Wednesday 16 November 2011

What type of cheese....?

Ok, so I'm minding my own business and I get a text from the cellist. This is unexpected. We are going through the 'I'm independent' phase, she's neither old enough to vote, leave home, marry, drive to the scool bus or anything else. But we are embracing her independence. Modern parenting I think they call it.

Anyhow, cautious, I read 'can I make dinner' - any non believers, I'll take a photo if you like. No lift, no money, a heartfelt plea to make food. I am extraordinarily suspicious. Thinking the worst, I reply, firstly, what you thinking making. This has to inform the response, I love her, but to be fair, dinner is dinner. If she's thinking chocolate spread on toast, frankly, I'm not a fan. The why bit also got me puzzled.

Thankfully I was assured 'food' would be pasta, bacon, tomato, red onion and cinnamon. She's mutated a Jamie Oliver recipe using tuna (she hates tuna) and so she's substituted this for bacon. I'm rather chuffed, cooking, plus innovation that's my girl. But, to be fair this girl likes to eat. the 'why' was unanswered. Funny how we love food and love to share and cook together, we've that in common and for that I'm very thankful, many a grand chat happens over cooking. 

Over the chopping, mixing, tasting and stirring, the why became apparent. She's an exam tomorrow, she's nervous, she wanted to keep her mind off it and destress. She like me, thought nice food, company and a bit of chat would sort it. What a clever lass. I was assistant chef tonight. Watched as she fathomed scaling up the recipe (her own version), got everything going to be ready altogether. All the time consulting her 'journal', it would seem she wrote her version of it down the first time she made it.

Hats off cellist, it tasted amazing. Cinnamon and pasta sauce, I'd never have figured it. She toddler off later, quite happy.

A hearty good luck tomorrow. Independent teenagers cook,to destress, how exciting.

As for me, Mr F in Norway tonight for work (waves across to Norway). Whilst he's been awayI've been pottering about (for that read manically cleaning) inbetween being fed.

Thinking norweigan delights, I bought some Jarlsberg today. Had some for supper. Well I tried, ended up burning it so badly it was inedible. Never try cook and manically clean. Unhappy me, happy hens, they've got it's nutty wonderfulness cooking away in the slow cooker, inedible for humans.

Moral of the story. Teach your children to cook, later on when you're distracted and burn the cheese on toast, you're sure not to starve. Or cleaning is bad for Jarslberg, or what ever type of cheese consumption, is another viewpoint.

In real life I was really chuffed like me she wanted to cook and chat and take her mind off something she was nervous about. And, to be fair she's not a bad little cook either.

27 comments:

  1. If you've raised a child who can cook you a decent meal you've succeeded. Well done. Failing with cheese on toast on the other hand ......

    By the way, I meant to say a while ago that you are the only person I have ever 'met' who has read the Lillian Beckwith books. Ever! 'The Sea for Breakfast' - what a title!

    Dave

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  2. Thats brilliant! Except for burning the cheese :( I have a packet of cinnamon somewhere, and the smell is so beautiful ....

    Good vibes to her for her exam today.

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  3. Fantastic that she cooked but i hope she is better than my son..................who never washes up after cooking!!

    Hope the exam went well

    David I have read o few of Lillian Beckwith books too .......great stuff!

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  4. First things first, cleaning is just bad! Sorry about the Jarlseburg, a rather splendid cheese. I, too, am one who tends to cook when stressed or in need of distraction. I canhappily stumble around the kitchen exploring a new recipe or throwing something of my own together when nothing much else feels possible. And I love chopping - so restful - so chinese cookery is particularly appealing at times. Congrats on helping create another "cook your way out of stress" person, one who loves food and clearly knows how to explore flavours and not be hide-bound by a recipe. This is why I love Nigel Slater, I love his "recipes are there to inspire you to work out what you want to cook yourself".

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  5. Poor Jarlsberg....maybe Mr F will bring you back a nice lump of gjetost from Norway. Not sure if you can cook with it. Not sure either why you are cleaning so manically (you didn't strike me that way at all. Fay). Does Mr F do an inspection when he returns?
    Good for the cellist. Being able to cook is a very important life skill. I'm so glad I don't have to do exams anymore...

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  6. Dave a great book, very inspiring.....probably why I ended up on an island.......failing on cheese and toast, um, I can cook when engrossed in the task. I can't really do instant food, I get bored, go off and do something else. I mean I can cook a pizza from scratch, but heating up a ready made one, often ends in charring. I'm not engaged in that type of cooking, therefore I wander off!

    They don't let me loose with ready made instant food here recipe for disaster.....

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  7. ah..cooking as a destresser, yep another one here. Lovely that your daughter feels that time spent with you (be it cooking or anything else) helps to calm her down. I too am another one who can cook the most complicated things from scratch, think nothing of preparing a meal for dozens of people but when it comes to cooking for myself I often burn the rice, forget the toast and set the smoke alarm off, forget to switch the oven on and come back 20 minutes later to unbaked pie. Distractions are a mighty thing.

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  8. Wonderful, well trained or climatized cellist. I always thought - with an ex-cellist wife - they were only interested in the wine! Or a decent Malt - Highland Park has long been a favourite. Love Janet's suggestion re Gjetost but don't think it will work very well- if at all - on toast, save as a spready thing, assuming it to be the same as the Swedish variety, which can be pretty moreish and scrummy!

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  9. My mum burnt a salad once. Hand on heart.

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  10. A heart warming post. Things like this encourage me to keep on going with my little ones in the kitchen.

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  11. Hurrah for the cooking cellist!

