The letter K has been a challenge. Despite its common sound, it is the fifth least used letter in the English language, it just does not crop (krop) up that often. So, when it came to searching for a word to header my weekly epistle, K was a struggle. Avoiding illegal substances and incorrect spelling, my options were limited to Kooky, Kitchen, and Knickerbocker. All valid but I couldn’t eat a Knickerbocker Glory in Paris without offending my Grandad and seaside family and I don’t really have a kitchen here, so instead I’ve gone for a word with multiple pronunciations. Choose your fighter, a bit like a pick your own ending storybook. The word is kinder; variations being kinder, kinder, and kinder. Go figure!
K is for kinder
For ease of comprehension and because I don’t know anyone that understands the strange phonetic symbols in the dictionary, this kinder is ‘k-eye-nder’.
France is getting kinder. A country, especially the capital, that has a reputation of being quite rude is starting to soften. Am I disappointed by the lack of follow-through of brazen behaviour? Possibly. But there has been a shift for the better. The service industry has a rep of effrontery, you can picture it, angry French waiters hating the fact that you speak English, refusing to swap your pomme frites for pomme purée (a justified swap in my mind). Of course, this sharpness still exists but little by little, I think that people are coming around to the adage of ‘it’s nice to be nice’. People are now a bit more appalled and shocked when they are treated badly in a service environment. The public reaction, notably the French reaction, is starting to chip away at the ice-cold exterior revealing a fondant centre. Although, of course, they’ll never admit this.
K is for kinder
This kinder is of the infant variety.
I don’t want to have children. However, the idea of cooking for kids fills me with joy albeit a smidge of dread. Over a 4pm beer with a friend (after debating whether 4pm was too early, we decided it wasn’t), we got to talking about feeding children. We were both of the opinion that the prospect was quite exciting. They eat little and often, tiny grazing machines and they are under your total jurisdiction. What’s for tea? Spag bol. I don’t want spag bol. Well, it’s that or nothing. A common exchange happening around dinner tables I’m sure, but for me the joy of cooking is feeding, so I think I’d find this back and forth quite satisfying.
Birthday cakes and special occasion feasts feeling just as cheerful as a jacket potato with tuna mayo and cheese.
The ability to shape someone’s palette also seems a fun challenge. I believe that everyone is able to eat and enjoy all foods but the way in which you’ve grown up around the dinner table can change what you like and dislike. Eat or go hungry; no pudding unless you eat all of your vegetables, means that I was forced (hardly forced as I was a little hoover) to eat everything that was put in front of me. My mum tells Mia and I that we were weened on broccoli and that is why we are such fans of the green trees and it is certain that despite the occasional Turkey Twizzler we grew up eating a lot of veg. Although, food, or fancy food, wasn’t an integral part of our family, so my palette has had to change as I’ve grown to keep pace with my greed. Teaching myself to like new things by microdosing has been a helpful skill as I now can eat and enjoy coriander and goat’s cheese.
K is for Kinder
Our third Kinder is with a capital K.
Certainly would be a stretch to call this a recipe but I have recently come across a very delicious way to enjoy a Kinder Bueno.
Step one: Put the Bueno in the freezer
Step two: Wait until it is frozen
Step three: Eat the frozen Bueno either alone or atop some vanilla ice-cream
Step four: Never eat a tepid Bueno again
Shopping list for you
A beautifully told NYTimes photo story
Dulcet Scottish tones from the new Paolo Nutini album (I like Radio)
Eating McDonalds off a plate which, according to Erin, is known as a Posh McDo
Judith Joy Ross at Le Bal documenting the grief in mundanity
An upcoming wow collaboration between Phamily First and Bistrot Paul Bert
A fantastic English language rule that we (I) wouldn’t know but makes SO much sense