A monthly check in: January
What I've been doing, watching, cooking, interested in, reading and listening to–plus recipes for lentil soup, chickpea & lentil curry and mushroom & beef ragu
Rob and I were driving up the winding, snow-laden road to Rödkullen last Saturday morning; it was a perfectly crisp and sunny day, the morning dew still hanging heavy amongst the forest that lines the road, and our trusty old Subaru was working her magic to transport us up and up, bumping over the solid blocks of ice and fluffy pockets of snow on the road. The sun was glinting through the trees and upon turning a corner we could see the peak of the mountain on the horizon, when Rob turned to me to tell me how life here feels almost normal now; the newness of everything has settled, and day-to-day life feels comfortable now. I agreed, wholeheartedly. It had been a thought and feeling I’d had since we returned to Sweden after being in Scotland over Christmas–a feeling and sense of peace, that we’ve settled, all the while never taking a moment for granted. Each time I step outside our front door and hear the crunch of snow beneath my feet, feel the cold air and wet sprinkles of snow on my skin, and look up to see the ski slope that sits high above the town, I’m instantly reminded of how incredibly lucky I am, and how grateful I feel, that we now call this little corner of the world our home, and I can’t help but smile to myself.
Doing
Contrary to the opinion of most, I quite like January, but that may be to do with the fact that it iss my birthday month. This year it fell on a Wednesday, and I spent the day doing much of what I love and kept it very low key–just the way I wanted it. We awoke early and Rob went to the kitchen to make coffee which he brought to me in bed before getting ready for work. I sipped whilst reading a book, snuggled beneath the duvet, then eventually emerged from my cocoon to take a long walk in the crisp morning. I spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon baking and writing, then went for a run and a sauna in the afternoon before heading to a great local pizza spot for dinner which Rob once he’d finished work. My birthday gift from Rob was a massage and spa day at Copperhill Mountain Lodge, a big beautiful hotel up the mountain, where we headed at the weekend after a morning of skiing, winding up the hill as the sun was setting. The hotel looked over all of Åre and beyond, with the snow-dusted lake lying sleeping between the mountains.
We went for dinner afterwards to Asian Post Office, an asian fusion restaurant in Åre with small plates, and got a selection of dishes and some of the non-alcoholic drinks–all of which were delicious. Some of my favourites were: the tataki (blackened sirloin, ginger, peanuts), the pork bun (fried pork belly, steam bun, spicy granny smith) and the shiitake bun (miso baked portobello, szechuan pepper, pickles).
I used to get Japanese food fairly often back in Glasgow but it’s somewhat difficult to find here. The tataki was the first dish we received, and the first bite felt like a revelation–it was a flavour combination that I hadn’t experienced in such a long time; the sharp sweetness of ginger combined with the crunch and savouriness of roasted peanuts, in perfect harmony. Delicious.
Running
At last it feels like I’m getting back into a routine with running. I ran a lot back in Glasgow, and assumed that that wouldn’t change in Sweden, but since arriving I’ve never really fallen back into the habit. Naturally at this time of year the snow makes it more difficult, but not impossible–the Swedes stick their spikes on their trainers and set off without a second thought, but I’m still a bit nervous, so I’ve resorted to pounding the treadmill. We’ve a gym a 10 minute walk away where I’ve been going 4-5 times a week, predominantly spending my time on the treadmill, mainly focusing on time on my legs and weekly mileage for now. I’ve also fallen back into the YouTube hole of watching ultramarathoners (shout out to the GOAT Courtney Dauwalter) and I’ve hopes/plans of coming out of retirement from racing and signing up to the trail race that happens here every July. I’d love to think I could train myself towards the 100k race, but think that the 27k is maybe a wiser goal… for this year at least. I’ve also been incorporating more strength training which is something I’ve tried to do for literal years but have always struggled to stick to any sort of plan, but hopefully this time it sticks.
Skiing
My journey with skiing continues. The conditions haven’t been great, but I’ve been out a few times since returning to Sweden and I’m finally beginning to see progress. Before New Year I’d only been to our local slope which is great, but if you’re a beginner like I am, not the best. We went to another slope nearby called Rödkulleliften which was way better for me, with a few nice flowy blue runs where I was able to pick up more speed and get in some more turns, all the while tiny Swedish children no older than 3 or 4, dressed in their puffy marshmallow outfits, went flying past me without a care in the world. Ahh to be a child and be fearless again. Rödkulleliften has a more resort feel to it, too, which is nice to see and experience since I’ve never done so before. I’ve a very long way to go still, but it feels great to see progress.
