There are two habits that became my solace when we were housebound during the COVID lockdown. When life gets tough – like your football club getting clobbered 7-nil – it is my own little world I slip into, writes Gasant Abarder in a new #SliceofGasant.
Abarder, who recently launched his book, Hack with a Grenade, is among the country’s most influential media voices. Catch his weekly column here, exclusive to Cape {town} Etc.
They are the two best gifts I have given myself.
First up are DIY projects. Now, my dad had a few tools like the old pliers, a few well-worn screwdrivers and a hammer as far as I remember when we were growing up. But an uncle or cousin had to come around to paint or hang a portrait. I followed more or less the same pattern for most of my adult life.
That was until I got fed up waiting for a buddy to find the time to come through with their drill to fit a floating shelf. I started with drills (cordless and wired, which took quite a bit of explaining to my spouse), then a jigsaw, mouse sander and more. I now had a formidable arsenal and I’m hanging my own portraits.
Soon, thanks to YouTube tutorials, I attempted a few more ambitious projects like a bookshelf and paint jobs around the house. Even a chalk-line to paint a feature wall with horizontal stripes for a nursey. But tools are expensive and life hacks from TikTok videos can only get you so far. Some skills, I found, are God-given judged by the amount of paint messed on the floor.
There have been a few fails. I was shocked at the price of rabbit hutches and thought it couldn’t be that hard to build one, right? Wrong! After several hours, I gave up and the timber I bought became firewood.
But there is nothing quite like getting it right. It’s like that perfect drive on the golf course when you can finally twirl your club like Tiger, even though you’ve been crap the whole round. That one shot will have you back soon for more punishment.
The best part is the solitude. You’re thinking about the project and not overthinking life, loadshedding and the next global pandemic.
Which brings me to my top hobby I discovered when we were all going bonkers from lockdown cabin fever. Had I known that preparing dishes and cooking was so much fun when I was deciding what to do with my life I might have ended up as a chef.
It started with my mom’s curry recipe. Soon I was making biryani from scratch, cottage pie, a roast leg of lamb with all the trimmings, chicken and corn soup, Hasselback potatoes, home-made burger patties and my own iteration of chutney chops – to name a few.
The most satisfying feeling in the world is feeding people. The compliments and affirmation from your 5-year-old kid, the most honest person in the world, is priceless when she proclaims at the dinner table: ‘Wow, Dad, this is really so good!’
Being my extra self and as was my wont with the power tools, I started buying new things – this time for the kitchen. Now, Tito has some fancy pots that cost an arm and a leg. A leg of lamb, mind you if one considers the price of a leg of lamb these days. But he is living proof, based on his Twitter posts of failed dishes, that tools don’t maketh the chef.
I invested in very good but very cost-effective knives. My chef and santoku knives take pride of place in the kitchen. Yuppie Chef is my new favourite shop. I hang around the spice aisle for ages and spend way too much time looking at fresh produce. I love nothing more than chatting with the folks at the butcher about different cuts of meat.
My point? Life is coming at us at breakneck speed. The antidote: stay calm and cook. Or DIY. Or cycle. Or play a spot of footy. Find your niche and go for broke. We’re all broke anyway!
PS: as my gift to you, here’s a quick and easy recipe for a delicious chicken and corn soup.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 chicken fillets cut into small pieces
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 potato cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 2 cans sweetcorn
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup milk (or milk alternative)
- A handful of chopped celery and parsley
- White pepper and salt to taste
- 1 packet of cream chicken soup.
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 250ml fresh cream/cooking cream (or non-dairy alternative)
Marinade chicken in chicken/tandoori/BBQ spice. Braise onion, chicken and potato in a large pot until potato and onion are soft. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until the soup thickens. Add water for desired consistency. Finally, add the cream and it’s ready to serve.
Also read:
Picture: Pexels