Simplicity is everything for me right now. Over the past couple weeks I’ve been in the process of cleaning out our over cluttered apartment in preparation for the month long separation from our beloved home during the winter Olympics. As of Sunday we’ve managed to clean out almost everything in the bathroom, closet, bedroom and living room and as of this weekend we will finally be forced to do the same to our kitchen. Sigh.
I knew when it came down to it it would be challenge, but I suspect the magnitude of the challenge will be greater than I initially thought. Over the last 3 years I’ve managed to develop an extensive collection of spices, condiments, flours, grains, dried goods of all shapes and sizes not to mention every gadget under the sun and I’m absolutely in love with every single piece of it, even the extremely unnecessary and underused – garlic peeler I’m looking at you. I think this might have something to do with being a pack rat, or at least that’s what my husband would say, I’m more comfortable with the term collector to be quite honest.
It comforts me to know that should I feel the urge to whip up a batch of Italian style nougat (Torrone) I have enough orange blossom water to do just that. I guess it’s really not the end of the world as certain ingredients like this will be packed away into a box for the month but will certainly reclaim their usual spot in the pantry come March. As for those other perishable ingredients, they will be finding new homes with family and friends so not to worry they will certainly not be wasted.
The challenge is really going to be not having access to the things that I depend on in my kitchen. In preparation for this I’ve decided to start this week with the most simple of recipes as this will in all likelihood be the trend over the next 5 weeks and I had better get used to it.
This recipe comes from Kylie Kwong and has recently become a favorite of mine when preparing Chinese style dinners. I love this radish salad as a sort of condiment, it’s salty and sweet and pairs perfectly with fried rice. I realize that there a few ingredients here that may not be staples in everyone’s kitchen, but honestly you could just lets them sweat in a bit of sugar and salt and finish them off with a squeeze of lemon and they would be just as lovely.
Soy-Dipped Radish Salad – Serves 2 as a side dish, recipe adapted from Kylie Kwong
1 bunch of red radishes, approximately 10 cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon chili oil
In a bowl combine the radishes with the sugar and salt and set aside for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and chili oil, set aside to allow the sugar to dissolve while you wait for the radishes to be ready.
After 30 minutes drain the reserved radishes, gently squeezing them to get rid of the excess liquid. Place the drained radishes into a serving bowl and toss with the dressing.
I agree, simplicity often makes the best meals. This radish salad definitely fits the bill!