Comfort Food

Baking is a wonderful thing. Not only is it comforting to eat but it is comforting to cook. It should never be cast aside as some frivolous and unnecessary activity; it holds comforting and mediative qualities that calm your thoughts and regulate your heartbeat - like stroking a cat. As Nigella says; ‘baking is a mixture of chemistry and poetry’, which I interpret to mean that it connects and balances the left and right side of your brain and therefore centres you.

The magic of baking aside, I believe that by starting up this blog with a post about baking, I am establishing my new uni larder with essentials that I now need to replenish continuously. Flour, butter, eggs and sugar are vital frugal staples. From them, countless savoury meals can be made, as well as some comforting baked goods. 

My chocolate brownie recipe, that originated from a basic vegetarian cookbook, produces - in my eyes - the perfect brownie, and I have eaten quite a number in my time. It emerges from the oven a dense but gooey slab, with a crisp and shiny surface that crackles as it's cut. The other geometric-style layers include the dark and squidgey interior, the just-set, fragile and almost dusty base and the chewy crust that forms around the border.

A group of me and my new uni fwends got together to watch this weeks episode of The Great British Bake Off together. Although we’re still just getting to know one another, I think we all found it thoroughly comforting to watch such a genuine and simple programme, drinking tea and eating cakes and brownies. At this gathering, no pre-drinking was involved, we weren’t doused up in make-up or feeling apprehensive about the night ahead. Everything was eeeeasy and comfortable and I for one was real happy. This is Conman (below) without whom this blog or, indeed myself, would not be in such a healthy looking state!

Freshers week has been testing to say the least. The best times have been when I have been surrounded by people, drinking, eating and laughing. The worst times have been when I have skipped a meal, eat alone or over-indulged on booze or shit food. What Freshers lacks is structure. Next week I am going to find a rhythm to this strange new life of mine and this rhythm will be found in the regular cooking and eating of 3 healthy meals a day with enough energy used up in between to keep me hungry! But it has been baking that has kept me afloat this strange, strange week. It has forced me to stock up my larder, get to know my kitchen and share; which has therefore got me in the good books with some thoroughly lovely people.

Epic Brownies

Chocolate - 3oz/85g

Butter - 4oz/115g

2 large eggs

Caster sugar - 8oz/225

Self-raising flour 2oz/55g

1. Preheat oven to 180'C/350'F/gasmark.
2. Grease a 12inch/30cm tin, ideally about an inch deep. I didn't have any baking paper so instead I lined tin with foil and rubbed it liberally with butter. Don't hold back on the butter.
3. Melt the butter and chocolate together. I do this carefully in the microwave but you can do the whole bowl over hot water shit if you wish.
4. Whisk the eggs in large bowl and beat in the sugar till pale yellow.
5. Stir in the melted butter and chocolate in to the eggs and sugar mixture, then sift in the flour.
6. Mix well and pour in to tin.
7. Bake for 20-25 mins until almost completely set then leave to cool and cut in to lil squares.
8. Serve with tea or glasses of milk and if you are at home your family will cherish your existence and if you're at uni..... go make some friends bruddah!