It’s been a gentle week, softened by having only four days to grind through and made bearable because I’ve started to have more compassion for myself. What has this looked like? Well, no longer getting up at silly o’clock. I’ve allowed myself the luxury of sleeping until after 6 a.m. It makes such a difference. I actually feel rested, like there’s an actual reason for me to go to bed!

I decided that even if I left home later, I would just sit in traffic, listen to podcasts, and what would be, would be. It turns out the M25 and M1 were merciful this week, and I managed to get into work in less than two hours on both trips. I was well pleased!

I’ve also tried to be more disciplined with my time and priorities around work. Recent health issues have reinforced what I already knew: that work is not the be-all and end-all, and that I should put myself first. I won’t be remembered by my employer, however hard I work. So I worked the hours that I am actually paid for, to the extent that I set a timer to go off when my time is up, just to remind me to stop.

Honestly, some days I still continued for 30 minutes more (I guess I can’t change overnight), but I have definitely given myself more time in the evenings to decompress than I was doing before. It has made a difference. I do feel a little foolish to a certain extent — this isn’t a new discovery, like the Nile, it was always there.

And then came the weekend. For me, it’s a no-brainer to return to my love of French toast. This time, however, I feel I took it to the next level. Oh. My. Goodness…

Just in passing last week, while planning a feast with my friend, I noticed a recipe for French toast in Sabrina Ghayour’s book Sirocco. It’s meant to be a twist on Nigella Lawson’s doughnut French toast. In Sabrina’s version, the combination of orange zest and ground cardamom just seemed too good to pass by. So I didn’t. And I have no regrets. None.

This was delicious. The lovely zinginess of the orange zest, the contrast with the cardamom, and the familiar comfort of eggy brioche fried to a golden crisp on the outside with a soft, cushiony centre — it was heavenly. I made three slices… and I ate them all.

I highly recommend you try this, it’s wonderful.

Ingredients

Serves 2

100g caster sugar

seeds from 4 green cardamom pods, ground using a pestle and mortar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

zest of unwaxed orange

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or use vanilla extract)

4 slice of brioche, each 2.5 cm thick

50 g butter

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

Combine the sugar and cardamom powder in a bowl until evenly blended. Pour the mixture onto a flat plate and smooth it out.

Put the eggs, milk, orange zest and vanilla paste in a bowl and beat until evenly combined.

Pour into a shallow dish with a flat base and soak 2 slices of brioche in the mixture for about 45 seconds before flipping them over and soaking for another 45 seconds.

Meanwhile, melt half the butter in the warm pan. Fry the 2 soaked slices of brioche for 2 minutes on each side until puffed up (which indicates that the egg is cooked) and golden brown.

Immediately place the cooked brioche slices in the cardamom sugar, coating it well on both sides, then transfer to a plate.

Repeat with the remaining 2 slices of brioche.

Serve immediately.

Sirocco, Sabrina Ghayour, page 35