Saturday 9 March 2013

Comfort

"April is the cruelest month" says Eliot at the opening of "The Waste Land", but sorry Mr. Thomas Stearns, I beg to differ this year - it has to be March.

You may remember that last Tuesday I said that Spring had come, that my friend G and I walked with the sun on our backs in glorious weather.   Well, forget it.   Today it is snowing, bitterly cold and set to continue.

So today I am giving you two photographs by way of comfort food should you happen to have a sweet tooth.   Last night, twenty of us went out for dinner together to a local hostelry.   Three courses.

Three courses at nine o'clock at night is just too much for me.   I opted to leave out the pudding course, mainly because I do not have a particularly sweet tooth.   Only a few people in the group missed out a course and I couldn't help noticing that the men who had only two courses missed out the savoury starter so that they could manage a pudding.   Some of the men had three courses along the lines of - pork and ham terrine with chutney, steak and chips and sticky toffee pudding.   By the time they were eating the pudding it was ten o'clock!

The farmer indulged in three courses, but at least he chose soup, chicken and three-way-brulee.   All fairly light there then.

So I took a photograph of the farmer's brulee and also of friend, C's, sticky toffee pudding and ice cream.

Do you think men do have a sweeter tooth than women?   Or maybe sweet puddings are comfort food - and if so do men need more comfort than women?

If I had to choose a comfort food it would probably be custard made from custard powder and full cream milk - or failing that a smoked, crisply fried, bacon sandwich.   My mouth is watering at the thought - I have simple tastes.


The farmer has gone to the Auction Mart as there is an important Show and Sale of Prime Beasts this morning.   All the cattle had to be there last night in pens, and judging began at 9.30 this morning.   At the end of the judging the beasts are sold - some for meat, some for breeding, some for growing on.   No doubt my butcher will be there to buy one of the prize winners - he usually has a rosette pinned on the front of the counter.   At least if I buy my meat there I know that horse has been nowhere near - and that is my comfort.

13 comments:

Rachel Phillips said...

You haven't seen April yet!

mrsnesbitt said...

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! Custard Pat! I LOVE the vanilla danish pastries - I only eat the centres lol!

Bovey Belle said...

Perhaps the puddings remind our mention of the comfort food of childhood? Both the puddings looked gorgeous but like you I would struggle to eat that late in the day. Sorry about your snow. We are expecting the bitter cold to arrive here overnight. Sigh. I just want it to warm up!

MorningAJ said...

March came in like a lamb - so you know what that means. I think there might be worse to come yet. Sadly.

My comfort food is cheese on toast. Or cheese on anything really!

Angie said...

I love puddings and cakes but when out my favourite sweet is a 'trio' if they do one.

Heather said...

We really can't trust our climate any more!
Those deserts look so good. I used to have a very sweet tooth and still like cake or a pudding occasionally but more often it is the idea of it which appeals and the reality is too much.
Keep warm - Spring will arrive, one day.

Arija said...

Goodness, what a marathon of food! Irrespective of the hour, I would only ever manage one course and that a senior's portion or half serve.
I'm with you Pat, for a real treat or comfort food, give me a bacon butte any day.
I could live without desserts or cakes but my man has always been a sweet tooth. Who knows why but, most men seem to have that particular craving.

Joanne Noragon said...

I had bread pudding at a diner over the weekend. The custard was perfect, the bread crunchy and firm. Great cinamon flavor. We looked around and saw "All baking done on premises." Good bakers at that diner.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

We had a lovely day today - sunshine and lots of birds to take pictures of. Tomorrow clouds and then back to our usual rain.

Oh the desserts look so scrumptious, though I tend to prefer a fruity dessert over a sweeter one. But they look yummy.

jerilanders said...

I know that my husband has a "sweeter tooth" than I. He eats more chocolate than any woman I've ever known. Naturally, it never shows up on his waistline, figures.

angryparsnip said...

I too would like a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato sandwich and the Creme Bulee my all time favorites, right now.
I like some sweets but I do not have a sweet tooth and I am not crazy for chocolate like many of my friends. I don't get the craving for it ?
My x always had to have sweets.

cheers, parsnip

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the visit - looks as though more men than women favour the puds - but if this cold weather keeps up we need something to keep us warm.

Em Parkinson said...

My mouth is watering too. Mothers' Day and we have an inch of snow everywhere! BIG flakes have been falling for about three hours now. Sigh....where on earth is spring?