Some Things Blend...Some Things Don't

Blending flavours as well as textures seems to be part of what creates food dishes that we either really enjoy or that we would say no to a second time. The combination of textures and flavours is what creates comfort food for us as well. Winter and early spring time on the West Coast, where we live, tends to be very dull and rainy which creates the longing for comfort food or slow cooked foods. Slow cooked foods such as stews are often prepared in a season when we like to hibernate. Dull rainy weather certainly has me longing to stay indoors and curled up with a good book and a pot of something simmering on the stove that permeates the house all day with its deepening abundance of fragrances.

Recently I was sitting curled up in my big reading chair, flipping through some Fine Cooking magazines a friend has passed along, and I came across a recipe for Lamb Stew with Chick Peas and Parsnips. The colours in it looked very exotic and I could almost smell the cumin in the lamb stew!

Staying creative is an important part of keeping my energy level up and right now that is coming through trying new recipes that catch my eye. Well actually the bright colours in the photos of the recipes are often what catch my eye to be quite honest! Imagine how much more important it is to have a great colour combination in your meal ingredients in order to visually increase the appetite of those who come your dinner table. Anyhow I digress…back to the Lamb Stew. I get carried away in my passion around food and life!

One of the main characteristics of ‘stew’ is the long slow cooking that tenderizes all the ingredients so you have a soft, flavourful texture with the juices that result providing a rich flavourful gravy that holds it all together. Chickpeas in a lamb stew intrigued me but I also know that they do not soften in texture through cooking, rather they continue to keep a very mealy texture. But if you never give it a try you will never know will you. While this recipe does call for a leg of lamb, the local grocery store didn’t have one but they did have some nice size lamb shoulder chops and they work just as well. Parsnips are one vegetable I am not really keen on as their very strong flavour seems to overwhelm all else on the plate. But once again it is time to be creative so why not try something that challenges my taste buds. I was able to cook the lamb the day before and the bay leaves and cinnamon stick in the broth smelled so good! Once the lamb is cooked and tender you drain the broth off and save it, save the meat and just discard the rest of the ingredients that have done their job in flavouring the meat and broth. When you see ‘braised’ dishes on any menu this is how they have been cooked. The next day near to dinner time the onions were sauted with the spices that really add the exotic to this stew - cumin, cayenne, coriander, and tomato puree. The paprika creates the deep rich red colour and the prunes add a sweetness. Fruit and strong spices are an excellent marriage in exotic flavour dishes. So far this was on its way to being a great stew for dinner. The parsnips and chickpeas were added as required and I also through in a carrot for colour and I let it simmer slowly until David arrived home from his meeting and we could sit down to dinner.

This lamb stew had wonderful flavours and I loved the blend of the exotic seasonings. Personally I found the parsnips to be too strong and I would substitute turnip. The chickpeas are indeed an ingredient that belongs with foods that carry Middle Eastern and African ingredients. I would use them on their own and create more of a vegetable/legume stew with these seasonings or else leave them out when using lamb. It is all a matter of personal taste and that is the beauty of trying something new and discovering what tastes and textures you like blended together.

Eating is a necessity to life but making it an adventure allows the senses to participate is this ritual that nurtures us, give us energy, comfort us, and draws us into community.