Back to school, work, reality: what to eat now summer is over

1 week ago 10

September arrives and, with it, the sudden, brutal gear shift from slow, lazy August, the mad rush to catch up on all the work you’ve been neglecting, to reconnect with the friends who’ve been away during summer. It’s back to the commute, back to work, back to school …

We are also back at school – every Thursday for the past few years we’ve been taking pottery classes at college. From 10 in the morning until five in the evening we are covered in clay; our muddy fingers cannot check the phone every five minutes, and everyone at work knows not to contact us unless it’s an emergency – and even then, only if there’s something we can actually do about it.

This also means that, for the first time since high school, we don’t have an obvious lunch solution. Our working life may lack many things, but as chefs our access to fresh, delicious food isn’t one of them. At college, though, we need to think ahead if we don’t want to rely on the canteen offerings (triangle-of-sadness sandwiches from the fridge or a lukewarm baked potato) – and we’re enjoying the weekly challenge.

Sami Tamimi’s courgette and leek ijeh (Arabic frittata).

Wednesday-night dinner needs to be strategically planned so it will taste good at room temperature the next day. Pasta is a good shout, but not in a creamy or oily sauce, and nothing too fishy. All baked pasta dishes are better the next day, especially lasagne. That’s where Rachel Roddy’s pasta al forno with meatballs and mozzarella comes in – a bouncy, comforting baked dish that holds up beautifully (and tastes even better as leftovers). If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, Tamal Ray’s Sichuan-style lasagne – layered with fragrant spices, fermented broad bean sauce, mozzarella and bechamel – strikes just the right balance between bold and bowl-pleasing. Eggs are also great – particularly a frittata-style slab that’s firm enough to travel without toppling. And we always feel gloriously smug when we have a cold noodle salad with a little pot of dressing on the side.

Of course, we’re not always organised, but we have developed a niche in morning salads: a slice of whatever’s lurking in the fridge, a chunk of feta, maybe a handful of mint, all tossed with that aforementioned dressing, which, if you ask us, tastes very much like victory at 1pm, when everyone else is queueing for a sad sandwich. And since a few of you might be in the same boat – new routines, toting packed lunches, feeling slightly frazzled but hopeful – here are some things to keep in your back pocket: Yotam Ottolenghi’s soba noodle salad (it practically begs to be eaten cold), Sami Tamimi’s frittata with herbs and veg, and our cheese and za’atar swirls (basically an edible hug that fits in a lunchbox). And if you do opt for an old-fashioned sandwich, Anna Jones has some inventive ideas for fillers (pictured top).

We can’t promise these will make you better at throwing pots – ours are still wonky, though we’re calling it “rustic chic” – but they will definitely make our Thursdays more delicious.

Wishing you all a soft landing back to the grind, smooth commutes and very smug lunches.

Our week in food

Miga - family restaurant. From left Eun Ah Ko, Hyun Sang Ko, Jae Hun Ko, Kyung Suk Lee, Jae Kyum Ko of Miga family restaurant.

Transported by flavours | We will travel far for Korean food. One day we will go as far as Korea but until then, journeying from south to east London was worth it for the charming delights of Miga.

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And for afters | We lingered on our Miga meal so much that we had to return our table before we had dessert. Luckily, it was a balmy night and a gentle stroll led us to the ever-glorious Café Cecilia. Even though it was packed, the staff let us sit on the bench outside and have all the desserts (there were four of us …), Their kindness and hospitality is as sweet as their bread and butter pudding.

Sounds delicious | A new season of our podcast, The Food Sessions, is out, an exploration of joy and the things that some of our favourite people do to increase it in their lives. Alas, we didn’t get guest Emily Maitlis’s recipe for chicken in lavender, but we gathered plenty of other insights on how to up the happiness.