I thought to refrain in indulging in this conversation, but then I think maybe I should break the silence. Tis not the elephant in the room the problem, but rather the other occupants in it that alarm me. I don’t know where you stand, but I do know that I don’t know where I stand anymore, as for once I feel lost to figure out where common sense stands.
My aim has always been to avoid either extreme, to take an informed balance approach, now I have that semi down re the elephant, but its all the strings attached to it so to speak that I struggle with. This whole school closure thing has my mind and heart all up in a twist. For once I feel uncertain about what is the sensible approach. Whether you believe this virus to be the threat they say or not, one thing is clear the government’s efforts are to contain it, and the only way inevitably will be to shut schools, no matter how much they appear to deny it now. Now whether it is the right thing to do or not, is not the issue for me here anymore. My issue is, if that is the case, that this will have to be the action and its just a matter of time, then why are we delaying it? (Apart from the obvious that its going to cost the government a packet and then some!) But on a personal level, the longer the schools are open, the more widespread it becomes, therefore the more chances of every school being infected increases day by day, its simple maths really! If you are going to take this action, is it not better you take it before you are infected, so to actually reap benefit from it? Even if one person is infected in the school, by the time it is confirmed it is to late and the damage done! Whether you believe it to be a threat or not, but common sense dictates if you are going to take an action for a certain result, should you not take it when you have a shot at attaining said result? You know that whole, strike when the iron is hot thing, ring a bell??? So here I stand torn between two pieces of my own common sense, I fail to see clearly what is sensible anymore? I mean it should be really very obvious shouldn’t it! I know the elephant, I can see the strings and yet I stand bewildered thinking am I the crazy in the room?? I don’t want to pull my children out of school and yet I can’t see the benefits of delaying the inevitable; when in doing so you only negate the result for which the action is to be taken for in the first place! You can’t catch a plane after its has departed! So alas I sit here as a person trying to live with common sense and as a mother who would like to make sensible and right choices for her children to the best of my mental, emotional and physical ability. I think when one puts it in this way, there really is no choice, no dilemma, no confusion or doubt of the sensible! In the war between a woman and a mother, A mother is always right! Here is to us all, to finding peace within ourselves, because at the end of the day when all is said and done and there is nothing but the quiet of the night, there is only one voice to be heard and to answer to, the little voice of reason within you! To Self Peace! Stay safe and happy! MAE
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Recently I had the privilege of working with a young person who suffers from some learning difficulties. The aim of the sessions were to encourage the use of fine motor skills and build the person’s confidence in the kitchen- to be able to feel that they could perform simple tasks on their own. Tasks that most people would not even think twice about doing were an enormous confidence challenge for this young person.
The meals we prepped were simple, hearty and nutritious. I had a lovely time in this beautiful soul’s company, and felt refreshed to see things in a new light. We didn’t make any fuss over the uniformity of the veg we cut, nor the technicalities of cooking techniques. We enjoyed the processes of cutting and cooking, smelling and tasting and most importantly believing and trusting in instincts. The sessions were intended to only instil confidence and to that I can say, I saw a hint of it in the smiles we shared! Life does not have to be complicated, meals do not have to be fancy, life has to be lived and meals have to be enjoyed. Live and enjoy every process of both life and meals, for here lies the secret of happiness! Much love, Meher TELL ME WHEN, TELL ME WHERE, AND I'LL BE THERE*...
