Good Eating

Lately I’ve been seeing signs that my love of cooking is coming back and I’m very happy about that. It’s been pretty much gone in the last year (while re-co-operating).

I particularly enjoy trying new recipes so today I make Scotch eggs.
I was always told that British food is bland and not good but I’ve found some great things to make. Terry is addicted to sausage rolls…easy with pre-made puff pastry and a great meal I got from an article about Boxing Day food…in a magazine, while under a hair dryer in a salon….yes, I stole it….straight from the magazine and it was a huge hit on Christmas Eve. It would great if I could remember all that was included. I know part was Bangers and mash. We also had English bacon and something I can’t remember that was baked with bread, currents, milk and cinnamon. Had to order the meat from an online site but lordy, it was worth it.

We are avid watchers of some cooking shows like Top Chef, Master Chef. Terry still like Hell’s Kitchen, which drives me batty. It just seems too scripted for me anymore…..surely, these new contestants will catch on the that Gordon Ramsey will want them to cook scallops, risotto and Beef Wellington sometime during the season.
And they still come onto the show, not being able to cook them! Instead of taking courses on how to constantly insert the F-bomb into each and every sentence, they should have studied these 3 recipes.

Terry has become a fine sous-chef and an even better, dish washer, which he actually likes to do, lucky me. But he’s really improving and really enjoys it. Unfortunately, not to the degree of entirely taking over the feeding of the two of us but still a lot of help. Which is fine with me.

The other day, I made him his belated Father’s Day gift, which he also requests on his birthday, Braised Short Ribs with mashed potatoes. The recipe is straight from the Joy of Cooking. I’ve seen others but why mess with what he completely loves?

Today I made Scotch eggs like the ones in England. They sounded great and really different. Terry and my daughter loved, loved, loved them….she actually left with a few to take home…good thing I doubled the recipe…well, actually, I just know her ways very well. Along with those, cucumber salad and the fresh rolls walked out of the house with her and The Most Beautiful Grandson.
I complain but secretly I’m totally flattered.

Yesterday, at the market, I got to talking to this small, frail but very spunky elderly woman ( a nice perk was that she was shorter than me and that rarely happens) We were both needing fresh rolls so ended up helping each other get what we needed. She had a hand basket with few items in it, saying she had only come for the rolls but ended up with a lot more.

In her basket was a package of smoked pork neck bones. I have used them in various things, mostly for flavor but wanted to know what she was using them for. So she told me about making a pot of the neck bones, fresh green beans and baby red potatoes, cooking them until the meat falls off the bones. And all the while, her eyes were sparkling like she couldn’t wait to get home and put that pot on the stove.

I found it so interesting that I left the store with neck bones, green beans and baby red potatoes, with a salivating husband in tow (after being told what I was going to make). I imagine from the ingredients that it is a southern dish because I had never heard of it.
I checked out a few recipes online and think I’ll take a little from one, something else from another and adapt it to a crock pot.
I hope we like it because I just really love the story of how this food came to be in our house. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that sweet little old lady.