Chocolate chip waffles for one

a disappointing eat, and blind love

fatty ripples in gamey pink, at Kiln in Soho

Food news of the week:

This week’s review (below) combs through bits of a storied institution. I was ready to like this place much more upon my third (?) visit. Now for my piece on Asian mainstays– I still think the korean fried chicken from Bullgogi does my senses in, and if you haven’t tried the lamb chops at Kiln then what are you doing, really? Tenderest dream of dreams, dipped in that tangy tamarind– bolshy flavour your wallet even thanks you for.

I am also headed to Singapore in just over a couple of weeks. If any of you have some must-try’s, do let me know. Yes, including sushi.

Science of the week:

The last post on my Med 3.0’s miniseries hailed the benefits of Zone 2 exercise. Today it’s about CGM, or continuous glucose monitoring, which monitors in real-time glucose levels, and not just for diabetes patients. This will help you monitor patterns in these levels and address anything strange, like high HbA1c levels (average glucose over the past 2-3 months, ideally <40mmol/mol). Fun fact: glucose levels have strong ties to mental health, with fluctuating or too high levels associated with depression and anxiety.

Insight of the week:

In the poetic melancholy of Fallen Angels, one of the main characters (Qiwu) falls in love with a woman who’s still in love with her ex, and equates himself to a store which he hopes she can shop in for a while, re-affirming the one-sided nature of the relationship. It’s a sad but accurate analogy, writing home the phenomenon of blind love and the acceptance of the pain that usually, inevitably, accompanies it.

Recipe of the week:

These chocolate chip waffles were originally vegan when I put the post together, but were gently modified from my blog to accommodate anyone. For anyone who didn’t know, I was vegan for almost two years. No regrets going back or forth, but I did learn a lot from the process, and I’d like to think I’m an expert in vegan substitutions now.

Chocolate Chip Waffles For One (scale up for more people as needed):

Ingredients

25g rolled or quick oats

120g plain flour (or whole-wheat if you prefer)

35-40g chopped dark chocolate

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

120ml (1/2 cup) milk of choice

3 tbsp olive oil/coconut oil/butter (doesn’t have to be melted, as long as it’s soft or at room temperature)

3 tbsp maple syrup/honey (obviously don’t use the latter if you’re vegan)

Directions

Tip all ingredients into a bowl and mix until all is well combined. The mixture should be like a thick cake batter; add more flour if it isn’t. You could do this the night before and pop the bowl into your fridge so you save a little time in the morning when you make it!

Preheat your waffle iron according to its instructions, grease with whatever fat you used in the batter itself (in this case I used coconut oil) and pour the batter in, making sure not to exceed the tips of the iron ridges. Cook until the surfaces are lightly browned. My waffle iron doesn’t require me to flip the waffles over, but if you feel the heating is uneven, go ahead and do just that after 3-4 minutes, depending on how fast and strong your iron is. This recipe makes about 2 thick waffles, a generous serving for one person. Freeze any extras and toast in your toaster when you want to have them again. So good with thick and creamy yoghurt, berries, caramelised banana (see above) and maple syrup.

Restaurant review of the week:

You know that point in a meal where there’s just a bite of food left on a plate, and no one wants to take it out of politeness? Right. And you know that point when a waiter consistently comes around to ask one of you to finish it? Yeah, I thought not (you can’t be that unlucky). Maybe I was just tired, or easily annoyed, but this is when the magnanimous smiling becomes grating. A first of a couple mishaps here.

Yet it’s here where I first experienced nose-to-tail modern British cuisine (cue: brown crab meat on toast with a side of offal chips and mayo, please) years ago, and for that I am grateful.