I love food, so Yorkshire is the place for me.
There has been a recent revival of interest in good food, and in cooking local produce. But in Yorkshire, it didn’t need reviving, because it never went away. Yorkshire folk have always had good food – both cooked at home, and when they eat out.
My Mother taught me to cook. Ever since, I’ve cooked daily, using basic ingredients such as fresh vegetables, dry goods, and fresh meat. Some days, I’ll cook something special. Other days, I’m in a hurry, and use my trusted quick and easy recipes. I use a freezer to free me from frequent shopping, and keep a good store cupboard in case I get snowed in.
I’m interested in nutrition, and have seen various pieces of advice on ‘what’s good for you’ come and go.
Therefore, I have devised my own ‘healthy eating’ plan:
1. Use ingredients that are as close to the original plant or animal as possible – the less it’s been processed, the less chance it’s had for its natural nutrients to be damaged or lost.
2. Compose meals using something from each of the ‘food groups’:
Group a) Proteins: animal proteins include meats, fish, dairy, eggs, vegetable proteins include nuts, pulses and whole grains
Group b) Fats: butter, margarine, oils
Group c) Fruit and vegetables
Group d) Starchy foods: bread, rice, pasta, potatoes
3. Vary foods from meal to meal and from day to day. If you have fish today, have meat tomorrow, vegetarian the day after. Apples today, oranges tomorrow. Therefore, if anything is ‘good’, you’ll get some of it. And if anything turns out to be ‘bad’, you won’t have had too much of it. And if it turns out that there’s a whole new ‘something’ that hasn’t been discovered yet, chances are, you got some of it anyway.
Simple!
But food needs to be enjoyed. It has to taste good. And here in Yorkshire, no-one ever thought otherwise. Every town has brilliant specialist shops selling good, local produce.
I prefer to cook myself, and buy excellent quality local meats, fruits, vegetables, flour, and honey.
But when I eat out, or want a ‘take away’, there are countless small businesses selling really delicious foods that are ready to eat: cheeses, meats, pies, cakes, preserves, drinks.
The foods are good because each one is the result of a personal story, and every maker really cares about making their product the best it can possibly be.