This week's contest got me on food: I write about it often. I cook every day. Sometimes a lot. However, I was also a tad confused:
Contest :
Comfort Food
This I can do. Then I read:
Criteria :
......2. .....You can talk about its ingredients, why it's your staple.....
My challenge is that, technically, a key staple food in Africa, is maize (or sorghum before the maize arrived) and in the home where I grew up, the staple was potato. I eat the former as porridge in the winter. However, three years ago, not liking the lump I had become, I cut as many carbs as possible. So although The Husband's diet includes the staple spud, mine doesn't.
Anyhow, I thought I'd rather share a bit about what my staple comfort foods. In other words what is it that I want and choose to eat when either nothing else will do, or the cupboard is bare (almost). Mine is a house that is never without eggs -I looooove eggs - or tomatoes. As a little girl, one of my fondest memories is an agricultural show where my Dad judged the flower arrangements and fresh vegetables. At the end of the show, the exhibits were auctioned off. Including the prize, large eggs. Darling Dad, at my behest, would finess it so that I would get the prize hen's egg. It was always a double-yolker and it was all mine. He, of course, had to fork out whatever exhorbitant amount I had bid... And I love duck eggs, too, and when a villager had duck eggs on offer, I was first in line.
Blue duck eggs? Well, The Husband knows I'll hock the house!
That said, if I am feeling poorly (which happens infrequently because I'm revoltingly healthy), my go-to meal for breakfast lunch and supper (after tomato soup) is scrambled eggs. They must be light and creamy - just like my mother made them. None of this watery, hard stuff. As a wee girl, I loved sitting on my Dad's knee, eathing his scrambled eggs, sprinkled with a good grinding of black pepper, which he fed me off his fork. If I'm wanting to treat The Husband and myself, it's the go-to breakfast.
Scrambled egg with, of course, my other go-to comfort ingredient: tomato
Our mutual fondness of tomatoes is part of why we grow our own, and when tomatoes are scarce, I do resort to tins. The larder never has less than two tins of tomatoes. As a small child, young adult and even now, tomato soup - good tomato soup - is chicken soup. That includes a good tinned tomato soup. When I fell ill with the worst dose of flu of my adult life, when I was in my 20's and living alone, I literally survived on tinned tomato soup. It was all I had the energy (let alone inclination) to do or eat. Now, I will make my own fresh tomato soup and leave me alone long enough, I'll devour the entire cauldron.
Fresh tomato soup is a popular menu item for Sunday Supper
Finally, there's pasta. I know, I know it's carb-laden, but made with 100g flour and a jumbo egg, it contains a heck of a lot less carbohydrate than the off-the-shelf stuff. It's much more satisfying too - in all senses of the word. Of course, as I've explained, I do pasta with tomato, but we eat it at least once a week with whatever I might decide. It's usually a meat-free meal, too.
Not often without a smidgin of tomato
So, pasta might well be a staple food in Italy, where tomatoes are also a critical ingredient but came from Central America where they are also integral to that quisine, but they, along with eggs, comprise staple comfort foods in my life.
This is my thirty-second straight day of posting at least once a day as part of @traciyork's #SteemBloPoMo challenge.
She and I have agreed that we will keep it going at least until Monday, May 6th.
Until next time
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Photo: Selma
If you're a compulsive Instagrammer like me, Share2Steem and earn
Let me help you for blog posts any writing in English
Rates depend on the depth of edit required
More about why I am offering this service here
DM me on Discord
Join Us On Discord
Scrambled eggs and tomatoes two things always enjoyed, never tomato soup for some reason, one thing that has never hit my lips. Fresh tomato off the bush, nothing to beat those cherry red mouthfuls of flavor.
We were not brought up with pasta in the home, never made homemade pasta strings, have made pizza from scratch which has always been a hit.
Your post has been selected to be entered into @teamsouthafrica's Daily Nominated Post section in Teamsouthafrica's Discord group. Congratulations!
Thank you @joanstewart, for the selection. So interesting that you have never eaten tomato soup. Perhaps you're just not a soup fan?
I've also made pizza from scratch, but not so much since I gave up bread....I like it too much! lol
Don't touch tomato soup nor tomato sauces, love fresh, cook with them not a problem... just weird!
Homemade pizza was always one with ham the other with fresh seafood, have not made one in some time, giving up bread or potatoes, not ever likely to happen in my lifetime.
You are totally a girl after my own heart! I live for homemade pasta and after making your own, there's no way that buying in store can be anything but unsatisfying. My gosh! Did that sound snobbish? Because it was meant to be. I'm only kidding! But having grown up in a family where pasta with King and it was always homemade, I refuse to buy pasta. I would rather go without. Scrambled eggs and tomatoes with a slice of mozzarella and a dash of the grinder. I think we could sit down tea together. LOL
My mother was a true Homemaker in the sense that she like to make everything from scratch and once you do that, I think you're spoiled for life. Most excellent presentation of every single dish shown and I just love reading your posts!
As always, have a nice day!
!tip
@dswigle
Denise, we need to make a plan - for more than just tea! We are most certainly kindred spirits:
I totally agree, and no not snobbish, it's the truth!
My mother also made meals from scratch and that's where it began for me - that and having fresh vegetables from the garden.
Thank you for the kind words and have a good weekend!
🎁 Hi @fionasfavourites! You have received 0.1 STEEM tip from @dswigle!
@dswigle wrote lately about: This And That And Spring Feel free to follow @dswigle if you like it :)
Sending tips with @tipU - how to guide :)
It looks like you're good at cooking, it all looks so nice. I almost click on the downvote button but saw it just in time and so clicked the upvote one
Oh @Wales! You crack me up! So glad you found the right button!
Posted using Partiko Android
Man.... I've been dreaming about eggs. The scrambled eggs with what looks like goats cheese? Looks really nice from here!
I've only a day until I can eat again. It will be a few weeks before I can enjoy an egg though. Mnnnnnn eggzzzzz ;-)
Oh, @raj808, so sorry to add to your agony! Except that is not goat's cheese, it's ordinary old Cottage cheese. Enjoy your eggs. Food of the gods!
Posted using Partiko Android
Oh my, I am a huge fan of fresh eggs, its definitely my go to thing on those rear mornings when I feel a bit off. Actually, a lovely egg sandwich with buttery toast ;) I don't have it very often but when I do, yum! :)
Oh yes, an egg mayo sandwich! Yum! And then add a little cilantro (better than parsley) and it takes the humble egg sandwich to a whole new level. And hardboiled egg on hot buttery toast - with a bit of tomato ketchup - serious comfort food