Parlous: an old-fashioned word meaning “full of danger or precarious.” And it would be foolish to deny that these are parlous times. The best is to search for ways to stay calm. And for me, one of those ways is to make sure my family eats well, keeping comfort food at the top of the list.
What does comfort food mean to you? My imagination runs to carbs. But there’s little comfort in noshing on mass-produced snacks in cellophane bags that the great junk food manufacturers entice you to buy. Too often we go through a bag of chips, wash it down a soft drink, and afterwards feel shame, or self-disgust.
The solution: put in about half an hour of baking or cooking, and produce your own, hand-made, delicious snacks yourself. You control the sugar and salt in the dish. You adjust the recipe to your own preference. And you’ll congratulate yourself on choosing the smart – not to say economical – way.
I’m fond of old-fashioned food traditions, as well as of old-fashioned words. Here’s a happy word: tea-time. Some of my cookbooks feature old-timey foods like the date and nut bread above; perfect. Nice and carby, but not decadently unhealthy. It has little sugar relative to the rest of the ingredients, and still satisfies that craving for something sweet.
Date and Nut Bread is an easy, home-made baking powder loaf; perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. It takes minutes to whip up, and bakes 40 minutes in the oven while you’re doing something else.
Date/Nut Bread Recipe
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking 1995 edition
Yield: a 9×5” – 23×13 cm. loaf.
Preheat the oven to 350°F – 176°C
Have a medium and a large bowl ready.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter, neutral-flavored oil, or other solid fat of choice
1 egg
1 cup milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pitted, chopped dates or date paste
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1. In medium bowl:
If using a solid fat, melt it gently and let it cool. Pour it into the medium bowl.
Beat the egg into the melted fat or oil.
Beat the milk and vanilla into the egg mixture.
Stir in the melted fat or oil.
2. In large bowl:
Sift together all the dry ingredients.
3. Stir the egg/butter mixture into the dry mix. Beat well to blend thoroughly.
4. Fold in the dates and nuts, lifting the dough several times to distribute them evenly.
5. Bake in a greased or parchment-lined loaf pan for 40 minutes.
Eat it slowly, appreciating your delicious handiwork.
