I realised this week that I’m only back home in Oban for about another month, so I’d better start doing all the things I’d promised myself I’d do before I headed back to Glasgow to study.
It’s crazy how fast the Summer has gone but I think that’s only because I’ve had a really good one.
One of the main things I’ve been wanting to do over summer is spend a bit more time with my mum learning how to cook a few more bits and pieces. I love cooking in the flat in Glasgow, and over the last year or so my cooking has drastically improved, but obviously I’m no Nigella yet.
I’ve been clamouring for mum to show me how to make lasagne for ages, as I think it’d be a really good thing for me to make for one of the ‘Come Dine With Me’ style nights I do with my friends when we’re back in Glasgow. As the clubs can get quite expensive and totally mobbed on Saturday nights, we tend to go out on Friday’s instead, and cook meals for each other on the Saturday instead. There’s usually around 5 of us, and everyone brings something to drink to whoever’s flat it is and we all enjoy a tasty meal and good company.
That being said, I’ve pretty much exhausted all of the things I know how to cook that sound and taste fairly impressive – risottos, curries, bakes – so I wanted to learn how to cook a few more things so I could try them out back in Glasgow for everyone.
First up, me and mum decided to perfect my vegetable soup, as I’ve made soup a few times before, but mostly as a last resort when there’s nothing else to eat in the flat.
To make the soup we used 2 pints of water with vegetable stock and added a variety of chopped vegetables – peppers, onions, carrots, potatoes, leeks, celery – basically making the soup look as interesting (and tasting as good) as possible. After that we just left it to simmer for half n hour, and voilà, a tasty and filling soup.
After that we made mum’s tasty lasagne. We used steak mince, chopped tomatoes and cut up carrots for the bolognese sauce. For the cheese sauce we used flour, milk, butter and strong cheddar cheese.
We then layered them into a dish, first the mince, then the cheese, then the lasagne sheets. We did this twice then layered the top with the last of the sauce and grated cheese. Super tasty home cooked food.
It’s a really nice feeling knowing that you’ve cooked something that others are enjoying and that you think is tasty too.
I haven’t done a lot of home cooking this Summer as I’ve been working a lot, trying to save most of my money for going back to Glasgow in a month. Saying that, I’m definitely going to be popping into Piazza as a customer, not a waitress, before I go back to Glasgow as their Salmon Linguine and Prawns is one of the tastiest things I’ve ever had in a restaurant.
It’s definitely good to cook things yourself, but there’s something just that little bit special about going out for dinner too, so I’m looking forward to that and I’ll make sure to tell you all about it.
Ellis Cameron, Young in Argyll correspondent
Photographs accompanying this article are by Ellis Cameron
Editor’s Note: Ellis Cameron’s weekly features are usually published on Sundays. Editorial operations were disrupted this weekend by an encounter with a dodgy scallop, so our apologies to Ellis and her readership – and our relief that her focus on cooking this week did not focus on seafood.
You can’t go wrong with vegetable soup – quick, easy and cheap. And a great way to use up stuff in the fridge.
In my Uni days I remember serving soup while watching Election results came in – I popped in some food colouring to colour the soup to the recipient’s party of choice!
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For soups you cannot beat having a hand held blender.
There are fabulous recipes online, just stick what you can get cheapest from the shops chopped up in a pan, with some veg stock cubes, water and a bit of herbs.
Boil and then liquidize.
Chill, freeze and once defrosted blitz again.
They have lots of other uses too.
For a cheaper and healthier alternative to mince, try soya, stays in the cupboard, and with the right seasoning, can be well disguised.
good luck in your next year.
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If we can plug Glasgow restaurants, can I recommend Asia Style near George Cross. It’s a scruffy, very authentic, Singapore Chinese place. Cheap and cheerful, the food is amazing. You don’t see many restaurants with a queue out the door on a week night!
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Second the recommendation for Asia Style – cheap and extremely tasty dishes. Also Crabshack and Firebird Cafe on Argyll Street are well worth a visit.
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