It's been a while....

...and there's nothing more to be said about that really. I've been busy working, allowing the office to get in the way of fun things. Like Real Food. And Family. But I have, of course, been cooking. I mean, I couldn't survive from January through to August without it really - I just haven't been writing about it.

Now, it's a new phase in the Jay house. Mrs Jay is Free of the Horrific Commute, and now works locally. Master Jay is no longer a baby, and is now a recently pox-ridden toddler with his own opinions about everything, including food. Myself, I'm no longer working, which should leave me more time to get on with some good cooking, and for other things that have been taking too much of a back seat. Like sailing the old boat I restored during the winter, playing music (and you can see for yourself how long it is since I did that), and writing blogs.

Being out of work (through no choice of my own, though to be honest, I should have chosen it a while ago) has given me considerable time to think about what's next and what's important to me, and going back to this blog feels like coming home again. Real Food. What could be more important than that? The basic act of feeding oneself in a way that stimulates the palate, the eyes and the soul. The creation from disparate, and often inedible, ingredients of a dish that makes the heart sing. And doing all this for a family - that's what life is all about.It's hardly the Dickens version (see below), but food and family have long been held dear by mankind.

(As an aside, I've recently read the excellent, if slightly verbose, Island by Aldous Huxley. Amid many other nuggets of wisdom, the people on the eponymous island have a food ritual whereby they chew the first mouthful of a meal slowly and thoughtfully - appreciating the flavours, the textures, the sheer gift of Real Food. Try it when you next sit down for dinner. Chew for at least a minute, and concentrate on what is in your mouth - note that this should never be attempted with fast food - and I guarantee that you'll notice something new, even if you've had that meal a hundred times.)

That's enough philosophising for now - I'll get back to the food in the next post, I promise. You'll just have to bear with my moment of introspection.