Under the Weather Comfort Food
I’m currently in-between jobs, having just left my last one and taking a short break before I start my new one. I left the office for the last time last Friday, looking forward to being a lady of leisure for a few weeks. I had lots of plans for this week: long lunches with my girlfriends; a day out with my Mum; lots of cooking, writing and blogging. And what happens? I catch the cough and cold Rob has had. Bleugh.
It has to be said: I’m not a good patient when it comes to colds. The term ‘man-flu’ comes to mind. Luckily for me Rob’s a very good nurse; fetching me drinks and paracetamol uncomplainingly as I peer out from under my blanket on the sofa, snivelling and coughing pathetically. I struck gold with my husband.
The old adage says you need to feed a cold (and I’m certainly not one to argue with that) and so there’s been lots of comforting and healing food coming out of our kitchen pharmacy this week. Early on I made a leek and potato soup one night and then a pot roast chicken with lots of golden chicken broth another. That huge feat (!) just about drained me of any energy I had left so the next day I declared myself unfit to cook and whimpered to Rob “would you mind cooking tonight?”. He rose to the challenge magnificently and cooked spaghetti bolognese, following my recipe, which I was rather pleased about. And tonight he’s busy making sausage and mash with onion gravy. I think I can manage a modest portion.
Talking of sausage and mash, on my last day at work I lunched with a couple of colleagues at a nearby pub and that was the exact dish I chose. This got us talking about the secret of good mash (is it hot milk, a potato ricer, a wooden spoon?) and then one of my colleagues uttered the magic words: cheesy mash. Well, that was it - immediately I got a craving for some and I just knew I would have to go home and make some over the weekend. And that’s exactly what I did.
I just make the mash in the usual way (I do use a potato ricer by the way – genius invention) and then grate in lots and lots of mature cheddar cheese. My colleague, however, said he likes to grate over more cheese at the end and then put it under the grill and I have to say that sounds bloody fantastic.
Right, that’s me done for now, I’m going back to my blanket, my tissues and my man-flu.
23 comments:
Potsto ricers are fab Julia! The cheesy mash sounds good. My mum used to make cheese and potato pie. Which was just mash with layers of cheese in between and cheese on top which was grilled and went crispy. Yum! I can't remember what she served it with. This was obviously the important bit :)
Try taking zinc tablets they fight of colds, but if you take them all the time, the colds don't take hold.
ps fab husband! And hope you feel better soon!
*hugs*
Hope your feeling better soon. I love sausage and mash. It's hard to find here though.
Hey, cheese! I'm from Singapore and I like the lots of cheese idea.
Get well soon.
Hope you are soon feeling better, Julia. What a shame.
Cheesy mash is truly delicious - funnily enough, when I'm ill I sometimes make myself a big bowl of cheesy mash mixed with leeks. I love the combination. Sometimes I add a little mustard too - yum!
Hope you feel better soon.
I have to agree with the greatness that is a potato ricer. Cheesy mash...my idea of heaven!
Wishing you a speedy recovery, I found recently the sudafed congestion relief tablets really helpful x
Lurve cheesy mash, I always add it to my cottage pie topping for extra naughtyness! :-)
I agree with Antonia - leeky cheesy mash was one of my favourite comfort foods as a student - esp as it has the benefit of being very cheap! Fry the leeks gently in lots of butter and stir in.
With my normal mash I only add butter, and lots of it, and sometimes a generous spoonful of wholegrain dijon mustard.
Thanks for the post Julia - it makes me feel all warm inside!
In our house (as a child) cheesy mash, with grated cheese on top which was then baked was deemed "cheese and potato pie". With crispy grilled bacon and baked beans, there's little else more comforting - and sinful - in my mind. (Except perhaps cauliflower cheese and crispy roast potatoes!)
Lovely post Julia, I send you blessings of perfect health!
Vivi
Ah, nothing better than cheesy mash. I was feeling quite under the weather (self inflicted though...) last night and consoled myself with mash made with mascarpone and cheddar. Sorted me right out!
I can empathise - I've been on holiday for the last fortnight and have been ill for most of it. Very frustrating!!!
Mash is the best. :)
I too am sharing in your plight (do not have someone to make cook lovely dishes). Take Care and keep warm. I have been enjoying your blog, its is quite lively.
Aw what a great husband! I'm totally the same when I get a cold I just want to curl up and not do anything : ( Hope you feel better soon!
I love cheesy mash, especially the way my bf makes it, he mixes cheese in and on top too. So calorific but impossible to resist!
I must agree with Antonia and Hannah, some mustard in the mash can increase the amazingness exponentially - and I don't really like mustard! Butter and milk in mine too!
Great to hear you can take some time off between jobs! I'd just be happy with a paid vacation (not where I work!).
I have heard of a ricer for a long time but have never purchased one. My ex MIL taught me to NEVER use a blender to mash the potatoes which makes them gluey. I use the standard masher. I will have to look into this ricer since it is raved about.
My comfort food... I have shredded chicken in broth waiting in the fridge and making homemade noodles tomorrow when I get home from work to put in it for supper... and serving it with a huge bowl of mashed potatoes! My daughter is moving home late tonight. Its her favorite meal.
Hope you get to feeling better soon. I think its trying to take hold on me so I am dosing up on meds... and the chicken and noodles should help too!
hey get well soon....though with the royal treatment you getting I dont if you will want to. :)
Hope you feel well ... no such thing as a good patient!
There is nothing like chicken soup or broth to make you feel warmer and more comfortable especially when you are feeling grotty. Glad to see you are also as bad as a man when you have got a cold or flu- I am the same. A really bad patient!
We are in Northern Ireland at the moment and I have noticed that they are into all sorts of interesting mash: Champ, bacon and cheesy mash, parsley mash and so on.
I really enjoy this blog.
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Cheers.
Liz
There's definitely something about having a break from routine that attracts a cold! Hope you are starting to feel better.
Cheesy mash is proper poorlyness comfort food in my book. At work we're always recommending adding extra cheese and butter to mash to people as they leave hospital to help build themselves up :-)
Mash solves everything!
Thanks so much for all your lovely comments and good wishes x
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