The Blessing of a Failed Recipe

Clearly NOT my cake this week.

I came across a recipe this week that looked intriguing – it was a gluten-free cake made with some different ingredients (yogurt, apples, squash) with a write-up that promised it was a never-fail recipe. So – checking that I had all the requisite ingredients in my pantry, I tried it!

It failed.

Not miserably, but the recipe was definitely not a success. The texture was off, the rise was inconsistent, the centre of the cake was gooey while the outside was getting crispy, the flavour didn’t quite seem right, and so on.

And while I try to avoid food waste, this cake didn’t seem salvageable. I knew I would not enjoy it - and so it went right into the compost bin.

What a luxury this whole process was.

I have a level of food security that I could attempt an ‘extra’ food like cake, that wasn’t basic for sustenance. I could even toss out a recipe that didn’t work – without going hungry.

I have a pantry where there are ingredients just waiting – some have been there a year or more – and I could use them without concern about the following week’s nourishment. I have the financial resources to buy in bulk, or when they are on sale, and store them just in case they may be wanted.

I have the resources to have gluten-free flours, which are pricey, just sitting in my pantry. I have in my yard a garden plot, where food can grow – and I have the time and energy to grow it as a hobby, not a need.

So while I am frugal, and I am aware of my aversion to food waste, I am also aware of my privilege to cook and eat as I do. I am blessed to be able to support food distribution and food aid systems locally. I realise I am more aware of food security and food sovereignty issues than many.

So I counted my blessings as I disposed of that failed cake. For what a gift that cake was.