A spot of Indian alchemy

SO HERE I am indulging in a spot of gastronomic alchemy again, putting together an experimental spicy prawn stir-fry.

Actually, this dish is such a quick one to do, we’re literally dining within minutes of starting it – the rice and naan bread accompaniments are the longest things to cook.

What I really love, though, is the mixing up of the various spices – turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander all mixed up with the raw prawns. The aromas are simply marvellous and demonstrate the genius of Indian cuisine in putting together these amazing blends.

I heat up a spoonful of groundnut oil in my trusty wok, and when it’s smoking-hot, I toss in some mustard and cumin seeds and a splodge of garlic purée and cook until the seeds start popping – about 1 minute in total.

I then drop in my spiced prawns and cook them until they turn bright pink – about 2 minutes in total!

And there I am, ready to serve up. This particular combination of spices gives the meal a delightfully sour edge to the heat.

My only criticism of my effort is in the boiled rice, which I feel is a little bland; a crisp, green salad I think would have gone better with these prawns. But still, no worries, we both manage to clean our plates, and we finish off the meal with a little French Brie afterwards.

Yes, on the whole, quite nice!

Revivals

IN THE time while my stroke has rendered me somewhat hors de combat, it seems there have been changes taking place.

First, most noticeably, spring has arrived in a torrent of colour and new growth; it’s as if I’ve suddenly woken up after a very long sleep and I’m seeing the world with fresh eyes.

I had hoped to grow some more of my own vegetables this year, but my incapacity has put something of a damper on such physical exertion. Even now, although I feel much like my old self again, I’m not sure if I dare to put myself to it – I still do tire rather easily, and my leg is still a little leaden.

My interest in cooking has revived with my appetite though, and I’m back at my experimental cook sessions – today I do us a quick and delicious spaghetti alla carbonara, using up some pancetta bacon and a heap of grated parmesan cheese, all tossed in an eggy mixture. We wash it down with delightful Italian rosé wine – very nice indeed.

 I’ve even started scanning photos again, this time of our first visit to Cyprus in 2004 – and my goodness me, I’m staggered by how sunny the island looks, such a contrast to our visit this year!

So, yes, I’m pleased to report that I seem to be reviving with the springtime.

A disconcerting feeling

IT’S TAKING the needle-bruises on my arms longer to vanish than the symptoms of my stroke.

Not that the symptoms have completely gone, you understand; I still have a little deadness in my left leg, although I’m no longer dragging it around like something extraneous to me.

All tingling sensations in both arm and leg have disappeared, though, and generally I seem to have come out of the other side a bad week – of stomach upsets and loss of appetite, of searing leg cramps and the dead hand of lethargy.

Oh, I still tire easily, of course – that’s probably going to take weeks, maybe months, more to overcome – but on the whole, I have to consider myself very lucky indeed to have got off so lightly!

Anyhow, today we ignore the dreadful weather and decide to visit the Pub, the Geriatrics’ Corner, and it seems ages since we last were here. It’s the normality of the place that I can’t get over. There’s Liam, behind the bar, greeting me with a quiet smile, as always; there’s the Times puzzle pages ready for our attention, there’s Al, our gardener and handyman, on his usual stool by the wall, there’s the clock over his head ticking away – all as if nothing had happened.

And it seems that, for the Pub, its staff and most of its customers nothing has happened; they’ve barely been aware of my absence, still less of everything I’ve been through.

For a moment, it seems as if time and space have somehow been bent out of shape. Can it really be that so much can have happened to one person, while leaving everyone else untouched?

It's a disconcerting feeling, I can tell you!