#slumpie

"Slumpies may be making fun of our need for constant connection, but Mayer is also calling attention to a genuine problem. So-called “text neck"—pain caused by staring down at a phone—has been recognized a real, and growing, problem by the medical community. As we continue to live increasing portions of our lives online, eyes fixed to a phone or laptop below us, the pressure on our spines mounts. Maybe someday soon there will be a real market for smartphone-optimized furniture. Glitter is definitely a bonus."

- ‘Slumpie’ Furniture Designs for Comfortable Texting

“[...]What was the special today?” “Smitten steak with cream sauce and slumpie, and Black Death meringue to follow,” said All Johnson. There was a moment of silence as they both pictured this meal. Fred Colon gave a little sigh. “Butter on the slumpie?” “You wouldn’t insult me by suggesting I’d leave it off, would you?” The Fifth Elephant

No better meal for a sad, grey, wintery Sunday. As Nanny said: “there's times when it's too cold for any of that fancy vitamin stuff.”

 Morporkian art of cooking appears to be my kind of cooking: cheap, easy, and comforting. The slumpie is all of this. Not a big hit with the children, though -well it contains mushrooms and spinach after all- but we adults really, really loved it.

     Slumpie

500g minced beef - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil - 3 cloves garlic,chopped ( i added one onion too) - 100g fresh mushrooms, sliced (i used 200g) - 470ml beef stock - 470ml dark ale - 375g frozen leaf spinach (chopped spinach for me) - 1 tablespoon tomato puree - 1 heaped teaspoon rubbed sage (oups! forgot this one) - 1 heaped teaspoon English mustard - salt and pepper - 60g butter and 60g flour, mixed to a smooth paste -optional; use, if required, to thicken the sauce (i used cornstarch, don’t know how much)

Brown the mince in the oil with the garlic -and the onion if you add one. Add the mushrooms, stock and ale and bring to theboil. Add the spinach and the rest of the ingredients and bring back to the boil. Simmer for about half anhour or until the liquid has reduced by about a quarter. Serve with clooty dumplings, or with mash.

Tomorrow I’ll be baking again, Jammy Devils!