Culinary Delights

Favourite food-related discoveries during PCP (aide memoir):

1. Country Valley low fat organic milk is superb. This is the first milk I've had since moving to Australia 12 years ago that actually tastes like milk. Amazing! I doubt I will ever buy any watery crap from a supermarket again and may even visit the farm to personally thank them. Pair this with fresh strawberries for the night-time snack and life seems pretty sweet.
2. Seasonal vegetables are cheap and easy. Whack a couple of trays-worth in the oven on baking paper or steamer and you're good for 3 days (with almost no cleanup required). Over my winter PCP focus has been cauliflower, butternut squash/pumpkin, courgette/zucchini, golden squash and broccolini.
3. Getting a meal with enough vegetables in a restaurant is often nigh impossible. They're buttered/oiled and/or the portion is tiny and/or they cost a bomb.
4. Good quality tupperware is a joy forever (John Keats).
5. It's always worth spending more on quality ingredients but even more so when you're eating plainly. The difference between a supermarket egg and a farm-fresh biodynamic one is huge (especially when eating the yolk).
6. Farmers markets and posh green-grocers rock. Also, as they don't have processed crap, you can't even buy any by mistake. Plus you can add to your smuggitude by convincing yourself you're helping local trade, supporting happier animals and reducing your environmental impact.
7. Cooking a perfect boiled egg every time isn't so hard. 3 minutes on the boil + 5 minutes off the boil with a lid on the saucepan. This makes for easy-peeling eggs and helps avoid the sulphurous deposits at the contact point of the yolk and albumen that can give the eggs and your farts that special character.
8. My dad was/is right and Golden Delicious is the best apple variety. He was also right about cheese and chutney sandwiches and curry being tasty but they're not PCP compliant.
9. Spices are awesome to the plain pallet. It is mandatory to have a selection of these knocking about.
10. Bananas are a waste of money after a major cyclone in Australia.