I am a Freelance Chef, who enjoys teaching just as much as cooking, if you need help in hosting a party, or entertaining a few children while teaching them cooking skills, then I am the person you are looking for. From BBQ's to event catering, private do's to bread making, if you need to hire a chef or just need a little help with a few items which ever the case, then you are in the right place! I believe in wholesome, hearty, nourishing food; feeding the soul just as much as feeding the body. Its not the quantity of dishes, but rather quality of them, that catches the hearts of your guests. Provide them soul food and take them on a journey of emotions. There is a very famous saying in the world of science, "energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transferred" I live by this rule. The energy that goes into growing food, the energy that goes into preparing the food, cooking the food, is all the energy that lives in the food and therefore the energy that gets absorbed from consuming the food. Cold hard machines, give cold hard energy; mass produced chemical filled foods, give toxin filled disconnect energy. If it is grown with love, it has the energy of love living within it; if it is prepared by hand, the warmth and care of the cook breathes within it. If it is cooked with happiness, happiness is transferred through it. Do not underestimate the powers of energy, it can not be measured in calories, but only experienced, felt and prospered from. I trained especially in children’s meals as I believe the best way to teach people about eating right is by being out in the field and living the message! That is how our prophet Muhammad SAW did it, he practiced what he preached, he lived every message He taught not by words, but actions. I believe in free and easy access to knowledge, hence my blog is a completely free space, no strings attached. Apart from my blog, I drop little pieces here and there, follow me if you like on twitter, facebook or instagram. I have a dream to bring back the glory of home cooking; simple, loving and nourishing. If you want to go on this journey of re-discovery with me, it will be my pleasure to be your guide. Let's come back to living in harmony with nature; eating seasonal, local, natural and fresh. MEHER A EQBAL FREELANCE CHEF *subject to availability, T's & C's apply. Every day a day passes, but some days make us stop and think more, some days force us to stop and reflect.
New year's Eve is a day like every day, but one that makes us stop and reflect. New year's day, a day that makes us stop and think; dream, hope and wish. A mer moment separates the two, but turns a day of reflection to a day of hope and reinvigoration. As the clocks struck 12 bringing upon us the new year and decade, new hope and excitement filled the air. There is definitely something about this new decade that just feels oh so right… I feel a bit like I am in a Marry Poppin’s movie, thinking and talking in song, quite likely to break out in dance too... #I can’t quite put my finger on it, don’t know what it is just yet, but I know there is something there, that hasn’t quite shown itself to us just yet!# ...reminds me of when Bert talks about the winds changing and something going to happen thats all happened before… Let’s hope that this magic that can be sensed can fill our lives to come with all the right ingredients to make the future just as magical as we can imagine it to be. As we charge forward towards the new horizon, I thought I should just shed a little light on the weeks just gone before they become but a distant memory. Amidst all the socialising and fun, as always, sat the meals of the day as the focal points of both the gatherings and the day. I normally don’t like to talk much about food that I sample, although I know it to be quite a popular practice, but due to several reasons I tend to refrain from such indulgences. But in the hustle bustle of what is the winter holidays, there was one thing that I was fortunate enough to have been acquainted with amongst many other exquisite dishes. It really caught my eye and shone out to me as something new and different and quite like nothing I had had before that I thought, for this, I must break my rule and give a shout out about it. Believe it or not but the thing to make me stop in my tracks was a humble peanut butter! Yes you heard me, of all the things that I indulged in, the thing that made me break my rule and write was a humble peanut butter (no it is not the first time I have had peanut butter, if that is what you are thinking). On New Years day I was out celebrating with my family and although the food was quite, well what one would call, epic on all counts, the complimentary peanut butter is what stole the show. I mean don’t get me wrong, every bite, of the entire evening, was just as scrumptious as I could have hoped for, but peanut butter, ahh!! I mean it’s peanut butter, how different can it be, how can that be the lasting memory from a meal of delectables. Well I will tell you how. Never in my life have I tasted such a light peanut butter. It was beautiful ivory coloured, silky and light, like whipped butter, with little notes of sweetness in all the right ways. It was not sweet like it has any added sweetness, just a hint of the natural sugars already present in the peanut. It was definitely something on another level! I never thought I could enjoy it so much! Although I must say, it could not be eaten on its own ( yes I did try!) it had to be eaten with the complimentary bread that came with it, fresh hot out the oven these little pillows of delight were definitely the right partner for this condiment to tango with. Definitely did not see that coming! If you are ever passing through the area, something definitely worth stopping by for! So enough of my past weeks of indulgent holiday time, back to the present. With school life back in full swing, along with swinging trees in heavy winds, hope you have something nice to look forward to towards the still foggy future, hope that the new decade has got you secretly excited about something. Its an uncertain future for us still in the UK, but I hope if any one thing is certain, it’s hope! Hope for the future, hope for yourself and hope for being blissful yet! Much love With the holiday season just round the bend, days are starting to fill up, with family festivities to school performances, the calendar starts to look quite merry, like the time of year. Regardless of what you do or don’t celebrate, an air of warmness dances amidst the cold winter chills. With festivals, personal and communal, lies the magic of good food. Whether we find time to have a quiet moment with an old friend or cuddle with the family on long winter nights, or have huge end of year bashes with work mates, food is one thing that is common among every social call.
