Sacrifice for a new oven

A new oven necessarily calls for a virgin sacrifice!

Note of interest: by ‘virgin sacrifice’ I mean the ‘first thing ever cooked in this new/virgin oven’, not the actual sacrifice of a virgin!

 

This new oven was a longed for acquisition, and the decision was forced when ‘old oven’ took three hours to cook an orange cake! It was supposed to be cooked in 45 minutes! That was the proverbial last straw! In that three hours, my oven ‘crossed the line’ of what was fair and tolerable.

In the food challenge I undertook to entertain a friend who had broken two ribs, I had rediscovered my joy of cooking. Now that I have found that again, I need an oven that does not lie to me, and oh boy ‘old oven’ told some massive lies: ‘yes, honestly I am 180 degrees’, or ‘yes this really is 200 degrees’. Massive porkies! The oven thermometer we bought told another tale, that of 40 or more degrees less! (Yes, I know the seals are shot, but that’s no excuse!)

New oven. Virgin sacrifice. Necessary!

With a vegan and a vegetarian in the family, I decided that the ‘virgin’ should be something we can all enjoy, so we have settled on scone biscotti, from a recipe book given to me by my gorgeous broken ribs friend. A big batch, and four different flavours, I am thinking: salted pistachios; lemon zest, slivered almonds and preserved ginger; cinnamon and apple; chocolate and cherry. I can think of no greater way to celebrate a new oven, and break in the virgin, than by an orgy of aromas, colours and flavours. To be enjoyed by the whole family, along with a fabulous coffee of a vanilla flavoured tea!

Scone biscotti is a completely unnecessary luxury, an indulgence…hence, I think, an entirely appropriate ‘virgin’. And four different flavours, cooked all at once because ‘new oven’ has thermowave and a temperature gauge that has been raised to always tell the truth? Simply because I can!

A new oven is not something to be taken lightly. This will be the first new oven I have ever had, so needless to say I am ridiculously excited! The ‘virgin sacrifice’ is a must, and it cannot—surely—be something practical, sensible, it must be something indulgent, and celebratory!

And yes, I will be making another orange cake at some stage, a gluten free one to share with my dear gluten intolerant martial artist friend—who can kick my ass clear across the room, and whom I occasionally accidentally hit with an eskrima stick …but who loves me nonetheless!

The joy of preparing food, and then sharing that food, is an expression of love. That particular expression of love does, rather, hinge on having an oven that works properly! Let’s just say I shall be expressing a whole lot more love!!