Although I like variety I dislike and cannot see the point of complicated foods. Why spend all that time, effort and money on something that passes so quickly? Whilst it is good to eat healthily I cannot help thinking the media has taken this to ridiculous extremes, and in spite of this the food most people eat in the West is less nourishing than good home grown produce.
So you will find nothing expensive, hard to source, complicated or pretentious on this page. Naturally I am describing foods that I like...
CHEESE
Generally I love cheese, and I like to try new types. But I always come back to a good, nutty, crumbly, sharp, crunchy, sweet, mature cheddar. Cheddar is good cooked. Take some ready boiled potatoes - not floury - and slice. Fry till golden brown. Arrange in a pile on a plate and grate cheddar cheese liberally all over. Grill till cheese is golden brown. Enjoy. Serves one.
CEREALS
It is hard to been Kelloggs corn flakes, even though my grandmother would say there was more nourishment in the box than the contents (I never saw her eating the box). They must be Kelloggs, I have found no other brand that compares.
FISH PIE
I am very conservative here. I like white fish such as cod and haddock, the fresher the better. Avoid things that are too oily or smell too fishy or leave an aftertaste of "sea". My mother's fish pie was legendary but simple. I have no idea of the quantities but you cook some white fish in milk until tender (15 min?). Set the fish to cool and use the liquid to make a white sauce (equal quantities of wheat flour and butter to make roux, heat for one minute but do not burn, take off heat, add liquid slowly stirring all the time, resume heat and keep s tiring until just boiling) and add a little cheese. Cook potatoes (30 min?) and mash. In an oven-proof dish make layers of fish and sauce, then mash (one or two of each layer). Finally grate lots of cheese on top and cook in the oven until golden brown. Optionally place sliced tomatoes under the cheese topping. Serve with petit pois and have tomato ketchup (must be Heinz) on the table and bread and butter on the side.
OMELETTE
Whilst I am nervous of raw eggs (or meat), it is true that the key to a good omelette is to not overcook it - the inside should be runny. The same applies to Spanish Omelette which to my mind is not omelette at all but can be good if properly cooked - it must be moist inside. A regular omelette is a nutritious meal and is quite the most sensible and best way of cooking eggs. Cheese or mushrooms make the best filling. If you want an egg at its worst try hard boiling it. After battling with removing the shell you then have to face the smell and the taste of the shell. These can be made less objectionable by the addition of mayo, that's if you like mayo...
STEAK
I generally avoid it because too often it is tough or it has a strong "cow" taste. Doubtless at this point I will loose most of my followers, but this blog is not about trying to please you all, but about reality.
BACON
should be smoked.
PASTA
For meals where small bits of pasta are mixed with other ingredients the best shape is shells (conchiglie). I don't know why they bother with other shapes.
BREAD
You cannot beat home made bread. Generally I like bread to taste of bread, although some other flavours can enhance it but please only for a special occasion, like parmesan cheese or chilli flakes.
CHOCOLATE
Generally I like chocolate to taste of chocolate. Chocolate is different from cocoa - chocolate has other things in it, for example sugar, and milk chocolate obviously has milk (or cream). I find 70% and higher "dark chocolate" rather too bitter. Whilst Green and Black is very good, I personally like Cadbury's but it MUST be made in Ireland. Irish Cadbury's is far superior to UK Cadbury's which in turn is superior to the stuff you get in America.
ICE CREAM
Generally I like ice cream to taste of ice cream, by which I mean vanilla flavoured ice cream. It should be made with milk and cream (as opposed to hydrogenated and emulsified fats of unknown origin). Any extra flavouring should complement rather than kill the vanilla. Toffee, caramel and fudge works really well. Chocolate is good but only if GOOD chocolate. Fruit can work. Nuts do not.
MILK
Like many foods, try not to think of where it comes from. Make sure it is fresh and comes from a reliable source. I have had bad experiences of milk that comes straight from the cow, not that it cannot be good of course. "Tinned milk" aka evaporated milk was popularised in war time Britain and yet I like the taste. A little tinned milk to supplement fresh milk on the morning cereal is good. Dissolve good quality dark chocolate in warmed tinned milk to make the very best chocolate sauce.
BLACKCURRANTS
Possibly the king of all fruit. The experience of biting into a fresh, large, ripe blackcurrant is hard to beat. Do not overcook and do not over sweeten blackcurrants for pie or crumble. Blackcurrant jam is exceeded possibly only by strawberry jam and plum jam. Many people say they do not like blackcurrants and yet they love Ribena, but then I know people who hate liver and love pâté. And people who fix their coffee in a painstakingly reverent way and then adulterate it with sugar.
INSTANT WHIP
I once had a friend who drank Bird's custard by the pint. Bird's custard is one of those anomalies of life: generally the real thing is better, but with custard the instant type beats the original egg stuff hands down. Much as I like custard, Instant Whip (especially butterscotch flavour) surpasses and obviates it. I cannot think of any time where a suitable Instant Whip flavour would not surpass custard. For those youngsters among my unknown readers, Instant Whip is NOT the same but was cheaper than and better than Angel Delight. You can still buy Angel Delight but regrettably not Instant Whip.
