Larry's Thanksgiving Contribution

Today is substitute blogger day. I'm filling in for Joy so I can tell you about the British and Canadian cooking influences that she has exposed me to over the years, since she is both British and Canadian herself. Years ago, we both really liked a Canadian show called Manic Organic where the host grew his own organic food on an Ontario farm. We also liked the Jamie Oliver programs where he cooked at (what seemed to be) his own house in the English countryside.

And when we last visited Joy's brother in Surrey, England, we learned that he and his wife enjoyed a cooking show called River Cottage, hosted by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall. In the episode we watched, Hugh held up these Samosa-looking meat pie objects and said they were called "pasties" and that Welsh miners went off to work with pasties in their pockets to eat later in the day. Or something like that. All I could think about was problems with pocket lint.

When I decided to contribute a vegetarian dish to our Thanksgiving dinner, I looked through two excellent Jamie Oliver cookbooks that Joy has given me over the years. I've hardly used them, if at all, but I think they rub off on me just by sitting on our shelves.

The recipe that looked like the best match for Joy's menu was for "Baked Creamed Spinach" out of Jamie Oliver's Great Britain. I always liked the rustic look of Jamie's food — more country cottage and dinner with friends than white linens and stuffy waiters.

I didn't quite understand all of the terms in the recipe, but I certainly got the spirit. For instance, I'm still not sure what a "knob" of butter is, but I gathered I was free to go with my instincts. Also, he didn't give exact cooking times — he just said to cook the first part of the dish (spinach, cream, onions, tomato, garlic) down until it looked "thick and lovely," which was much nicer than setting a timer. The final serving called for browning breadcrumbs and cheese over top the creamed spinach. Jamie said to put the dish under the grill and let it "bubble away" for 5 to 8 minutes, or until it was "bubbly and gorgeous."

I recommend the hearty books by Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingsall. Next year, I might put a few pasties in my (freshly laundered) pockets and head off in my Wellies to find a River Cottage with a brick fireplace and well-stocked pantry for another fun cooking experience.