What's Cooking With Shallows?

While the calendar says November, it feels like anything but around these parts. I'm talking weeks upon weeks where the thermometer has climbed above 80 and partied all day long. That's not supposed to be happening, not at this time of year. I shouldn't be carrying around a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my face on Halloween night, yet there I was doing just that.

While in the grand scheme of things weather isn't that big of a deal, just something for old guys to safely discuss, it is relevant to this post. Because of the weather (and the consuming nature of my job) I, Tender Branson, protector of all food and its sacredness, watched some food slowly wither and die. It was worse than the black pumpkin that is sitting on my counter as we speak.

It started when Shallows, a trio from Winchester, Britain, was kind enough to invite me into their musiculination (a term I just coined). First, they sent me some of their tranced up electro-pop. I immediately fell for "Enso" because of its seamless blending of an 80's guitar rock vibe with hypnotic synths and echoing vocals. I fired back at Shallows asking what kind of meal they might enjoy with "Enso." Their response was a dish that combined carrots, parsnips, pine nuts, couscous and Halloumi cheese. That response hit my inbox nearly a month ago. Since then, I've scrolled past that dish nearly every day. Yet I couldn't bring myself to eat it. Something always got in the way. One night it was the haunted house. Another time I had to write a rubric (and another and another). There was a night of planning, a night of pumpkin lattes and a night of aviation simulations. With each and every delay, the carrots molded, the Halloumi cheese hardened and the pine nuts did whatever old pine nuts do. The couscous? They just incessantly talked about the weather. So here I am, November 5th, and I'm finally diving into the dish and bringing it to all of you. My fears? The blue stuff will kill me. That both Shallows and my gastrointestinal system will hold it against me. For the rest of the month, my shadows will continue turning to dust. And the f***ing couscous will never shut up about the weather.

But, fears were meant to be faced. It's time to do just that.



The pine nut, Halloumi cheese, carrot and parsnip dish that was recommended by Shallows to pair with this track can be found here.