Something’s Changing

@1humblepalate

I can feel a slight shift in the air. I mean it is only April, but the cold ones (cold days, not nightwalkers) are coming!

Weirdly, winter is one of my more favoured seasons when it comes to food, because I love comforting, huggy cuisines that leave you feeling warm and all loved up from the inside of your belly.

Comfort food not only leaves a smile on your face, it slowly keeps you warm, largely because it includes heavy carbs, rich broths, hearty soups and warm desserts.

They take slightly longer to digest, and this whole process produces heat, which, well, you see where I am going with all this . . .

Over the next few weeks I will be showcasing what different Namibian foodies will be consuming this winter, and so if there is a foodie you’d like to hear from, do get onto our socials or on our online edition, and do drop their handle, and we will reach out to them to give you a varied recipe approach to help you make it through winter in yummy style.

But before that you’d need to prepare your pantry and stock up the right things you need. Here are a few winter checklist ideas for your home, whether large or small, to help you get ready now.

STOCK YOUR PANTRY WELL

Quality and type of ingredients versus quantity wins in this regard. You don’t need to have the whole store in your pantry. We all wish we could, but times are, well, hard. Stock your pantry with carbs, like different pastas and wholegrains.

We all know there may be that five kilograms of macaroni that always appear at month-end. It will be your friend in winter, and I have one awesome budget-saving mac-n-cheese recipe I want to share with you over the next few weeks. Pulses can still work well throughout winter.

Buckwheat and sorghum are some additions you may want to include. They are vegan after all.

GET A GOOD START

Mealie meal is your best friend for two reasons: pap in the evening, but more importantly, porridge for breakfast.

This is a sure-fire way to get you going in the right direction.

Namibian foodie extraordinaire @MsBunny0’s porridge with fresh fruit is a solid example of how seemingly ordinary food can be turned on its head and become a mind-blowing day starter.

A few slices of fresh fruit, honey, brown-sugar crystals and butter, all together, or with one substituted for another (in this case the honey and the sugar) will definitely have you reconsidering your distaste for porridge where it exists.

Check her out on the gram.

ROUTINE

Get into a good routine that allows you to cook often. Winter moods can be depressing at times, and the more you spend time in the kitchen, the better you will feel. Cooking lifts the spirit, so you want to do it as often as is possible and practical in the week.

STORE IT UP

Freeze broths and soups to have later or to add to recipes. Cubes work and are wonderful, but nothing beats building the flavour profile you want and which is unique to you. Also, in this case, you get to control the amount of salt that goes in. Roasting some vegetables and then sweating them off further in a pan with garlic and onion and a few herbs, before blending them and simmering gives you a quick and easy soup recipe you can store in batches for those extra crispy cold moments.

So, enjoy every moment of winter.

It doesn’t have to be dreadful.

We always make it through together.

While doing so, spare a thought for those who may not have a home or a warm meal to go to, and if you can, drop a bowl of soup, porridge or anything as your heart prompts you.

After all, we are because of others.

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