Friday, March 29, 2013

Cooking with the British Bint

Aaah! We thought it was spring but then on Monday opened our curtains to see this:





Very beautiful to be sure.The kids strapped themselves into their snowpants and spent the day shrieking with excitement that there was no school. And then sledded all day while I kept busy in the kitchen.


The rest of the week was grimly cold so I stocked up on carbs. I am obsessed with food but I get a bit sick of these self  confessed foodies who will only use the highest quality goat's cheese where the goat was organically milked or who won't use a common or garden rotisserie chicken unless it has lived a healthy life in a close community of other chickens. That's fine for some people who are loaded I guess, like Gwyneth Paltrow who has her kids on a carb free diet (that puts a new meaning to the term deprived childhood doesn't it?)

No, I reckon the real skill is finding a bunch of wrinkled old vegetables, some past their sell by date herbs, and a few odds and sods in the back of one's cupboard and then bunging them together to create a delicious okay edible meal. Are you with me?

So that's what I did. I made some pizza dough. I slopped some barbecue sauce on it. I put some bits of roast chicken on.

It's not rocket science.

But it is delicious. 

Barbecue Chicken Pizza - it's really hard to make (not)





Don't get me wrong. I am a total food voyeur. I love to peruse pretentious foodie markets and nibble on bits of organic Camembert and inhale the scent of freshly made chocolates. But I'm not going to shell out for it, because I'm not daft.

On a recent trip to New York I realized most of my photos were about food. 

Trip to Food Paradise aka Chelsea Kitchen:












Is that Gwyneth Paltrow? No it's me!







Heaven on earth (Dim sum in Flushing):



Oh yes I did - asked for a fork in a dim sum restaurant


Live fish at a supermarket in Flushing



Where was I?

Anyway the week ended on a high note. Today has sunshine flooding down on us and even the guinea pigs are romping free in the grass.



So tell me this: are you a foodie or just a culinary genius like moi who can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear? Isn't it just pretentious to always have to have to source the wierdest, most obscure ingredients to put in your stew? Yes I mean you Fearnley-Whittingstall and your placenta stew.

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27 comments:

Ms Scarlet said...

When I saw the first picture I wondered if you'd moved back to Britain... then I saw the last pic, with you in a T shirt, which confirmed that you are still in the US!
This a food post isn't it?
Sx

Ms Scarlet said...

*this is
Sorry, mobile blogging makes for more typos.
Sx

MommyHeadache said...

Scarlet Blue...Well it sort of is a food post but I think I am probably more of a lush than a foodie but I don't have much time for those wine critics either. I don't care if it has an undertow of chocolate and a hint of raspberry is it drinkable and under $12?

Metropolitan Mum said...

"deprived childhood" hahaha.
If you are looking for veg beyond the sell by date, look no further. Fridge drawer on the bottom left side...

The Unbearable Banishment said...

It's a good thing we blew a big hole in the ozone layer, otherwise we wouldn't have this interesting weather.

Fine food is completely wasted on me. I have no appreciation for it at all. Terrible that I've been in NYC for so long, home to some of the best restaurants on the planet (I hear) but have never taken advantage. I'm just a burger lug. That's all I've ever been.

MommyHeadache said...

The Unbearable Banishment....kudos to you! Nine times out of ten when I go to a pricey restaurant I am disapointed. And you can't relax in posh restaurants either. Give me a good burger in a diner any day of the week.

Turnips 2 Tangerines said...

Stopping by from the Hop~ Have a great weekend~Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines

Stephanie said...

Hello, I found your blog on a blog hop, I'm following you GFC on your blog. Would love for you to visit my blog. What a great blog you have.

Stephanie

http://crazylittlelovebirds.blogspot.com

Elizabeth said...

What a great post. Spring needs to get here....it is cold here too.

I am stopping by from the Book Blogger Hop and glad I did. Love your photos and narration.

NEW FOLLOWER.

Happy Hopping!!

Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Blog Hop Answer

Unknown said...

Enjoyed reading~~~ smiling the whole time! btw I am a practical foodie! I don't buy organic. too expensive I don't experience snow here but glad you got sunshine by the end if the week!
Thanks for visiting my blog and coming to the Blog Hop!

mail4rosey said...

I enjoy good food, but I'm not the world's greatest cook, sad but true, so we enjoy it mostly while we're out to eat and use it (food) as a source of survival when we're home. ;)

I'm visiting today from Fun Friday. :)

Expat mum said...

I am the anti-foodie. In fact, if you could give me pills or pellets that would a)fill me up, and b) give me the correct nutrition every day, I swear I would throw out all my plates!

Gorilla Bananas said...

It went from snowy landscape to sunlit meadows in 5 days? The weather is going crazy, I tell you.

Anonymous said...

Ha!ha! Emma you are too funny all the time! I have some pics to email you, but only 3!
I shudder at CARB FREE diet! What is wrong with people??? As an Italian if I didn't eat carbs, what would I eat?? I hate recipes that call for some expensive obscure ingredient that isn't really necessary. Ugh, how pretentious!

2justByou said...

BBQ Chicken pizza sounds yummy.
I'm finally here following back from Meet & Greet last weekend. Sorry it took me so long!
~Kim
www.2justByou.com
And Meet & Greet is at it again, if you haven't already joined us.

Anonymous said...

Ah, I wish we had spice markets over here rather than all that over-priced bottled stuff I have to get from the supermarket... :(

Honest Mum said...

Looks so much fun and doesn't snow make everything so beautiful. I bet your girly holidays are hysterical!

MommyHeadache said...

Expat-Mum.....wow that blows my mind that you could live on pellets. I think I could live on Nutella. Well maybe Nutella crepes.....you are anti-food I am more anti-foodie because while I can appreciate pretentious food I prefer to just use basic ingredients and create my own magic!

happy momma said...

Thanks for the laugh today! I am one of those throw what I have in the pot kind of people. I went to chef school, and it was fun. I learned alot during the fundamentals of cooking part, But when it came to the playing with your food fancy part; I would much rather eat it than play with it. I like to know what I am eating.

The funny thing is I see these chefs making all these fancy things for the customers and they themselves are in the back creating things like your bbq pizza for themselves.

I write at www.lifelesshurried.com all about living a slow life and avoiding the craziness that swirls all around us.

Unknown said...

If it was a choice between eating a placenta or a supermarket burger I would devour the former with relish. See what I did with my words there? Och well, the placenta is usually powdered and taken in capsule form. Full of iron and good for the blood. Mind you, I can never eat more than two at any one sitting. Not with fries anyhoo.

reesa said...

I'd say I am a culinary genius LOL. When I met my husband, I couldn't even make spaghetti. Thankfully, A LOT has changed in 8 yrs. :)

Kate Lord Brown said...

Foodie, for sure - but like you I don't buy into the whole 'knit your own gluten free noodles' schtick. Sure there's a cookbook in this for you: Lush Food? Nigella should be scared x

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

I enjoy both -- seeing how great a meal I can come up with when the cupboard is nearly bare *and* hunting down obscure ingredients. And I love a good sense of humour, so you can be sure I'll be visiting your blog again soon!

Unknown said...

What fun pictures!
I'm stopping by and following along via the linkin' with my ladies hop. ;)
Maria
www.thislifesbeautifulmoments.com

Tinuke B said...

hmm I'm a food enthusiast but too broke to be a decent 'foodie'. I love going to local markets and buying fresh produce, especially if it's on offer!
Food that kids can help make is always a bonus or things that go in one pot and save on the washing up!

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