'You sure look beautiful this evening', Jamie says, kissing me on the neck as I stand at the kitchen.
I look at him like he's the idiot he is. More like hag of the kitchen. My hip is fucking killing me and I'm hot and the fish and chip shop is closed and I'm feeling anything but beautiful.
'Why are you so happy?' I say. 'Cupboard love?'. My Mum would say that. One says what their mothers say.
Ironic, or kinda funny, because he's been doing the surrounds and the lights on the overhead cupboards which we've delayed until now. It wasn't straightforward, and we miscut in the heat twice.
They do look good now. We still have to put in a window, and I've been researching tiles, admitting I have stupid expensive taste and having Jamie say 'let's hire a tiler' at every oppportunity, because he hates tiling, resulting in me wondering whether the plaster is fine as it is with turmeric splatters and so on.
'I'm just happy the little wallabies and kangaroos are safe.I was worried about the animals', he says. The fire in the Otways has been contained - for now - after days of evacuations and worrying. We're still not safe, and there are towns and houses under threat and thousands of hectares burnt, but it's not spread as far as the warnings suggested. This is why I love this man - he was worried about the animals. Ladies, choose men who love animals. It's a good start.
So, dinner. I've been pouring over the Noor Murad cookbook and challenging myself to make things I ordinarily wouldn't. I had some snapper I'd defrosted, and all the other ingredients, so I started by marinating the fish in ground fennel, ground cardomom, paprika, salt and pepper.
After that, the rice. I didn't have ghee as she had written, so I used coconut oil, in which you saute a few minutes a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, bayleaves (I was pleased to find my neighbour has a large bay tree, right over the side fence, which I'm welcome to), saffron threads, cardomom pods. And here's the kicker - a few tablespoons of date syrup. I didn't have date syrup, but I did blend a few handfuls of dates in hot water which was just perfect. Careful - it'll sizzle! Then you add the rice (which has been pre soaked for twenty minutes and rinsed thoroughly) and water, bring to a boil and let it absorb half the water, then turn it right down low and put a tea towel over the pan, then the lid, and wait for about half an hour to cook (don't stir it, don't peek!).
Meanwhile, the real star - the date pickle. Omfg. This was next level and I just didn't expect it to be! I'd soaked the ten dates (they were hard ones from Aldi - proper fresh Medjool ones would be better) and then thinly sliced them. Add some thinly slice raw onion, 3 tbsps apple cider vinegar. Fry a tsp of fennel seeds and a tsp of aleppo (mildish) chilli in olive oil, cool, add to the chutney, stir. Stir in coriander leaves, if you have them (I didn't).
Serious to god I'm making this every time I make rice, no matter what protein I have with it.
Then cook the fish - a few minutes on each side, a squeeze of lemon. Serve on top of the rice, spooning the oil over it, date syrup on the side.
We sit outside on the deck and feel grateful we haven't had to evacuate. Yet.
'Tea, my darling?' he says, starting the washing up. How lucky am I. I get the mugs out, the soft close doors working a treat.
More cupboard love, I suppose.
With Love,
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