Getting down and dirty in the kitchen

Husbandio and I have, for the past several years, watched Masterchef, and in fact it's on in the background as I write this blog entry.   I find the series a bit long, although I always enjoy the end as it gets towards choosing an actual winner.  What I find ironic is that the way in which we cook has been totally unaltered by watching the show.  Husbandio, if anything, cooks less now than he used to a year ago, which is a pity for several reasons.  Firstly, he's a good cook, much more intuitive than I am.  Of course, he does use every implement and dish in the kitchen, so the tidying up leaves something to be desired!  Secondly, doesn't everyone like being cooked for?   I think I'm probably quite an annoying person to cook for as I tend to hang around in the kitchen and try to get involved - perhaps this has put him off.  I'll try to change my ways.  I will, honest!

The one thing I am trying to do is to cook new stuff, as I said I would.  Today I made spaghetti carbonara with garlic mushrooms, which I used to do years ago but haven't done for ages (probably because it's highly calorific!). It was yummy - went down well with the child, Husbandio and my mum, who's staying for a couple of nights to look after Isabel during half term.  Last week the new dish was pizza, which isn't new as such, but I made the pizza dough from scratch which I've never done before.  Came out marvellously, though I say so myself, and thank goodness for the breadmaker which did a great job of kneading the dough for me! And my new pizza pans created some nice crispy bases.  Hmm, all this talk of food is making me peckish, might need a cup of tea and a little slice of something before bed.