The Lunchbox #19
Are you hungry for ChatGPT? No? A meal replacement shake then? Or maybe just a delicious springtime lunch and a roast sesame cookieđŞ.
Hello and welcome to The Lunchbox Newsletter. And a particular welcome to our special guestâŚSPRING! Weâve survived another winter, and what an eventful one itâs been. On the upside, Iâve got a big box of deliciousness ready for your consumption. My very favourite part to write this week was Up on My Lunchbox, in which I delve into the dubious marketing and dodgy ethics of meal replacement drinks. I would love to have explored the world more deeply, kicked down a few doors and written another 10,000 words, but, alas, The New Yorker this ainât. If youâd like to support my investigative journalism career AND get yourself a salty nâsweet Roasted Sesame & Chocolate Cookie recipe, I invite you to subscribe to a paid subscription. Itâs only ÂŁ4 a month or ÂŁ40 a year and youâll be supporting my writing of this and helping me to sustain it. Click the orange button below - and thank you for your support đ§Ą
What Iâm currently consuming
(*Nothing here is sponsored*)
The future: ChatGPT 4
The extraordinary advancements in AI have been all over the news recently, with ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot, looking like itâs going to affect life and business in both positive and negative ways, with many people fearing for their jobs. None of it has particularly piqued my interest until now⌠The latest version ChatGPT 4, is able to scan a photo of your fridge and give you recommendations on what to make with its contents AND provide you with accompanying recipes. Now how useful is that? That said, weâre at the very simple recipes stage.
Upon being presented the above photo by a user in the US, the chatbot suggested âYogurt parfait: Layer yogurt, strawberries, and blueberries in a bowl or jar. Top with honey or nuts for added texture and flavor.â Fun flourish at the end. And with its eye on marketing, the chatbot even impressively tries to rebrand your basic yogurt + fruit, a move us recipe developers have been trying to fool you people with for years. Its second suggestion, âCarrot and hummus wrap: Spread hummus on a tortilla or wrap. Top with shredded carrots and any other desired veggiesâ is less successful due to the absence of any wraps in the fridge. I shanât fear for my job just yet.
The superhero supermarket: Motatos
As a person who goes weak at knees when I see the word SALE and who cares deeply about food waste, Iâve just discovered a website that gives me more thrills than a lunchtime martini. This Scandinavian supermarket scoops up surplus stock from wholesalers and distributors - whether itâs a result of over-production, seasonal trends, faulty packaging or short best before dates - that would be destined for the landfill. They sell it at heavily discounted prices, some things are up to 60% off. Itâs mostly long-life dried or tinned/jarred fully packaged goods, all of which is completely fine after its BBD has passed, I mean do you ever check the date on your kitchen roll anyway?
Scrolling through is a genuinely exciting experience (if you get your kicks from discounts), and there are some wonderful brands on there right now, such as Mr Organic, Napolina, King Soba and Wessex Mill Flour. There are also cleaning products and toiletries galore. The delivery is just ÂŁ2.99, free over ÂŁ40, which is pretty easy to achieve if like me, you decide to stock up on all the discounted Napolina tinned tomatoes (read my thoughts on this in last weekâs newsletter). See a great interview (and some wonderful scandi accents) with the founders here.
Something to fill you up
Roast Ricotta with Butter Beans, Artichokes & Mint
Fresh, perky, full of texture and vibrant flavours. If you havenât tried roasting your ricotta yet, what are you waiting for? Instead of melting, it becomes softer and creamier and absorbs all the flavours you surround it with. A brilliant lunch or dish for a dinner party. Do you use fresh artichokes if you can get hold of them.
See my how-to video here
Serves 4
6 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 x 400g tins butter beans, rinsed
2 tbsp cider vinegar
250g ricotta
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fried chilli flakes
A few sprigs of thyme
3-4 jarred or fresh artichokes, quartered
Zest of ½ lemon, to serve
A big handful of mint, to serve
Green salad, to serve
Preheat the oven to 220C/425G/gas 7. Warm half the oil in a medium pan over a medium-low heat and gently fry the garlic until fragrant and just beginning to colour very slightly.
Add the beans, a big pinch of salt and pepper, 100ml of water and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cider vinegar, then transfer to a small baking tray. They should be pretty wet.
Make a small space in the middle of the beans and up-end your ricotta into the tray. Dot around the artichokes and sprinkle the oregano, chilli flakes, and thyme sprigs over everything. Season well, then drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges of the ricotta are just beginning to darken.
Zest over the lemon, scatter over the mint leaves and serve warm or hot with a green salad.