So I have been doing a bit of lemon \ lime cooking.
Last week I made this simple cucumber lime relish thing. Just diced cucumber, chopped mint, some salt and pepper, a tiny bit of chopped red chilli, and a good slashing of lime juice. It went beautifully with a Northern Indian chicken curry I made. ('Making' at the moment also includes buying pre-cooked from Tartine up the road. Much as I love to cook there are limits to what I can do when everything smells slightly gross.)
Then I made this polenta lemon cake from Nigella Lawson's Kitchen. It took a while for me to get into this cookbook. I think it was something to do with the font and layout - picky, I know but it just didn't grab me. But revisiting it has paid off. Nigella describes this as a cross between one of those polenta-ey Italian cakes and an English lemon drizzle cake. A truly jolie laide cake.
Even my daughter loved it:
And the cake would not have been possible without my favourite new implement. I can barely believe I have survived without one for so long. A Microblade, invented by a clever American and the only thing for zesting. I confess, I am in love with this thing. I clean it carefully and put it lovingly back into its plastic case. You can also use it for parmesan and coconut.
It seems a bit odd to be writing of lemony recipes when there is so much devastation in Christchurch. I have been there a few times, for conferences, and once on holidays where we stayed here. I am not sure if it is even still standing.
(The Northern Club, Christchurch)
My heart is very heavy for all New Zealanders today and for all those who have lost loved ones and may be waiting for terrible confirmation of more deaths. It is almost too much for one country to bear.
