Goodbye old friends

I just put on my last pair of previously worn socks. Actually I’m going to miss those guys.

Tim’s Mom’s Rice

What follows is a new recipe from my much neglected website www.singledadcookbook.co.uk

I used to hate cooking rice. My mom made great rice but of course being a boy I never learned how she did it. My brother – who is a great cook – swears by his electronic rice cooking pot but my kitchen just can’t handle another appliance. (It so cramped even the mice are hunchbacked.) So I have been reduced to using boil in a bag rice or even more embarrassing, the expensive microwavable stuff that zaps a couple of pennies worth of precooked rice in two minutes.

Then I went to dinner at my neighbour Tim’s house. Tim’s mom is a Greek and Tim actually learned how to cook rice from her. It is simple, delicious and foolproof.

So go out and buy some rice. Everybody around here uses Basmati rice but this recipe works with American long grain as well. While your at the supermarket get some chicken Oxo cubes (bullion cubes for you Americans) and a packet of dry vermicelli.

Whoo I hear you say – I thought we were cooking rice not pasta – wait for it – this is cool.

Tim’s Mom’s Rice

½ a nest of crushed toasted vermachellie

1 cup of rice

2 cups of water

1 chicken bullion (oxo) cube

The vermicelli I buy comes in individual nests. Take one of the nests and crunch it up as small as you can – I scrunch it by hand into a large bowl and then crunch it down further with the back of a big spoon. Next put some heat under a dry frying pan (no oil or nothing) and then toast the crunched pasta. Keep it moving in the pan until it’s just brown and then pour it out. I probably use half a nest each time but I’m not sure because I usually toast the whole packet of vermicelli and keep it in a jar ready for when I feel like rice.

Next in a fine strainer, wash a cup of rice. Tim says it removes all of the glutens- I don‘t know what it does but I’m not arguing. Put one cup of rice into a saucepan with two cups of water with a crumbled chicken bullion cube in it. Then liberally add the toasted vermicelli and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on the lowest heat possible for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for a five minutes before serving. I’m telling you it’ll be perfect. It’s like a miracle.

Waiting in the Wings

My first months worth of socks.

Tomorrow I’m gonna put one of these babies on. Jealous?

Welcome to A Year of Gratuitous Socks.

I am sure may of you have fantasized about what you would do if you ever became rich and famous. I have always thought that if I ever found myself in the situation where I had more money than sense (which by the way is not a lot of money) that I would – wear a new pair of socks every day.

One day last year it occurred to me that I might not ever become rich and famous (imagine.) So I decided to go for it. As far as rich and famous fantasies go – a new pair of socks every day is not so difficult a proposition. It’s not like I’m buying a Maserati a month. So every day in 2008 I am going to wear a new pair of socks and blog the experience.

Now, prospective blog subscriber, before you decide that you would rather read a blog about toenail collecting (I once met a guy with a toenail collection – remind me to tell you about it one day) I hasten to add that I will also be commenting on other events and interests in ’08 including: life as a professional magician, recipes from the Single Dad’s Cookbook, the American election, and most exciting to me – the publication of my first novel – Shadowmagic.