, I was thinking about you today. Not that that is a rare occurence, of course – I quite often wonder how everyone is doing, or wish that I could have you here to show you something. Today, though, I was thinking about cooking.
I can hear getting all snarky right now. Yes, he does most of the cooking, just because he prefers his own food without all of the herbs and spices. Sorry, he prefers “cooking that lets the natural flavour of the food come through”. I can cook – I just like to cook the type of food that I like, and he won’t eat it.
Today, however, I am taking a break from coding and am working on an article for the site about British comfort food. (Lacking a proper copywriter, I do a lot of writing for the site when I have time.) And googling for different things led to Nigella, which made me think of you. I don’t know if they’ve ever shown any of the Nigella programmes on BBC America, but if they ever do, you need to watch – I love her. She’s a normal-sized, beautiful woman with curves, who likes food and likes to actually eat. Not one of these people that, upon cooking a scrumptious dish, would say something like “of course, personally I don’t eat this way – too much fat in this dish. I subsist on herb salads, nonfat sheep’s cheese from a village high in the Alps, and tiny baby vegetables carved by sculptors from Swarovski.” No, Nigella is very sexy when she cooks, she licks her fingers and sensually, slowly licks cake batter from spoons. She’ll prepare a dish of cheese fritters and sit down alone, with a glass of wine, obviously planning to consume the lot.
It’s a lot like watching you cook. I have very fond memories of your house…friends gathering, wine being poured, good conversation and you in the kitchen overseeing it all, drinking, laughing, talking, while incredible food just kind of assembles itself and floats out to the table. I would be so stressed cooking for dinner parties or trying exotic new dishes, I wouldn’t be laughing and talking. You are amazing.
Just wanted to let you know.
You’d like Jamie Oliver, too – he’s adorable. And, on the subject of BBC America (but not related to cooking), I see that Little Britain has been on – have you been watching? Omigod, what did you think? I love Little Britain.
Now, back to full English breakfasts, bacon buttys and hot pork baps, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie, treacle pudding with hot custard, and other comfort foods. Any other suggestions for favourite comfort foods?
Comfort food. Mashed potatoes with loads of butter, stew and dumplings, toad in the hole or a full sunday roast. I also adore liver and onions but I know just as many people who hate it.
Nigella even gets mentioned on some US drama programmes so I guess at least one channel is showing her flowing locks and mouth and …
CHOCOLATE!!!!!
Wouldn’t you just do Nigella whenever, wherever?
Yes. Definitely. Sexy and smart and fun…what could be better? And, the cooking would be a big bonus. :)
Oh, yes. I have to say, though…Cadburys is the best. Cadbury Dairy Milk, or Green & Blacks Organic very dark chocolate. Yum.
Mmmn, yes, potatoes are always good. Stew and dumplings is a good one, too…I think most comfort foods (aside from things like chocolate) tend to be filling, cold weather type foods.
I hate the way liver smells…but I love Jewish deli-style chopped liver.
It’s just the perfect combination, isn’t it? Food should be sexy.
The antithesis of that, I suppose, would be Two Fat Ladies. The heavy makeup and hands kneading things with jewellery on and long red nails always freaked me out. I don’t know if the one ever actually smoked while cooking, you just sort of pictured her with a fag hanging off her lip, long ash trembling over the mixing bowl. Gahhh. The motorcycle and sidecar arrivals were pretty cool, though.
hands kneading things with jewellery on and long red nails always freaked me out
Me too, me too!!!
Ewww!
Ice cream, chocolate, rice pudding, crumble and custard, toast, tea & biscuits, and fresh bread.
There was a top 10 series that had a different topic every week. I’m sure it was done by the bbc (maybe). You may want to check and see what their top ten list was.
I found a great article on them, and they mention the smoking, red nails and rings!
Good, thanks! :)
…and soup!
probably, although the fact that she is named after her father is somewhat worrying …
I’m so torn between laughing and crying right now. Seriously, you’re makin’ me get all misty here.
Crying for the wonderfully kind things you said… and because I miss you, and I miss those days. I have such amazing memories of you, and us; good food, good wine, more than a fair amount of laughter, and even a few bitter-sweet tears.
Laughing because I think you give me way too much credit in the kitchen (though it never fails to make me feel incredible that you appreciate my cooking so much). Laughing because I can remember you stressing out over cooking for your housewarming party, and cooking for me. As if I wasn’t already all awe-struck anyway ;).
You’re a pretty amazing cook yourself, my dear – it’s just too bad you aren’t able to relax enough to enjoy it! I think the key for me is truly enjoying the whole process. It’s the adventure of it. And really being okay with the fact that it isn’t always going to be amazing and fabulous – sometimes it’ll just be “okay” and once in a great while it’ll be awful and it’ll end up straight in the trash and we’ll be ordering pizza.
As to Nigella, it was your description of her and her cooking in an old post that made me want to find out about her. In a sentence – she makes my mouth water. And I’m obviously not just talking about the food ;).
As to Jamie Oliver, and Little Britain, I’ll have to check them out, too.
I miss you, Beautiful. All the time. And I think I’ll always be a bit awestruck by the thought of you.
Dark chocolate is my fav–I find milk chocolate (no matter what maker) to be rather bland. We carry an organic 73% dark chocolate at Trader Joe’s (where I work) that is fantastic! We also carry one that’s 85% dark–but that one is just a little TOO bitter for me.
That Green & Black’s sounds intriguing–I’d like to compare it with ours… maybe this winter we can arrange a trade? Once it’s cool enough to mail without melting, LOL.
Sure – that would be fun! Actually, the two things I miss most are beef jerky, and roasted/salted sunflower seeds. Mmmnnn….beef jerky. *drool*
Too much credit? This is the person who cooked a full Japanese meal, served with the appropriate dishes and chopsticks, seated around a low table. That was awesome.
I do miss you, a lot. :(
And, I don’t think you’ve ever cooked something that the dog refused to eat! lol…I’ve done that.
Plain or Teriyaki? (Beef Jerky) I can get that and the r/s sunflower seeds at work for ya. :) Remind me when it cools off enough to do this “trade”. We have Turkey Jerky in plain and Teriyaki as well.
I’ll second this one! Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich….mmmm