Readers will know by now that, when choosing the version of the recipe that I go with each month, my first consideration is checking for the one with the least number and most recognised ingredients.  My next priority has to be a really Simple recipe because I know that I am not the most accomplished cook in the world.  I believe that I managed that part of this month’s mission very successfully but you just know something went wrong. 

The problem with this month’s cook-up was the need to wait 3 hours while the initial part of the meal cooked.  I used to have patience but I think it is a fact that we 21st century people have a problem with it and my answer is always to multitask.  Normally I would find myself lost on the phone but I decided to stay with the pot this time.  I even put my Alexa to alarm every 15 minutes so that I could make sure that all was well.   Ironically, the easiest of the cooking instructions turned out to be the hardest part for me.   It was all about a very low heat under the pot and lifting the froth off the broth regularly.  While I waited I hoovered, washed up and had a cuppa but that did not take three hours and boredom soon set in.  I found myself a television film to pass the time with and the quarter-of-an-hours came and went in the beginning, but after a few repeated reminders, I did that procrastination thing where the message happened and I answered with a mental version of ‘in a minute’, before getting really involved with the film.  My nose did not fail though.  I smelt what was happening in the kitchen and rescued the froth and potentially burnt version of the dish just before it was too late. 

My taste testers thought this was one of my best efforts, so I did not mention the film’s effect on the result.  

But on to next month and Haiti where New Year’s Day doubles as their Independence Day. With this in mind and the assured knowledge that we will all be fed up with Christmas left overs by then, I plan to present my best version of their celebrated dish; Soup Joumou, in the hope that a soup will settle the stomach in preparation for the New Year’s food intake.  

CB, Lewisham.

CB previews next month’s Haitian attempt of a national stomach filler…

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