The Lunchbox #9, What's Autumn 🍂 Got In Store?

We've packed our crisps and we're ready to go!

What I’m currently consuming

The Snack: SLABS crisps

Crisps are very personal. We all have our favourite brand, shape and flavour, but I think we can agree that there are certain ones that are just stone-cold classics: Walkers Cheese & Onion and Pickled Onion Monster Munch for example (OK, there quite a few, I’d better continue this later on - see Up On My Lunchbox), but I have recently encountered a very strong contender.

SLABS are curious fellas. At four times thicker than your average, they’re heftier, crunchier and extremely versatile. Let’s be honest, many of the crisps we love just don’t dip well (I’m looking at you, Walkers), whereas SLABS have the structural integrity of a piece of marble - you can do what you like with them. Dip ‘em in houmous, top ‘em with cheddar, dunk ‘em in your soup…SLABS can handle it. And the flavours are powerfully delicious. Get ready for some serious tongue tingling. Someone please report back on the Egg & Chips flavour?

The Ingredient: Bold Bean co. Queen Chickpeas

Winter is coming and we’re going to need to start falling back on our faithful store-cupboards. So I want to talk about chickpeas, the most divisive of staples. I am going to confess here and now I only just started to understand the chickpea in the past few years. You know the supermarket tinned version when they’re a bit small, undercooked, crunchy and dry? THE WORST. Well I used to think that’s just how they were.

But then those lovely plump fellas in tall jars suddenly appeared on shop shelves and my hostility was thawed. Following hot on their heels are The Bold Bean Co, who sell these Queen Chickpeas (as well as a the creamiest of white beans and butter beans). The only way to describe them is like eating butter - but highly nutritious butter. They’re plump, rich, perfectly seasoned and the most wonderful sponge for other flavours. They make you realise just how versatile beans are, potatoes and pasta are both being chased out of my kitchen by them. Have a look at Bold Bean’s luscious recipes here if you need some ideas.

The Video: It’s Corn!

If you haven’t already encountered this, it’s the viral vegetable hit of the season. The wonderful Julian Shapiro-Barnum from Recess Therapy warmly interviews Tariq, a young but passionate campaigner for his favourite food, corn. This is pure heaven to watch.

The Book: Let’s do Lunch

Have you joined the Let’s do Lunch party? Unlike most elite societies, this one is very friendly and all you have to do to join is buy a copy. Easy! You’ll find that lunchtimes are no longer a struggle and you’ll be a healthier, happier person*. If you like the book, please consider writing a short review on Amazon. Every single one will help ME be a healthier and happier person. Thank you!

*not guaranteed, sorry

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Something to fill you up

Spanakopita

This lunchtime classic is always a pleasure to eat - the combination of sweet, earthy spinach with tangy feta and crispy, flakey filo is unmistakably Greek in flavour and always reminds me of holidays. 

It is also a star player around lunchtime - it can easily be scaled up and has enough WOW factor to impress guests (and reheats beautifully, something I talk A LOT about in my previous newsletter). But it’s also flexible enough for family life - eat it at any temperature you want and it’ll last several days - some might say it even improves over time.   

And guess what? It’s super easy! Just be sure to pour off as much liquid as you can from the spinach. I brush olive oil between the filo layers as I find it less fussy than melting butter and like to add some rocket for texture and peppery flavour.

See my how-to on Instagram

Serves 4-6

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 bunch green or red spring onions, sliced  
400g spinach, washed
4 eggs
200g feta, crumbled
A little nutmeg
225g packet filo pastry
A small bunch of dill or mint, chopped
120g rocket

Preheat the oven to 180C/180C fan/325F/gas 4. Warm the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the spring onion for 3 minutes, until beginning to soften. Add the spinach, a big pinch of salt, cover with a lid and steam-cook for 5 minutes (depending on the toughness of the leaf) until tender, stirring once or twice. Drain in a sieve. 

Meanwhile, beat together the egg and feta and season with pepper and nutmeg. 

Drizzle some oil on the bottom of a medium (approx 25cm x 17cm) baking dish and start layering up the filo sheets, drizzling a little oil every 2 sheets. Try to arrange them so that you have pieces hanging over the whole dish. Keep going until you’ve layered them all.

Drain the greens and press against the side of the sieve to extract any excess water, then stir in the dill and rocket. Spoon the greens into the pastry base and pour over the egg and feta mix. Gently stir it up with a fork, then bring together the overhanging bits of pastry, gently scrunching them so the top is completely covered. Drizzle with a little more oil, then place in the oven for 45-50 minutes until the top is crisp and golden. If it colours too quickly, reduce the temperature of the oven, cover gently with foil and cook for a little longer. Allow to cool and firm up for 10 minutes or allow to cool and serve room temperature.

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Something to finish you off

We’re slowly easing into steamed pudding season. And I know a few people who couldn’t be happier about that. One is my dear friend Ben Benton, who writes a weekly Substack newsletter, No Cartouche, on his feelings, considerations and confusions about British food. So who better to give us this week’s sweet recipe - one that he had to battle his recipe-rebelling demons to create.

