Most people would sensibly use this time to catch up on other important tasks, calling friends, relaxing with a book or a film. Foolish compulsive cooks see this as an opportunity to expand the original bowl of pasta into a three course meal. The first step was to consult the cookbooks, since I knew without even checking that there was nothing in the fridge but some cherry tomatoes, which would have been scorned instantly, and some parmesan.
Am I the only person so indecisive that I will prepare two alternative menus, each with its own shopping list, to put off the decision? What decided me last night to go for the spaghetti bolognese (I'll post the recipe later) instead of pad thai was that I found a recipe for gooey chocolate puddings that could allegedly be prepared in minutes. Anybody else follow that reasoning? It helped that I knew I wouldn't find Phuket crackers - the Thai version of prawn crackers, but vastly superior, and it's pronounced Poo-kett, for those of you sniggering at the back - on the Holloway Road.
So off to the supermarket for the ingredients for a menu as follows: antipasti, spaghetti bolognese and green salad, gooey chocolate puddings. But the indecision was not resolved - and here is where it can be an advantage: the local supermarket had a special offer on ripe figs, as well as some rather good (though very expensive) buffalo mozzarella. Vague 'antipasti' were instantly binned and a fig, basil and mozzarella salad conceived.
Here are the results:
All that's added is balsamic vinegar and lots of black pepper. We mopped up the juice that had exuded from the mozzarella and somehow emulsified itself with the balsamic vinegar with German-style light rye bread.The chocolate puddings were a success, although my previous opinion was confirmed that Nigella Lawson's idea of how much rich chocolatey goo it is possible to consume in one session is wildly exaggerated.
If I'd had longer to wait, I could have made soup and provided a cheese course....
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