On the Plate: Out of hibernation comes creativity

It was the ancient Greek philosopher Plato who sagely advised “Necessity is the mother of invention”. And it’s sure been necessary to be inventive of late!

To be honest, I’ve been bowled over by the inventiveness and creativity of so many people, in so many ways in these past weeks. I’m sure you have been too.
For example, with the hospitality industry (as with many, many other spheres of industry) being effectively closed for business, enterprising foodies have, in many instances, been able to reinvent their production of food, drawing on and using their skills, retaining at least some staff by offering online or drive-through delivery of prepared meals, boxed fresh fruit and veggies and baked goods. To be more specific, I particularly liked the creativity of one restaurateur who was feeling dreadful about his sole supplier of organic, free range chickens which featured on his menus. The chef’s concern was not only for his own business looking down the barrel, but that of the supplier, especially when he heard the supplier was going to have to kill and bury all the chickens. Said chef arranged to maintain his order, purchase the lot, cooked them according to his ‘special’ flavours, and sold them together with accompanying vegetables – for those who simply needed great meals, already prepared. Certainly can describe as a win-win scenario.
Much has been said and written about these extraordinary times we’re all enduring. I’m keen to put a positive spin on it by highlighting how impressive the roll out of creativity has been in the worlds of music, writers, comedians, and indeed cooks and chefs – who’ve re-imagined the ways they can reach out – mostly using the plethora of digital wonders we have at hand – to help keep our days as joyful and fulfilling as possible whilst we’re all hibernating. The podcasts, the chefs making home videos of cooking classes, the musicians streaming live mini concerts from their lounge rooms – it’s just fantastic!
And you know the one thing we can all grab hold of – that enigmatic To Do List can now be tackled with gusto – as we’re no longer so time poor. Yes, we now have the time to actually do so many things we’ve not been able to achieve.
For example, tackling that pantry, the freezer – decluttering and sorting all the contents – some of which I’ll wager are truly out of date! Having the time to explore new recipes, new cuisines. Another imaginative idea that appealed to me was the hosting of ‘virtual’ dinner parties via Facetime, Zoom or other digital platforms. Dare I suggest you take this to another level by really ‘dressing up’ for dinner!
I’m certainly encouraging everyone to dole out very, very generous serves of laughter, kindness, fun, gentleness and whimsy each day. It almost goes without saying that to share the chores, the washing up, and the dreaming up of menus – with everyone in the household – so that they’re all involved and responsible for feeding us and keeping us healthy – is a worthwhile way to tackle the daily tasks. I’m reflecting on how we feel when on a long journey, how the anticipation of the next meal helps to while away the time. Never more so has home cooking become such a valuable skill.
This week I’m sharing the most ridiculously easy, yet ever so scrummy dessert recipe – just cos we all need a little treat to look forward to. You need no culinary skills to create this comforting dessert. When I first came across this dessert I thought this will never work – but it does! The basic pie can be varied in so many ways – with the addition of some baked quince or apples, stone fruits, all delicious right now in these autumnal days. Glace ginger, or some rosewater perhaps?

Impossible Chocolate Pie

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup plain flour
4 tblsp cocoa powder
2/3 cup caster sugar
2/3 cup desiccated coconut
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
85g butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream and some toasted flaked coconut to serve.
Chocolate sauce: 100g dark chocolate (roughly chopped), 1/3 cup thickened cream

METHOD
Preheat oven to 170C/150C fan-forced. Grease a 3.5cm-deep, 18cm round (base) cake pan. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in sugar, coconut, egg, milk, butter and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is just firm and centre wobbles slightly. Stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make chocolate sauce – place chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 30 seconds, for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth. Serve pie topped with cream and toasted coconut, and drizzle with chocolate sauce.