I may not be a qualified food curator, but I loved it when young Nigel said, "No matter how bag things get, its impossible not to love someone who made you toast. Once you have been through that crusty surface to the softness underneath, and tasted the warm salty butter, you are lost forever". If you have read my post in the past, you may notice why this line caught my fancy! There is nothing like a good bread to comfort your soul.
I was surprised by how similar Nigel's life is to mine.....my mum when diagnosed with cancer had told me, "Wait till I get better..I make you the most delicious mutton stew!". I never liked mutton you see, when mum made it, the whole world seemed to fall in its place. Unfortunately, she never got better!
There is something about mum's cooking; her love, her touch, her smile all goes into the dish and you realize, your life is worth living for! Just like Nigel, I am stuck with my cook but unlike Mrs. Potter she is terrible at cooking. Imagine coming home tired after a long day and you are presented with a potato goulash that looks and taste like puke! Even French fries are burnt till the potato can take no longer, leaving behind a bent tasteless blackened stick, which you must devour, else your dad's feelings are hurt.
My mum was never fond of cooking, but she made brilliant dishes, when she decided to do it! My good memories with food are with my partner! His passion for cooking is like sex in the kitchen! On our many dates, he made me vanilla ice-cream without an ice-cream maker and swept me off my feet with an endless array of soft vanilla love! The day doesn't get any better when your love, cooks the very thing you love to eat!
Nigel Slater you stole my heart!