Bk #4: A Memory of Jam and Toast

as simple as, but is it cooking?

I have a vivid memory of a babysitter coming around to the house, looking after my sister and me. I can’t place the face or the name, but I vividly recall the first time someone made me a slice of white toast with a spread of butter and a layer of jam. It had been left for the sitter rather than being something we usually had.  A sheer taste of heaven, so simple and easy. Perhaps you might not call it cooking; I ask, why not? Cooking is the practice of preparing food by combining and mixing ingredients.  In this case, two slices of bread are subjected to dry heat, resulting in a crisp and lightly browned texture. The artistry continues with a precise application of a thin layer of butter, followed by a luscious spread of jam.

It’s subjective; some might argue that it involves minimal preparation and therefore doesn’t qualify as cooking. It often depends on one’s perspective and definition of cooking. In a broad sense, cooking typically involves preparing and combining ingredients, which could even include simple tasks like making toast.

Then there is the magic of connection between the cook and the individuals partaking in the food, like the babysitter and the child in this instance. In others, it's a bond created from the sensation of the giver, humbly offering up something that has taken time and thought. The receiver takes a moment to pause and enjoy a momentary silence and anticipation as they take that first taste. The bond might be formed as the front door opens, and the smell of home cooking wafts through. Alternatively, it's forged through the family ritual.  Through years of shared meals, giving, and receiving time at the table.  It’s the cook that creates that magic at these times, that bond and not the recipe. It's unlikely to be hidden in the notes; it's a combination of moments, love, and attention that unfolds through the passage of time.

Then there are the connections with friends, the breaking of bread and the breaking of the fast.  A particular weekend stands out where we stayed over, and the customary Sunday fry-up is announced. A galley style kitchen, with the table in the middle of the room, the cooker on one side and the toaster and fridge on the other.  It was tight and a little teamwork was required.   My pal took to the grill and keep warm duty.  His daughter handled the eggs.  My wife took to the toaster and the fridge when required.   The brigade was formed.

We joked about the toast not being needed until the end and how it was key that it was to be ready as the crescendo of the mushrooms, sausages, bacon, and the eggs came to the table.   It came with the added complication that the toaster only did two slices at a time, and with six people to cater for, someone might get cold toast!  It was done with great humor, a few yes chefs with the orders taken for one slice or two. 

This for me is the essence of cooking, a rich tapestry of connection, warmth, and shared moments.  Delving into the magic that occurs in the kitchen and around the table.  A joy found in the simple yet meaningful moments around food which really can start with toast!  If you can handle a couple of slices of bread in a toaster, you've got the foundation for creating those special moments in the kitchen.  Have that confidence that you can cook if you can make toast. 

I include this for completeness, is it a recipe, or a set of steps, perhaps you already know and have the foundation, all that is needed to become a better cook.  The table here is to introduce my style of working through a recipe.  On the left the timings, which are approximate and a guide.  The right-hand side, a set of steps, guiding principles.

I’m in danger of going down a rabbit hole about toast and toppings, it’s a slight deviation into having the confidence to cook, choosing the right ingredients with something simple and to illustrate a point that cooking can start with the simplest ingredients.  Using toast as a guide, I’m thinking of how many varieties of bread and the different flavors that could be used to make that slice of toast taste even better!  To have your favorite toast you need the right bread, and the right topping.  I have no idea what the brand of jam was that day, probably a Robertson’s variety and over the years there have been many, however through years of perspiration, trial and error, I now have a favorite!.  I’m a sucker for Confiture Bonne Maman after a camping holiday in the Alps one year. Especially if it’s a dark forest fruit variety like Myrtilles. As an accompaniment on top of a warm croissant fresh from the oven or spread on top of pancakes is just amazing, as it is with toast. Then there is peanut butter, got to be crunchy, although I’m sure there is an argument for smooth! Using an ingredient to create or layer flavor, transforming the ordinary into something delicious.

Toast, often associated with breakfast, is a swift method to elevate the flavor and texture of bread; it's versatile and beloved. Beyond its simplicity, topping it with cleverly paired ingredients and adjusting the time of day can transform it into brunch or a full meal. From the stalwarts like beans on toast, or cheese on toast to the more sophisticated Welsh Rarebit, featuring a cheese sauce sometimes seasoned with Worcestershire sauce. Then there are the masters of the open sandwich, the Danes, with their iconic Smørrebrød. Typically consisting of a slice of buttered rye bread (rugbrød) as the base, topped with various cold cuts, spreads, cheeses, and garnishes.  A concept easily adaptable to the humble toast.

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Don’t believe me when I say making toast is a form of cooking or looking for inspiration? Take a look at ‘Bliss on Toast’.  The amazing Prue Leith, wrote for ‘The Oldie’ magazine, producing one ‘Bliss on Toast’ column/recipe a month over an 18-month period.  A documentation of Sunday night suppers using Toast.