Dog sitting
Rob and I have very happily taken on the role as his office’s go-to dog sitters which has been pandering to our longing for our own pup. We’ve looked after a gorgeous girl named Rut and another beautiful and crazy boy named Zingo, both very energetic and cuddly. It’s been good preparation for when we do get our own dog with the sleepy morning walks where I’m haphazardly slipping on the snow at the tug of the lead while Rob gets ready for work. I quickly became besotted with angel girl Rut, with her silky, caramel-coloured coat and angelic but excitable nature. She woke us up each morning with cuddles in bed and frankly I can’t think of a better way to wake up. We took her out on Åresjön when it was still frozen solid, dodging snow mobiles and cross country skiers as we went, then went on through Åre town square to have a coffee as the sun was going down and watched as the last skiers of the day came down the hill. On the weekend that we were looking after Zingo we took a trip to Krus bakery for a coffee and pastry before taking him a walk along a very snowy fire road, where we spotted many, and slightly unnerving, signs of moose walking the same trail.
We’ve since applied for a dog via the website Hundar Utan Hem, a rehoming website that a couple of the dogs in Rob’s office came from… fingers crossed.
Watching
We watched The Penguin this month and loved it. I was a bit iffy on the The Batman (2022) but I did like The Penguin character, and we’d both heard good things about the series. I’m frankly still getting to grips with Colin Farrell’s physical transformation into the character, and I’d guess that he watched The Sopranos for prep–if you close your eyes at points it can feel like you’re listening to Tony Soprano, which isn’t a bad thing. It’s a show that I lost myself in while watching and continued to surprise me to the end–9/10, would recommend.
We also made our way through a good few movies, including:
Cooking
We’re very much still in the comforting and hearty meals realm here, some of which I’ve included recipes for. Some recent dinners:
Lentil soup:
red split lentils 250g
ham hock (or 4x ham or vegetable stock cubes)
water 2l
celery sticks 2
onions 2, medium-sized
carrots 2, medium-sized
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley a handful, finely chopped (optional)
1. Rinse the lentils and place in a large pot along with the water and ham hock or stock cubes. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for an hour, removing the scum every 15 minutes or so from the surface is using a ham hock.
2. After an hour, remove the ham hock and dice all of the vegetables and add it to the pot. Allow to simmer for half an hour, then check for seasoning and stir through the fresh parsley if using.
Lentil & chickpea curry
Serves 4-5
oil 1 tbsp, mildly flavoured–I used rapeseed oil
onion 1, medium-sized, finely chopped
coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
ground cumin 2 tsp
curry powder 2 tbsp
ground turmeric 1 tsp
garlic cloves 4, finely chopped
fresh ginger 1-1.5 inch piece, finely grated
fresh chili 1, medium-sized, finely chopped
tomato purée 2 tbsp
vegetable stock 500ml
chickpeas 1x 400g tin, drained
red lentils 175g
coconut milk 1x 400ml can
salt and pepper to taste
1. Add the oil to a large pot and place over low-medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes to soften. Add all of the spices and cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic, fresh ginger and chili and cook for a few minutes. Add the tomato purée and stir to combine, then add the vegetable stock, drained chickpeas and coconut milk and stir. Rinse the lentils and add to the pot. Add some black pepper, stir well and bring to a gentle simmer and allow to cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if required. Would recommend serving with rice or roti.