Classic Sticky Toffee Pudding

“If anything, cooking the sticky toffee pudding was more pleasurable than eating the sticky toffee pudding, and that is fine. The act of doing it, the act of considering the recipe, the act of making little decisions, little protests, adding salt to the sauce even though that wasn't in the recipe, or not adding cloves, or walnuts to the sponge even though that was in the recipe. Little personal rebellions, and personal decisions, however, you want to look at them, are important, enjoyable, essential even to cooking.”

150g pitted dates, chopped into small chunks
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g salted butter, plus extra for greasing
70g golden caster sugar
70g dark muscovado sugar
2 eggs
Small pinch salt
150g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
For the sauce
120g salted butter
85g golden caster sugar
35g dark muscovado sugar
150ml double cream

Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/400F/gas 6. Grease a small baking tray or a pudding bowl with butter.

Place your chopped dates in a bowl with the bicarb and pour over 250ml of boiling water.

Using a stand mixer, a hand whisk, or just brute force and a wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugars until combined and lightened (in both colour and texture). Add the eggs and beat these in similarly before adding the salt and flour and baking powder and mixing to a good dough. Finally, add the soaking dates and their liquor and mix to a loose batter.

Pour the batter into your tray or basin and place in the hot oven for 30 minutes until risen and pleasingly set with a crusty top.

Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a little pan and set it over a medium-low flame. Once melted and combined, increase the heat and boil rapidly for 5 minutes until thick as double cream. Stir occasionally to avoid catching and burning, although it is a resilient sauce so no need to mollycoddle it.

To serve, run a butter knife around the edge of your cooked pudding, turn it out with a jolty shake onto a plate or platter and soak it (ideally whilst warm) with your sauce.

Depending on your preference, cream, custard, ice cream or all three work terrifically alongside.

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Look, this wasn’t supposed to be a newsletter dedicated to crisps. But I had to follow the story. It led me here. ..

Crisps.

They’re an essential part of every lunchbox, the savoury crunch after the soft sandwich. But they’re more than that. They’re an identifier. The crisps you like say more about you than the paper you read, the friends you surround yourself with or the political party you vote for. So I thought I might reveal myself to you and give you my Top Ten.

I would be very interested in hearing about any great ones I haven’t mentioned, particularly non-British ones that I should track down. Let me know in the comments!

1. Scampi Fries. Nothing says British pub quite like these. They go beautifully with a pint. They’re cereal rather than potato, and hollow in the middle so you get serious surface area for the lemony, prawny assertive flavouring. They don’t fill you up, just entertain your taste buds for a while, and that’s why I love them.

2. Twiglets. Somehow these feel like the sophisticated choice. Maybe because they’re Yeast Extract (ie Marmite) flavoured so I know only the most noble of palates will like them. Or maybe because they’re made of wholewheat (and allegedly contain vitamin B) so feel more virtuous than their potato/corn based friends? Either way, I love these knobbly guys. Icons.

3. Tyrrel’s Vegetable Crisps. My knees go weak just writing their name. I love these for the variety in texture and shape, the cheerful colours of the beet and sweet potato ones, the perfect tingle of salt in each mouthful. Perfection.

4. Co-op Sea Salt & Chardonnay Vinegar crisps. My friend introduced these to me and they’re easily the finest salt and vinegar flavour on the market. Light, airy, almost Spanish-style crisp with a perfect balance of acidic ping and delicious saltiness.

5. Torres Caviar Crisps. I know everyone goes crazy for the Truffle (urggghhh) ones of these and I hold the Iberico ham ones in high regard, but dear lord, these guys are phenomenal. They’ve got just a je ne sais quoi of fishiness, enough to hold your interest, but not overwhelm you. AND they make you seem sophisticated when you talk about them, see?

6. Doritos Cool Original. I have to admit that I am too addicted to eat these anymore, so I just admire them from afar. I first encountered them on holiday in the US when I was about 12 years-old and I remember just quietly taking the bag and walking upstairs to the the wardrobe where I shut myself in and ate the whole sharing packet to myself. The bad boy of the crisp world.

7. Estrella Dill Chips. These are Sweden’s most-loved crisps. I only recently encountered them and I understand the fuss. They’re incredibly dill-y with a hint of onion lightly tickling some beautiful ridges.

8. Takis Fuego. These are INTENSE. Heralding from Mexico, these rolled tortilla chips come in a multitude of flavours, all wickedly spicy and drenched in an unruly red powder. Indeed, I heard that they were at one stage banned in schools in several states in the US alongside Flamin’ Hot Cheetos for being messy and disruptive. I get it. And that’s why I love them. Just don’t wipe your hands on your trousers.

9. Kurkure Masala Munch. These were a late addition to this list, having encountered them only today, but I was blown away. Basically the Indian Nik Nak, these are made with dal, corn and rice and are tangy, spicy with chilli powder and I think I can even taste some cumin. A thrilling mouthful.

10. Chipsticks. I had to include these. To know them is to love them. They’ve been around since 1971 making them the Grande Dame of the snack game and I think we can all agree that nothing is more satisfying to crunch into. Their light, airy texture holds the salt and vinegar more lovingly than the others, almost within its very being. Also, have you tried them dipped into taramasalata? To die for.

🌽 HAVE A CORN-TASTIC DAY! 🌽*

*Watch the video