Ian
Having been away for the start of the challenge, coming back to England on the ferry from Hoek in Holland, I decided to partake of a substantial early supper on the ship. Unfortunately it was dreadful and mostly inedible, so I started the austerity a little earlier than planned.
Most of the time I was away I was in what would once have been Austro Hungary and I was not surprised to find that the short order food in the more traditional, cheaper restaurant was still schnitzel. Veal, chicken or pork, it tended to be an option on most menus. It was only having eaten it a few times that I realised that it was a very restricted meat option. The meat was cut so thin that it did not have to be that wonderful a cut. Also the flour and crumb coating more than doubled the volume. So perhaps this was a better preparation for rationing than I had expected.
Since I have been back, I have been doing most of the cooking, as Ann is always busy and I find it more entertaining than a chore. What has surprised me was how easy it has been to put together a varied menu for each evening meal. I have tried to produce an authentic set of wartime dishes at least two thirds of the time. What I have also found, although this is not necessarily a surprise, is the amount of extra time it has taken to prepare a meal.
We try not to use processed food anyway and I try, under normal circumstances, to produce as much of our food as possible from scratch and do not worry about having to put things into the oven or onto the hob for hours. However sticking to wartime recipes has extended both preparation and cooking so I have spent up to two hours a day in the kitchen.
Ann is going to discuss our menu options in her blog, but on one day I when she was out I cooked just for me, so I feel I should mention this. I had been to the butcher for our rations and spotted two small lamb kidneys. I think they cost just sixty five pence.
These I chopped up removing the fatty membrane at the centre. Having sweated half an onion in a little dripping I added the kidney with some chopped parsley. When nearly cooked I chopped up a two small tomatoes added these and raised the heat. This I served with rice and small handful of peas from the garden, which I ate mange tout. It was delicious.
I think of myself as a carnivore. I like meat and in comparison to Ann I eat a great deal. However I always say that I could become a vegetarian and although would miss meat I could easily do without. However becoming a vegan and giving up cheese would be dreadful. So it is the cheese ration of 2oz per week that is difficult for me and I am really missing fish.
