Stuffed mushrooms with curried lentils and garlic ciabatta

I started today playing an odd computer game where an animated Tunnocks Teacake¹ bounced up platforms while avoiding things that wanted to eat it. I got to the top of the level, achieving a score the game excitedly informed me was “Indifferent!”, and the Teacake called “she’s out! She’s looking at me!”

I managed to drag myself out of the depths of sleep enough to respond to mum (who was the one calling me – no talking Teacakes here). A few minutes later, I emerged from my bedroom to peer through the glass kitchen door at a tabby cat who was sitting comfortably on the kitchen counter.

I took a small further step, just to lean on the wall, but that was too much for Suki’s courage and she disappeared back under the cupboard. A little later, though, I noticed that she had emerged at least enough to eat her breakfast, while mum and I were around. She’s definitely getting braver by the day!

For the rest of the day I tried not to cry, lose my temper, panic, then cry again, my emotions being very much still all over the place. I explained to mum what was happening and she reacted with genuine, hand-over-mouth horror. Which nearly made me cry again, as all sorts of things do atm.

I did manage to get some work done, including designing the cover for the forthcoming cookbook. I would show you, except it’s on my laptop in the bedroom, and I’m on my phone in the living room, and frankly I cba to go and get it.

Dinner was stuffed mushrooms, today being an “I like mushrooms” day for mum. Mum had salad with hers, I had Tesco tarka dahl. Mum looked at mine and, following her old rule of “if you can’t say something mean, don’t say anything”, said “that’s a lot of food you’ve got there”. Maybe, but it was nice.

And that’s that for today. Maybe tomorrow will be better, or at least cat-er. C’mon, Suki-puss, you know you want to come out and see us.

1. Other marshmallow-based treats are available. ↩︎