Dear LPG,

 

This month’s recipe had a lot of ingredients, although I recognised most of them. When it comes to getting them, I have a four-step routine. First, and most important, is making sure that I pick the version of the dish that has the most recognisable ingredients (although when choosing a month in advance, there is always some detail that escapes me). Step two is nearly always a trip to the supermarket to get what I can there before I make the monthly trip to my local specialist shop. Then, if all else fails, I resort to the internet for those really obscure spices.

 

I can usually find everything this way, but this month’s trip left me at the butcher’s, where there were a few things that I have limited knowledge about when looking under the glass counter. I have to admit to being a pre-packed supermarket meat shopper. I didn’t even recognise the marrow bones until they were pointed out.

 

Soup is relatively easy, though, and I managed to follow the instructions fairly successfully. Everything was going quite nicely until I got to the part where you had to add the thyme. I forgot to buy a fresh sprig or two, so I just poured a teaspoon of the stuff from the herb pot.

 

My taste testers appeared really impressed with the result, although we had no idea what it was actually supposed to taste like. The thyme left my version looking a bit “freckly” when compared to the recipe picture, but there it was.

 

The Dominican Republic celebrates its Independence Day on February 27th, which will give me an excuse to have a go at their dish of Habichuelas con Dulce. This is a dessert made with kidney beans, and I can’t wait to try that one.

 

CB, Lewisham

 

 

CB shares some beany recipes…

 

 

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