I’m vegetarian, he’s a carnivore: what can I cook that we’ll both like? | Kitchen aide
I’m a lifelong vegetarian, but my boyfriend is a dedicated carnivore.How can I cook to please us both? Victoria, by email “I have three words for you, Victoria,” says Anna Ansari, author of Silk Roads, who grew up in a predominantly vegetarian household: “Di si xian.” Typical of northern China, this stir-fry of aubergine, potato and peppers (otherwise known as the “three treasures”) is laced with soy, Shoaxing wine, white pepper, sugar, cornflour and, in Ansari’s case, doubanjiang.She also adds tofu (the fourth treasure, if you will) for “a rounded, one-pot/wok dinner” to eat with steamed rice.“It reminds me of being a teenager in Beijing, far from home and in need of warmth and comfort,” she says, and we could all do with some of that right now.
“It’s also cheap as proverbial chips, not to mention quick to make, and it will knock both your socks off.Promise.”Mushrooms could also pave the way to harmonious dining.“Surely they’re the closest thing to a natural meat substitute,” says Zak Hitchman, chef/owner of Other in Bristol.He’d be inclined to layer them up in a lasagne: “Slice a load of mixed mushrooms [chestnut, shiitake, oyster], then saute them in oil and butter with some seasoning.
” Next, fry onion, garlic, celery, diced carrot, maybe some rosemary or thyme, until softened, then return the cooked mushrooms to the pot with some tinned tomatoes and tomato puree,“You could bulk it out with tinned lentils,” he says, but either way be sure to include a splash of soy and some miso for “that meaty flavour”, plus any vinegar you have knocking around “for balance”,Cook slowly until reduced, then layer between dried lasagne sheets,“Top that with bechamel [or simply dollop on some mascarpone] and lots of grated parmesan [a vegetarian one, if need be],Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the pasta is soft, the sauce bubbling and the top golden.
”Rob Howell, chef/patron of Root, which recently opened in Bath, also suggests smoothing relations with mushrooms: “Roast a load of them with warming spices [cumin, coriander, allspice] and oil in a hot oven, then skewer for a kebab vibe.” Grill and brush with molasses or “anything a bit soy, a bit sweet, a bit umami”, and serve with flatbread, tahini yoghurt, herbs and pickled red cabbage.We all know that the key to any healthy relationship is compromise, so dinners that welcome a bit of meat or fish plonked alongside are also good to have in your back pocket.You could, Howell suggests, combine butter beans and roast cauliflower puree “for a take on cauliflower cheese”, or cook borlotti beans with veg, blend and top with grilled onions, hazelnut salsa and chilli.Risottos also fall into this happy camp, with pumpkin/squash roasted, mashed and stirred through arborio rice topping Hitchman’s list.
Serve sprinkled with roast chestnuts and pumpkin seeds, plus a chicken thigh or pork chop for the boyfriend.Otherwise, Ansari would be inclined to do a dumpling date: “Roll out the dough, stuff the dumplings – I’m into ground lamb and onion, and mushroom and tofu – grab a drink while they steam, then smother them in browned butter.” There is one final option, Ansari says: “Dump the guy?” Although, surely everyone loves a dumpling, so maybe give those a go first.Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com
Boris Becker: ‘Whoever says a prison life is easy is lying – it’s a real punishment’
Former Wimbledon champion on how taking accountability for his crimes allowed for rehabilitation, watching Novak Djokovic from his cell and the new era of brotherhood in the sport“I heard the screaming and I didn’t know what it was,” Boris Becker says as he remembers staring into the dark in Wandsworth prison, just over two miles from Wimbledon’s Centre Court where he won the first of his three men’s singles titles at the age of 17 in 1985. “Were people trying to kill themselves or harm themselves? Or couldn’t they deal with their loneliness? Or are they just making crazy noises because they have lost their minds already?”Becker had been sentenced to a two-and-a-half-year jail term. Amid his insolvency, he was found guilty of not declaring all his assets so that additional funds could be distributed to his creditors. The judge confirmed that his money was used, instead, to meet his “commitments to his children and other dependents, medical and professional fees, and other expenses”.He was taken from court to prison on Friday 29 April 2022, the start of a bank holiday weekend, which meant he was confined to a cell as bedlam broke out around him
‘Never, ever give up’: fighting for Afghanistan’s sporting future in shadow of the Taliban
“My message for all Afghan women who play is that if there is any small opportunity, do it,” Samira Asghari says. “My solid message is never, ever give up. Afghanistan was always a war-torn country, unfortunately. We have grown up in a war country. And we believe in a future Afghanistan, and the future of Afghanistan is the people
Former Rhondda roofer Harri Deaves to make Wales debut against the All Blacks
Harri Deaves began his working life as a roofer but on Saturday the Ospreys flanker will run out in the scarlet shirt of Wales against the All Blacks to complete “an amazing story” from club rugby player to international.The 24-year-old will win his first cap in a Wales side showing five changes from the one that edged out Japan 24-23 with a last-gasp penalty.Deaves’s ascent is one of the game’s more uncommon career paths in the era of professional rugby. He joined the Ospreys Academy from his local club, Pontyclun, in the Rhondda after a brief civil engineering course at Bridgend College.His early days at Ospreys, alongside British & Irish Test Lions Alex Cuthbert, Justin Tipuric and Rhys Webb, saw him turn up for morning training sessions in his van ahead of afternoon work as a roofer
Revealed: sports agent Jonathan Barnett’s three-year legal battle with John Regis and Jennifer Stoute
Special report: A leading agent and two Olympians fell out when their talent agency was sold, leading to ‘three years of torture’ which came to a sudden end after the emergence of text messages sent to a phone registered to BarnettA high-court claim that had pitted the leading sports agent Jonathan Barnett against his former business partners, the Olympic medallists John Regis and Jennifer Stoute, was withdrawn after an extraordinary three-year legal battle.A partnership of which Barnett was a member, the sports agency Stellar Athletics LLP, pursued a claim against Regis and Stoute for £1.2m after they left in 2021. It was settled by the parent company, CAA Stellar, in April 2024, shortly after Barnett himself resigned from the company.Speaking about the matter for the first time, Stoute described the case as “three years of torture”
Welcome to the Ashes, the classic cricket rivalry that never really starts or stops
Some say the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is now pre-eminent, but there is nothing more intense than Australia v EnglandIf it feels like the buildup to this Ashes series has lasted 842 days that is because it pretty much has. Test cricket’s oldest rivalry resumes on Friday inside Perth’s 60,000-seat thunderdome and with it, mercifully, comes fresh fuel for the ever-raging fire.Because on one level the Ashes never really starts or stops. Since Stuart Broad nicked off Alex Carey at the Oval on 31 July 2023 – the final act of a dramatic 2-2 draw – the sides have been tracking each other, all while their supporters chip away from afar.To the rest of the world this obsession must get a bit tiresome
Lewis Hamilton defends work ethic after Ferrari chief’s ‘talk less’ rebuke
Lewis Hamilton has insisted he does not believe he can work any harder to help improve Ferrari’s performance.The 40-year-old driver was reacting to a rebuke from the Ferrari president John Elkann, who had stated he should: “Focus on driving and talk less.” Hamilton however maintained pointedly that the issues at Ferrari would not be fixed with “the click of a finger”.Hamilton, who has yet to claim a podium for Ferrari in what has been an immensely trying first season with the team, was outspoken after another disappointing race at the last round in Brazil, after which he described his debut year with a Ferrari as “a nightmare”. Elkann responded equally bluntly with his riposte
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