Ooooooh Mammy
Hello dear readers and eaters.
Right now, writing about food feels rather ridiculous in the face of wider global events. There is unspeakable pain and loss in the world this week. Finding meaning in a recipe can be hard when, all around us, horrific things are happening in the rising tide of racism and religious fever.
It feels rather pathetic writing about a midweek vegetarian meal that excites my family. I feel ashamed that food has colonised a large slice of my brain this week, while thousands of Palestinians and Israelis mourn their beloved. And what now? Do I stop writing recipes? Stop feeding people, in protest? Why can’t I stop feeling uselss? Is it shame? Or is it guilt?
And then it hits me. Food is not trivial. Food is an essential part of life, far beyond physical nourishment. Food is celebration. It is at the epicentre of our lives. We share stories of hope and fear at the dinner table. We find meaning over food - we come together and learn more about each other. Care for each other. Solve problems side-by-side. Navigate the world and its tumultuous prejudices together. It is through shared meals that we celebrate the essence of being.
I can’t change what is happening in Israel and Gaza. We can generously donate. But can we come together in community, dear reader? Can we unpick the quesiness and acknowledge our privilege? Can we invite new voices and new neighbours to our table? And, above all, can we practice listening?
I ain’t no war correspondent. I’m a mother. A sister. A daughter. A wife. There’s a lot we can do in the war against Hate. It starts in the home.
And so we come to a recipe that I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you all. We have this mushroom mince on constant rotation in our kitchen, whether layered into a smoky lasagne, cosied up to fried eggs, wrapped in burritos, tucked into tacos, perched on sweet potato boats, or nestled under mash as a shepherdless pie. We love serving ours as a straight-up Bolognese with buckets of grated Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.
‘Shroom Mince tastes not of mushrooms or forest floor, so no one will suspect a thing. It looks, feels and smells like a Bolognese, takes less time than a traditional beef mince recipe, costs less, boosts your sustainability credits, sneaks in some SCFAs to your gut (short chain fatty acids), introduces some beta-glucans to the party, and mainlines extra vitamin D into your system. Whew!