad with black pepper syrup