Mushroom & beef ragu
Serves 4-5
butter 1 tbsp
smoked bacon or pancetta 40g, cubed
onion 1, medium-sized, finely chopped
carrot 2, medium-sized, finely chopped
celery stalks 2, finely chopped
garlic cloves 4, finely chopped
mushrooms 300g, finely chopped
beef mince 200g
large plum tomatoes 350g, skinned and chopped, or use tinned tomatoes
tomato purée 40g
vegetable stock 550ml
bay leaf 1
miso paste 1 tsp
whole milk 150g
salt and pepper to taste
tagliatelle pasta
1. Place a large pot over low-medium heat and melt the butter. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook for a few minutes, then add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 6-7 minutes. Add the mince and break up with the back of a spoon. Cook until all of the mince has browned then add the tomatoes and stir well. Add the tomato purée, vegetable stock, bay leaf and miso paste and mix well. Add the milk a little at a time, bring to a boil then reduce to a gentle simmer and allow to cook partially covered with a lid for 1.5-2 hours, stirring occasionally. After this time, remove the lid and allow to simmer for a further 1.5-2 hours stirring occasionally. I recommend serving with tagliatelle, a drizzle of olive oil and lots of parmesan. This keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days and also freezes very well.
Interested in
I’ve been thinking about potentially developing some recipes that are gluten free and dairy free, and researching all of the different substitutes to use depending on what you’re making and how each of them perform/react–all very interesting. I was gluten free myself for about 4-5 years, and spent a lot of time baking from Aran Goyoaga’s amazing book Cannelle et Vanille which I would highly recommend for anyone out there that is gluten free. She uses a wide range of different flours in her bakes and explains how each of them are different and why using a combination of all are important. I’ve been researching how to reproduce the flavour of brown butter with vegan products (since it is a very important flavour in much of what I make) and think I’m going to make my first attempt at a gluten free and dairy free or vegan bake a classic chocolate chip cookie–watch this space.
I’ve also been inspired to start my sourdough journey again–I think this is either my fifth or sixth attempt at maintaining my starter–and am on day 2 of brewing my little flour and water potion which is resting peacefully on my kitchen countertop currently.
Reading
I started George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ a few months ago but only got about 30 or so pages in before hitting pause–something I do often with books and a habit that I’m trying to break. I picked it up again in January and finished it just before the end of the month. A very thought-provoking read to say the least–I knew somewhat the themes that the book dealt with before reading it so knew that it wasn’t going to be the cheeriest of reads. The book, I think, had quite a regulated pace to it, and. I don’t think there were any points that I felt dragged or droned on for too long. The kind of book that really makes you think about the society that we live in, what it has gone through to get to this point and what it is going through right now–not to mention what the future could hold (but hopefully not). I finished the last 20-30 pages one morning shortly after waking up with a cup of coffee gripped in my hand–the last 60-70 pages or so are incredibly gripping and I had to force myself to sleep the night before. A classic and well known and respected for a reason, I think.
I’ve also been dipping in and out of Nigel Slater’s ‘A Thousand Feasts’, which is a beautiful book that highlights nice food-related moments that Nigel has experienced through the years. It is a book that I could sit down and read through in a day or two but am purposely reading in small doses so as to savour and prolong it.
Listening to
I’ve never really been one to choose to listen to a book as opposed to read it, but I found myself listening to Al Pacino’s memoir ‘Sonny Boy’ through January and loved it. I think that was largely due to the fact that Pacino himself is the one that’s reading the book, me being a big Al Pacino fan, and being able to tell his stories in such an animated and endearing way. It accompanied me during many hours on the treadmill–having a little giggle to yourself 50+ minutes into a run really does make it a lot more enjoyable. It’s also helped me to keep a slower pace during long/easy runs which is a struggle for me when I’m listening to my usual running playlist.
… which leads on nicely this complete flipside: when not listening to my audiobook in the gym, I dug down into the music of my teenage days and found myself listening to a lot of Slipknot, System of a Down and Bring Me the Horizon. I listened to that kind of stuff a lot when I was 15/16 and I’m not entirely sure where the urge to revisit it came from but I’m not complaining. Heavy metal and techno/electronic will forever be my running music of choice.
I’ve also been meaning to listen to the new Ethel Cane album since it was released but Preacher’s Daughter had such a deathgrip hold on me that I’m slightly afraid to open up that can of worms again. I find that I can be incredibly sensitive to certain themes in music and movies, and whilst I devoured and adored Preacher’s Daughter, it put me in a very strange headspace for a while. Yesterday morning however, after waking up and drifting back to sleep briefly, I had a dream and Cain’s ‘Strangers’ was echoing in the background, and found myself cooking dinner whilst singing along to Preacher’s Daughter, so I’m taking that as a sign that the time could be now.