Author: Pascale

24 hours previously

24 hours previously, I had been in a loud, bustling market among a throng of people, where the sumptuous spices of ginger, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and saffron filled the warm air.

The next thing I knew

The next thing I knew, I found myself bouncing along a rutted, dirt road at the edge of the desert with a parched throat from the arid, dusty air. The van pulled up to a small encampment of low shelters, nearby a flock of camels sat under the sun. I paid the driver, grabbed my backpack and walked up to one of the men tending the herd. For a negotiated price, he saddled one of the beasts, helped me to get on and handed me the reins. I then headed out into the barren landscape, effectively deserting all my worldly comforts.

This trip to seemingly the middle of nowhere

This trip to seemingly the middle of nowhere is my attempt at consciously disremembering, at losing myself. As the proverb goes ‘solitude is often the best society,’ but as the last hints of humankind recede into the distance, I’m not so sure anymore.

Now out here in the desert, atop a sand dune, I find myself face to face with a mysterious woman I name “The Girl.” Part of her face is veiled, as is mine to keep out the blowing particles of sand. Despite the many boundaries that divide us, I look into her eyes and see kindness and warmth, a stark contrast to the desolation and chilly temperature that envelop us.

The sun sinks below the horizon

The sun sinks below the horizon, and the stars begin to twinkle above. The Girl welcomes me to join her around her fire; the crackle and soft glow of the flames are mesmerizing. She breaks off a chunk of bread and sets it on a blanket near me. I eat it greedily.

With a full stomach, it dawns on me that while seeking solitude, I only found loneliness. But now, in the presence of The Girl, I can’t recall ever feeling more at peace as a wave of tiredness washes over me. I lay my head down and fall into a deep slumber.

The first rays of light

The first rays of light touch my face, and I slowly open my eyes. I am enveloped in a blanket I don’t recall bringing with me. A memory stirs, there was a girl. I look around for her but find only Chewy looking lazily at me. Where is she? Renewed in spirit and soul, I climb into the saddle of my desert ride and let him carry me back to humanity. A placid smile forms on my lips as I come to the realization that weathering desolation has revealed an inner strength I didn’t know I had. I’m ready to go home.

I found “The Girl” at the edge of the earth, but in truth the real girl I found, was me.

Go behind-the-scenes

Get a behind-the-scenes look into the making of this short story.

Recently, I undertook to curb my boredom by attempting to bake a date and walnut loaf using a recipe from an 80-year-old reproduction cookbook.

Published in Manchester, UK, in 1940, a year after the start of the Second World War, the cookbook entitled War-time cookery to save fuel and food value, was meant to provide housewives with economical kitchen tips to preserve energy as well as maximize wartime rationed food such as bacon, butter and sugar, all while providing nutritious meals to keep their family healthy and strong.   

As the action happened

This little foray in historic cookery was chronicled on my Twitter feed. It recounts how this adventure all started, the snags I encountered along the way, the doubts, and the final verdict of how it turned out.

This was an adventure for several reasons, namely I’m not use to Imperial measurements! But that was quickly resolved thanks to a great website I found for converting kitchen measurements. This allowed me to continue with the recipe and took the guesswork out of the measurements.

Also, there is no oven temperature given in the recipe, just the instruction to bake in a ‘slow oven.’ After a bit of research, I found that a ‘slow oven’ is approx. 300-325 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m sure my Great-Grandmothers would have known exactly what that meant!

Why this recipe?

Why did I choose to make this particular recipe? For one, I consider any kind of loaf to be comfort food. I was also drawn to the date and walnut loaf because every Christmas my mom makes her grandmother’s walnut loaf recipe, and I wanted to compare the two recipes – one from generations ago and the other from 1940.

While not necessarily exciting or going to win any baking titles, the 1940 loaf was surprisingly delicious. I thought it might need a little sweet toping to help it going down better, but not so as the loaf was moist and flavourful.

The choice of this particular cookbook was my attempt at connecting with history, in particular an episode of the past which had such far-reaching impacts around the world. During the Second World War, food was considered a ‘weapon’ that could help will the war, and women seen as ‘housoldiers’ who played a critical role in the war effort on the home front.

Bonus recipe

Here’s a transcript of the recipe should you want to give it a try yourself!

Date and Walnut Loaf

Stone the dates and mince or chop them small. Sprinkle with the bicarbonate of soda, pour on the boiling water, and leave to soak. Rub fat in flour, add all other dry ingredients. Add date mixture when cool, and then beat egg. Put into two greased ½-lb. bread-tins, and bake for one-and-a-half hours in slow oven.

Thanks for your interest and keep in good taste, friends!