    Another Lilian Beckwith fan here.

    Oh, and Leerdammer is better than Jarlsberg. ;-)

    xx

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  12. Robyn - all cheese is yummy (well most cheese) and definitely better than any chocolate or cake in my mind, but I'm not getting into a leerdammer/jarlsberg debate!!!!! I love both of them - each have a gorgeous quality.

    Lillan Beckworth rocks and hurrah indeed for cooking cellists.

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  13. Jenni - Its worth keeping going and encouraging children to participate from an early age, and to be fair if they've always helped they won't see this as potentially slave labour! Keep up the great work!

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  14. Cheri - your post made me smile - how very true a lot of that is for us! I'm really rubbish at 'fast' food at home.

    Although I love sushi, a fast food I can do, if I prepare it well in advance its very fast!

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  15. Janet I concur with cleaning being bad for you, clearly bad for Jarlsberg cheese and bad for the environment. We tend to think of ourselves as 'eco-clarts'. However, when pressed and its required - we do occasionally throw caution to the wind and clean.

    My new job started yesterday - the hand over lassie was coming here to work with me at home - hence the cleaning.

    If there's money involved I'll clean.

    I don't really know much Nigel slater - I'll have to look, alot of chums who do cook have him on their shelves - with no TV here - we don't get much 'cooking' interaction through that means and I've seen him once I think.

    I love a potter but am very jealous of your 'bread' making capabilities.

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  16. squirrel - we have a rule here - leave the kitchen as you find it - thankfully she started in there when it was quite tidy!

    Exam seemed to go OK - she's still in a panic, and thinks it went terribly - which always happens but she's a worker so hopefully she's done OK.

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  17. Jan and David I know burning cheese, dearie me. I'll get my apron taken away from me!

    Think it went well. David, I'm ashamed but its pretty fair that I can't cook anything instant - I'm not engaged with it - therefore I get bored.

    I can get a prize for burning instant pizza, sad but true - easier to actually make one.

    And anyway if I don't get a decent meal or eat something rubbish I feel utterly robbed for the rest of the day!

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  18. Tony - oh dear! If it was instant salad I'd probably be the same!

    Yeractual - I don't think they introduce wine or a decent malt like Highland Park to cellists until at least grade 8 so (she's only grade 6) so I think we're OK the now - she's a chocolate spread fiend, far more of a problem at the moment.

    I've told Mr F to get me a bit of Gjetost on your and Janet recommendation. :) thank you!

    Janet - like I've said to 'tother Janet - I'm not fond of cleaning, but needs must. And, to be fair you've all guessed right - I'm not much of a manical cleaner - and if Mr F came home inspecting - he's get the Gjetost hurled at him and his case put on a ferry. Or I might just torture one of his guitars!

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  19. Hello from Norway. ill see what i can do regards the cheer. and don't sell yourself short on the clean tidy stuff . you are very very tidy but also comfortable and homely. see you soon wee one.

    Mr f.

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  20. Regards the cheese even!

    Mr f.

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  21. Brilliant. Several Lillian Beckwith fans here. I'm so pleased. I really thought she was a forgotten author - glad that I was wrong. I loved her books and must dig out my copies - I last read them well over twenty years ago. I always dreamed of living on a Scottish Island too, Fay ... only you went ahead and actually achieved it. I did want to buy Taransay the other month but was short of loose change.

    Dave

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  22. That is a lovely blog post! You must be so proud :D

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  23. Oh what a shame Jarlsberg is a really tasty cheese. Well all cheese is good except the blue stuff ... shouldn't have said that don't want to get into that debate. It's great that your daughter wants to cook. When I went to uni I couldn't cook a thing. I'm unfortunately a child of the seventies, that great food decade, and parents that see cooking as a chore. Fortunately I discovered some great recipe books and love cooking.

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  24. Mr F has the cheese, yippee - thank you for the suggestions chaps hes brought home both types. Yum yum yum, I get very excited about cheese.

    Taransay Dave, now that would be a bit more than small change, a cheque book surely! I must dig my own copies of LB out too - maybe we'll introduce her brillance to the nations, the sea for breakfast indeed. Islands are very windy and cold, but otherwise, true to Ms Beckworths delightful tales. Colonsay was very much like she described her tales. Here, on the main island, not so much in some ways and in others life and the island attitudes are not that different. More laid back, human and slow.

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  25. Vix I am a very proud cellist guardian! I had the leftovers for lunch today - they were splendid - that girl can cook.

    Wellywoman, I'm kinda with you on the blue stuff - except I've tried a few I do like and you have to eat them at the right temperature etc otherwise they are vile. I can't remember when I started to cook, I do remember attempting a whole dinner with soup, then a roast, then pudding when I was about 13, mostly OK but I burnt the home made soup and felt like it was the end of the world.

    I learnt to cook properly at uni, doing a kitchen job in a pub, then cooking. Then I cooked in other places, you're never out of work if you can cook a bit, even a little bit.

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  26. Hi Fay - late to this. Just to say if your children like eating, they will turn into cooks. It helps if they acquire boyfriends/girlfriends who also like good food...

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  27. Indeed Kininvie - I can't imagine having much to say to someone who doesn't 'like' good food. Although, each to their own I guess. Mr F and I very much enjoy good food - one of the few things we actually agree on. (Except vinegar, which is vile on chips)

    I'll put it on the interview list for any potential child 'partner' candidates, (a love of food, not only vinegar) which will be a while away - I think the current legal consenting dating age is over 30 isnt' it? (well so I tell my daughter)

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