Chapter Four:

With my blog I want to stress the importance of comfort food or true home cooking.

In our daily lives we always need food. Food is the source of our energy, for some our happiness, and it is used for occasions in which we come together as families and friends.

It is the tool we use to come together and talk about how stressful our days are and how interesting we find different facts. Whatever the occasion, food is the key to our social functioning of our day to day lives.

I am really interested in chefs who explore their nostalgic and 'comfort' essence of cooking. There are loads of different famous television chefs across our screens today who go to town on the theme of home cooking and take it to new heights. Nigella is one of those chefs who really takes cooking into a different perspective, and also my Nan loves of bit Mrs Lawson. 

Also, the feeling of the 'comfort' in cooking is 
what most people crave when we are feeling
low and worn out. Or if we just really fancy a
'pig out'! My Nan although not just with her 
cooking, she likes to enjoy the 'comfort' I can
put into cooking. One of my favourites and my Nan's favourite dish is the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. I always make this dish with her when I venture back home to the wonderful treasure that is Bristol.This is one of my favourite dishes ever since I was younger as well, which to some people can be rather tricky dish to get right, as explained later on. I find this is a dish that I can use my culinary skills that my Nan taught me to show off and also to treat my Nan to a night off from cooking!

I always find with Nigella even though she uses some ingredients in recipes that are probably really hard to find in shops, she does really simplify and break down the steps of cooking really incredible food. In my last post I created my Nan's favourite Victoria Sandwich in which I really took into perspective the 'fun' of cooking and how enjoyable it can be. Nigella makes the daily struggle of cooking for the 'light-hearted' chefs and puts the fun back into the chore and tiresome process of making roast dinners or long slow-cooking dishes. In addition to putting the extra sense of comfort and soul into food.
(Nigella's recipe from her website)

http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/spaghetti-alla-carbonara-127

This recipe always as sinful in calories that it is, still gives me that guilty feeling of "oh my lord this is so scrumptious, I want seconds!". My Nan always allows me to make this for her and she always says she likes the little twists I make, even if it is adding just some extra black pepper to give it an extra kick. I do add in extra types of cheese just to splurge into the real 'comfort' eating zone, especially if I have had a hellish train journey back to Bristol. However the only slight worry this recipe brings to everyone's minds, even Nigella's, is the fact that after beating the 4 eggs and parmesan mix, you add them raw with the other ingredients such as the cream. Now some people find this is the real 'art' of getting the dish perfect, some people don't use the eggs and, as Nan may think, they have 'chickened' out, if they don't use Nigella's method. My Nan has this wonderful sense of taste and she can always tell what is in certain recipes. I think this is a real talent in cooking as you can test what and how you know is going into your meal and you know what to enjoy.

Here is a video clip of Nigella Lawson on an American Television show promoting the recipe which also features in her book "Feast".

 

Here are our results:

Good hearty and delicious food like this, is the essence of true home cooking. This is what I really love and admire chefs who strive to help this survive. Would you rather go to a restaurant, or eat this creamy, heavenly meal in the comfort of your own home? Mrs Marsh would agree, and cooking this dish together is one of my fond memories and definitely one of hers. She was so delighted we made this when I went to home to see her, she even attempted a second bowl! To help share this among the family, add some selection of garlic breads to go alongside it. 

My Nan really admires chefs like Nigel Slater, Rachel Allen and Jamie Oliver who all include in their works the capturing of the essence in your home cooking. I feel that with my Nan's recipes I get a sense of home when I make them and when she cooks them everyone comes together.