Do the little (food) things
Happy St David's Day – Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus
It's St David's Day. The one day of the year that I get to be so outrageously Welsh that every other day pales into mere mediocre West-of-Offa's-Dyke insignificance. Although, if you were to ask any of my friends, they'd likely be concerned that there is yet another level of Welshness in me.
St David said:
Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd – Do the little things in life
It got me thinking – as it does every 1st March – about how important the little things are. The details, the tweaks, the small gestures. It also made me think about how it's the little things in the food and drink world that often make all the difference, too. Here are five of the little food and drink things that allow me to "be joyful" – another of St David's mottos.
Doilies
When my Nannie Gwen was having a party at her house, you could pretty much guess the menu: red salmon (it's posher than pink) from a tin liberally doused with malt vinegar and white pepper on upturned half baps, crisps of the Hula Hoop, onion ring or chipple variety, corned beef sandwich triangles, mini sausage rolls, or cocktail sausages on sticks. There might have been other regulars and some rogue surprises that I can't remember, but nothing, and I mean nothing left the kitchen without a paper doily underneath it – maybe even two to make sure that not a hint of plate touched the food. It seems a bit old fashioned now, but lo and behold, my mum magicked some from the cling film drawer the other day to put underneath some ham sandwiches and mini pork pies for a party. It made me look at them again in a differnt light. In some ways, they do elevate the eating experience. As flimsy as the paper is and however kitsch, they seemed to make the plate of sandwiches that little bit fancier. So, I'm starting the #bringbackthedoily campaign now.
Toast
Bread (other than tea and wine) is my biggest vice. I love it in all its floury forms. But something wondrous happens when you apply a little heat to a slice. In reality, its the milliard reaction, where amino acids and sugars react to form the golden colour and the sweet, rich taste and new flavour compounds. In my mouth, it's a taste sensation. And sandwiches are quite possibly the best food creation on the planet, but spread the outside with butter and pop it in a pan for a few minutes and you’ve got a thing of wonder. Toasties are deity level.
A good mug
I’ve mentioned before about how I can’t go through a day without at least eight cups of tea, but not all teas are created equal. We all know that person who is just useless at making a decent cuppa. But it’s not just how it’s made that makes a big difference to the joy that comes from steeping dried leaves in hot water and adding milk. What it’s served in is crucial to proper tea enjoyment. I like a big mug, but not so big that it gets cold too quickly, as there’s nothing worse than cold tea. The inside of the mug has to be white ideally so that you can get the correct colour when brewing. It has to have a handle that you can actually get your fingers through, but also the mug needs to be a good size and shape so that you can hug it with your hands when it’s a bit chilly and you want warming comfort.
Opening tins
There’s previously been a whole newsletter dedicated to tins, such is my love for them, but I’m not sure that I extolled the virtues and joy that comes from opening them. Perhaps it’s the fact you have to sort of break into them and prise apart metal. That there’s a secret inside that you need to unlock. If I were ranking them, ring-pulls are my least favourite, although there’s a sense of accomplishment at being able to actually bend metal back with your bare hands, like Superman. Standard tins comes next. The ones that you use a tin opener for, where I like the mechanical operation of it and how the lid comes off very neatly. Next is the pop-open-with-a-spoon-handle tins. You don’t see them much now, but custard powder used to come in them, and golden syrup and treacle. The easing up of all around like a paint can until you finally get that satisfying pop sound. King of tins however, has to be the corned beef tin. For starters, it’s got a key! Then you have to bend, twist and wind that little strip of metal until you can hinge the tin open, and encourage the corned beef out with a knife in that lovely squelchy thud. I think it’s also the danger factor – my Nannie Gwen was insistent that you will cut yourself on an opened corned beef tin, and I still handle them rather gingerly even as an adult.
Roast potato scraps
Who doesn’t love a roast potato? They certainly have to up there in the top tier of potato goodness. But my particular little thing to be joyful about is the loose flakes or scraps of potato that litter the roasting pan. They are often welded on with some might but a sturdy spatula or knife jabbed underneath sets them free. They are crispy, crunchy, full of fat from the cooking grease, and oh-so delightful. Pure potato perfection!
I could go on and on, but I’ll leave you to think of your own little food and drink things that make you joyful. I hope you have a fabulous St David’s Day, whatever you’re doing. I’ll be onto my second do of the week tonight – a twmpath at the London Welsh Centre. Last night I had the honour to be invited to the annual St David’s Day dinner at the Guildhall in London. The event has been running since 1904 to celebrate all things Welsh in London. Many thanks to Rhys and the team at Pensaer architects for the invitation.
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!
Ross x
The Recipe
As it’s a celebratory time, I thought I’d share a few classic Welsh recipes from the archive that you might want to rustle up this week.
CAWL:
BARA BRITH
RAREBIT
WELSH CAKES
If you try the recipe out, don’t forget to tag any photos with #mywelshkitchen.
The Playlist
To me, cooking and music go hand in hand, whether that’s singing at the top of your voice using a wooden spoon as a microphone while waiting for pasta to boil, or dancing around with the oven gloves on as the oven timer counts down. Here are this week’s ideas for your Welsh Kitchen playlist.
It’s an outrageously patriotic bunch of singers and songs to celebrate St David. Crank the volume up and sing along.
O Gymru by students of University of Wales Trinity Saint David
Myfanwy by Sheku Kanneh-Mason
We’ll keep a welcome by Shirley Bassey, Bryn Terfel and Michael Ball
Tom Jones - Green Green Grass Of Home
Safwn yn y bwlch by Côr Unedig Clybiau Rygbi De Cymru
International Velvet by Catatonia
Hen wlad fy nhadau by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir and Waterbeach Brass
Check out my other work
I mentioned a little while ago that I was working on some recipes for a well-known supermarket. I’m delighted to say that they are now out in the world. You can see them here on the Ocado website or find them in Ocado Life magazine. Thanks to the team at Sunday for the commissions and letting me bang on about how wonderful Welsh food is.
St David’s Day subscription offer
Help support my work producing this newsletter each month by buying or gifting a paid subscription. Money from the newsletter goes towards helping me source and buy ingredients to test the recipes and to buy products to review. For the month of March, yearly subscriptions are just £12 – that’s just one pound a month.