I'm an OK cook. I can cook solid wholesome meals and I think I'm quite good at knowing what will work together and what won't. I'm not going to knock your socks off at a dinner party, but I can serve up tasty, healthy meals most nights of the week. It makes me feel good to know that my family are getting something that's going to feed their bodies and satisfy their tastebuds. I even have certain meals for each night of the week – Monday needs to be light to make up for the sins of the weekend, but super tasty to make up for the drudgery Monday brings, etc. I wasn't always this way, but it's like exercise, once you get into a routine you can't imagine not cooking something good for dinner every night of the week.
I also love eating out, shopping at farmer's markets or discovering fabulous food outlets. I like to ensure that we're eating the best quality produce and try not to use packets, sachets, etc. I've discovered that most of the time it's easier and cheaper just to make it from scratch, minus all the salt and numbers.
Despite the fact that we love to cook, my kids ask most days if we 'can eat at the estraunt' tonight?'. While we were away recently, we went to the local club for dinner and my little foodies asked for avocado sushi rolls and Shanghai-style dumplings. They were happy to make do with fish and chips.
I have to agree with the girls, cause I love nothing better than eating out. It doesn't have to be fine dining, just good food, cooked well. Eating with family and friends is what life is all about. Whatever your background, whoever you are, you can always bond over food.
All this thought of food started as yesterday I was feeling a little weary. I had a beef Pho (Vietnamese beef rice noodle soup). A Pho is about as perfect a meal as you can get – it's fragrant, warming and soothing. It's medicinal to my body and soul, I always feel so much better after having one.
What's your relationship with food? Is it just something that fills a hole or something that fills you with joy?
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It probably wont surprise you to see that I am the first to respond...as that answers the question "what is my relationship to food". Let me give tonight as an example. I made kushari, which is a wonderful dish that Miles and I ate in Egypt almost every night. It is the Egyptian version of pasta napoletana...but has green puy lentils, rice and macaroni and a fantastic spice mix called Baharat. Miles was talking about his day etc and I kept zoning out because I was thinking about the kushari. I am having trouble writing this comment for the same reason! (and also that I am half following the Q&A twitter feed). xx
ReplyDeleteI'm very similar to you on this one. And, I completely agree with you about Monday! Light but still needs to be at least interesting or flavorful or else we'll all just get home from work and lay around feeling sorry for ourselves, you know?
ReplyDeleteI would love to get your recipe for that Pho.
ReplyDeleteI love food. LOVE. So much so that I used to work full time in a commercial kitchen. 2 kids later, I love any food I've not had to make myself.
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