Childhood.....

I love the way children (L5 today) have the ability to watch a movie they've seen loads of times and still belly laugh at the funny bits. The kind of belly laugh that is contagious, that makes you smile and chuckle yourself just hearing it. The kind of belly laugh that bounces off the walls and straight to your face, coming to rest in a little corner of your heart.

Today's Pleasure: Eat Something Nostalgic From Your Childhood.

Now, luckily I read this this morning, so I had a long time to wonder just what it was I might treat myself to.

Jelly Whip? No-one else in my house likes it.

Lemon Meringue Pie? Ditto.

White Christmas? Ditto, again.

Mjadra? I don't even like it.

Izzit? Nope, that really needs to be made by my Grandmother and packed up as we leave for the long drive home, waving to her as she waves the Sign Of The Cross to us.

Mahshi? I already cut my cabbage in half for the coleslaw the other day, so no good (I could have tried with vine leaves, but then that wouldn't have been so nostalgic).

So now I'm down the Lebanese track - pita, falafel, hoummus, baba ghanouj - all things we have regularly.

Then it comes to me! - something I love, the kids love, The Lad' likes and I don't make nearly often enough. Not sure what the Arabic word for it might be, but we call it by the very exotic title of "Mince and Macaroni" - except I didn't use macaroni, I used pasta shells instead. And I served it with bread and salad. But it had all those childhood memories wrapped up in the smell and the taste. The gloriously rich undertones of cinnamon, and sun-ripened tomato, and freshly ground premium beef, onion, garlic, mmmmm, aaahhhhhh ........