Whether we choose to dive deep into the staple of age old family secret recipes or pick up new treasures to add to our repertoire, cooking for someone always shows your audience that you care for them. Sadly though in the modern day more and more people seem to be daunted by the idea of whipping something up for an audience, especially if it happens to be for a “special” occasion, but it does not need to be in this way. A meal does not have to be “fancy” looking and a struggle to squeeze on to the table for it to awe-struck your fans. At the end of the day, there is only so much one can eat in one meal; make less items, but make them well, keep it simple, but made with love and care. When you give time, love and care to any meal, it already has the right foundations, finish it off with good flavouring and seasoning and you have a great meal. Start off by focusing on packing flavour in your marinade, then marinade liberally. Incubate your marinating products in the fridge for sufficient time, whether it is veg, or meat that you are cooking, do not skimp on these two vital steps. It is the flavours in any dish that make it stand out and tango with your tastebuds. Watch over it as it cooks taking in all the aroma and excitement, hanging about working in the same space means then you don’t need to fear it burning or over cooking. Taste it as it progresses; don’t be afraid to add more flavour if you feel like it needs it, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it. Always trust your gut instincts the flavours need to sing for you if they are to perform for anyone else. If there is a particular recipe of mine you are looking for to experiment with in the holidays, let me know so that I know to fast track it, or if you are interested in booking some one to one time get in touch! With the volume of recipes I have waiting to upload in the pipe line, it always helps to know if I need to accelerate certain ones. With festivals lurking, I am also keeping busy with various projects here and there. In recent weeks I have been doing some teaching sessions (already have a couple of sessions penciled in for January too- exciting times ahead Insha Allah). I am also scheduled into be doing some catering for some upcoming events going into the Christmas break. Meanwhile in the day time, at the moment, I have been keeping busy assisting is various spaces including prepping some meals for up to a dozen portions. It’s been an exciting and enriching year, I have discovered many things this year along with this- my new direction. I look at the new year with hope and aspirations, lets see what this uncertain fate of UK brings to the plate of the many… Regardless of what you have to look forward to as the year closes in, hope you stay warm and cosy, and sample great food! Warmest Wishes & Season’s Greetings! Let’s end it on a high and start the new Decade with abundant hope and positivity! MUCH LOVE After training and getting some experience under my belt, I have now decided to venture out into the world of freelancing.
Here you will be able to find a window into what I am getting up to these days. From cooking to teaching cooking, it's all happening! I started off on my journey with cooking with the humble tea prior to entering double figures in age, but not quite like how people practice that art these days. No those pots of tea where something of a time long ago when people gathered and experienced tea as an event. Nowadays it's plonk in that tea bag in hot water in your "to go" mug and rush out that front door like you are missing your flight, sigh! One of my most fondest memories of childhood, is cooking with my mom, we made many a cakes together and laddos!! These memories are a big reason why I decided to post my recipes online. I find nowadays more and more people are afraid to cook, which I find really sad. I want people to share this experience with their children. Not only will they be gifting them a very important life skill, but they will be enriching both their children's and their lives with countless, precious, glorious memories! Memories! Memories are worth investing in! So how did I go from making memories to making catering meals... well as always one baby step at a time... From cooking at an international food festival that my friends and I pioneered, to cooking for fundraisers. Bake sales and bread making classes, to teacher conferences; the steps join up and pave the way. They may say "and the rest is history", but history doesn't just happen, like it is so often implied, as they so casually say glazing over it. No, it is lived and experienced. If you want to get a piece of that experience, get in touch with me and we can share a little history making together... As always, much love... MAE Standing by to help... |
MY SoapboxThis space features my reflections, opinions, ponderings and from time to time announcements of what I am up to. It literally is me in my corner on my soapbox. Search for articles by topic:Categories
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