Lunch Log: Week 114

We had some business in a part of town that I had vague memory of a sign advertising ‘nduja; it was during my first year in the UK when we discovered a stall in Borough Market. The ploy worked: the samples became a purchase and we enjoyed the spreadable spicy pork on artisanal bread. So after an educated guess we found ourselves in the very shop that I had earmarked as a ‘nduja in Cambridge, and inside were other wares that evoked a condensed market experience. Rather than extortionate pick-your-size portions the shop chose to sell them by the sausage (they last better that way since it claims it does not use artifical preservatives) and suggested that we portion up what is not used immediately and freeze the rest. I doubt we would let such an addictive foodstuff lie in wait too long though..

In addition, though I knew the cooking method for seafood salad is not compatible for takoyaki I couldn’t resist the cute tentacles – being depraved from ‘unusual’ seafood mainly contributing.

This week I’ve tried to cut back on the rice portions – apart from the lapse when ‘nduja was used on the remaining stew – and it appears to not be much different (ie: I don’t feel absolutely starving when I get home). It would be wise to also incorporate more exercise, but I’ll start with baby steps..

March 23

Reminds me of diet food today with all those salads but the amount of rice is the same as previous serves. Lunch is mustard mayo broccoli, cucumber & wakame salad, hijiki & carrot salad, steamed prawns, miso dressed cabbage, tomato and 3 types of onigiri (yukari furikake, kimchee and miso spring onion)

March 24

I had to give the seafood salad a try since tentacles are so cute! Lunch is simply broccoli with mustard mayo, tomato, hijiki & carrot salad, takoyaki-style fritters and kombu no tsukudani.

March 25

My words, I don’t think this can be called stew anymore. But it’s oh so good and surprisingly legal; can’t get enough! Lunch is green bean namul, cabbage & octopus salad, home-pickled ginger, tomato and ‘nduja enhanced stew. Food like this is why I’ll never be rake thin.. (I brought 2 serves of 125g of rice..)

March 26

Because I wanted some blatant tentacle exhibited about, here we are. Lunch is seafood coleslaw/salad, hijiki & carrot salad, soft boiled egg, green beans goma-ae, ebi-fry and 3 filled onigiri (kimchee, kombu no tsukudani and spring onion & miso)

March 27

It’s a sunny spring day, the demo’s completed, tests are not all failing and it’s bibimbap for lunch. If it wasn’t for feeling woozy it’s a perfect Friday.. Lunch contains (clockwise) stir fried broccoli stalk, hijiki & carrot salad, stir fried capsicum, green bean goma-ae, home-made pickled ginger, spicy chicken, spring onions and a soft boiled egg.

Though using the bottom tier was a mistake: a bowl is larger which works better for mixing it all together.