Food for Friendship... *warning: this post contains Grief*

Hello MrsB *waves*
This is my better half, sat in Carluccios Manchester. Meeting up with FRIENDS for Afternoon Tea / Late lunch / Hot Chocolate, who knows what else. I find a lump in my throat, when i say - i have barely cooked a thing for the past few weeks.
My daughter commented "we haven't seen the Greengrocer Lady for a while"... i suppose because we haven't needed any fresh food.

I feel griefstricken when i think that, all my cooking efforts (it hasn't been an 'effort' but a delight) of these early weeks in 2010, have involved my Nanna.

The Lemon Cheese.... The Marmalade.... The Lemon Drizzle Cake... The place where she sat when i cooked a Birthday Dinner for my dad.... who knew i would miss her this much?

I was making her Chicken Soup, that never made that journey. My food comforted her but i couldn't sustain her.

I think our regular BIG STOVE readers, will giggle with me when they know: the last thing my Nanna ate was my Lemon Drizzle Cake... and we had a big plate of it served served at her 'parade party' (as my daughter beautifully named the Wake)

I didn't cook for a while after her leaving me :(

And then i went to stay with my friend, who met me at her door with ribbons and cupcakes. We met with other friends for food and chatting and later we made a big curry dinner together. It sort of broke the Grief Spell.

I think i can cook again now, but i might have to leave the Lemon Drizzle Cake to one side for a little while yet xxx

Food for Living...

Don't mistake me... i love pretty things & pretty food. I love fabric Jam Tops and dainty labels with all the "use by" dates. I like a tea party and i like to use Cake Forks and silver Chutney Spoons... (i like a pretty red bowl, sshhhh) But food is about life and living and sustenance.
Like i said, my Nanna needs a bit of 'life' right now, so:
Marmalade with GIANT WRITING so she can read the label with her poor eyesight.
LEMON CHEESE also with giant writing... and i call this Lemon Curd. It is a debate we have had for some years, my Nanna and I. But she is in her 90's now and i can give in gracefully to this one. Lemon CHEESE it is.
And.... a crunchy top Lemon Drizzle cake - also Nanna's favourite.

That's the funny thing about being poorly.... when you are healthy and well (and elderly...) people are inclined to visit you less often. And as soon as you are poorly and tired and maybe ready to 'shuffle off the mortal coil'.... everybody comes a calling!

So, in true Postman Pat style "special delivery service", the delightfully smiley ChildFish and I, are off to spread cookery joy where it is currently most needed.

x x x "Here's to the many many mothers who gone before us, making pots of Lemon Cheese by the barrel load" x x x

Cauliflower Cheese....

I love the stuff. I love cauliflower in cheese sauce.
Now, we never said this blog would be filled with complicated and impressive dishes.... good, homely cooking - seasonal products - family dishes.... I bloomin' L O V E "Cauliflower Cheese". When i was pregnant i loved it that 'little bit more' (in the way only a pregnant woman can) and do you know, there was actually a National Cauliflower Shortage in a few weeks when i was pregnant - i KID you not! What are the chances? Poor ManFish driving from Supermarket to super-supermarket...!

Anyways, thank the heavens that my Mother taught me how to make a White Sauce at such an early age. A true Winter staple. If i haven't eaten it for a while, i crave it all the more.

A cauliflower, bolied quite well (i always put stock in my water when i boil it)

Covered in cheesy white sauce (with a generous dash of mustard)
Add what else you like: Sauted onions? capers? Halved baby toms? it is up to you.

I popped this in the oven for a good 40 mins whilst we got the Christmas Tree ready.

Served with a small loaf of home-baked fresh, seeded bread.

Yum!

Cheese Fondue Express... a quick kitchen Supper

Family Food / Social Food / Food for you and a friend / Food for you and a lover.... Cheese Fondue ticks every box.
I kid you not - i opened the fridge for dinner last week and there was very little in there to excite. 3 open bottles of White Wine in various degrees of 'full-ness' and varied quality.
There was a block of Cornish Brie, some hardening Edam and a bunch of celery. Even the breadrolls in the basket were only fit for toasting. Then my memory taste-buds kicked into action.... i had the makings there of a terrific CHEESE FONDUE and even a glass of good White to accompany it! happy :)

Boil up all the cheese and a good sloshing of wine (or cider) in a heavy bottomed pan and add a garlic clove for flavour.

To thicken it, i slaked some Cornflour in some wine and chucked that into the pan a few minutes before it was ready.

I can't really give quantities as i did it by sense of feel and memory, but if you've had Fondue before, you know what it is supposed to look and feel like.

I don't bother to use the real Fondue Dish but keep it in the hot pan over a couple of small candles / nightlites. Then, if it begins to go cold, you can whip it back over to the stove top for a few minutes to heat up again.

To dip??? Anything goes! we had toms, fresh from our own plant. We had stale rolls that were toasted and a few sticks of wilting celery and cucumber. JOY my friends.

A real stand by supper for us... i confess that Cheese, White Wine and Stale bread are ALL readily available in my kitchen.

I'm no Nigella, with an ever ending 'larder' but i rival her in the Kitchen Supper stakes i'm sure x

Poorly Blanket and Soup!

What to cook? When feeling achey, snotty, and unable to drag your shivering bones out from under the 'poorly' blanket, the thought of cooking is enough to send your soul to the grave early! But this is the time your body needs goodness, a little heat and nourishment, in an easy to consume bowlful.

Nigella saves the day!

Sweetcorn Chowder with Cheese Toasted Tortillas! (click the title and the Lovely Nigella will take care of directions!)

I love sweetcorn! One of my favourite veg dishes (that I serve with chilli con carne ALOT!) is sweetcorn, with a large dollop of butter and a VERY generous grinding of black pepper. I don't know why (being just a 'cook') but black pepper and sweetcorn is one of those perfect food marriages! Try it! You will love me when you eat it, I promise!
So easy just wack it all in and blend up!

If you don't have semolina or cornmeal or grainy polenta, (I got this lovely cornmeal from Sainsburys.....I make cornbread for chilli with it too, it is all round useful stuff to have in your 'tins' cupboard!) I imagine, lentils or a roughly chopped potato would be just as good, (not as Mexican but a functioning thickener just the same.....needs must when man flu hits eh?!)

Right am off to couch to 'suffer', drink tea and eat the Quality Street that Mr B 'foresaw' wouldn't last out October!

x