Lovely potatoes

Over the past three years, I have moved around a lot.
So much so, that change has pretty much been the only constant.
And when everything seems to be in a state of transition, it's only natural to look for the little things that bring comfort and familiarity.
There are certain foods that have always made it to the top of my comfort list and nearly all of them stem from the humble potato.

Crisps - either the reduced fat kind that I'll stuff into my mouth pre-run; or the movie bag kind that have the words 'SHARE' written across them in big letters. Fyi this never happens and I will quite regularly make my way through an entire bag, on my own, on a Friday night alongside a large gin.
Some of my favourite flavours include sour cream and sweet chilli, teriyaki, cheese and onion (the posh Tayto kind) and prawn cocktail.
Salt and vinegar crisps are made by the devil.
One of my dreams is to go to Tayto land. I think I'm going to take an empty hiking bag and just spend the day at the gift shop.

Baked potatoes are also pretty high on the list.
Firstly, I love being able to place potatoes in the oven and then head upstairs for an hour, yet still feel like I'm cooking.
The best technique was passed onto me by a man called Simon. He told me his mum used to do a criss-cross pattern along the top of the potato, before covering in seasoning and olive oil.
"This helps to crisp them up," he said.
And he wasn't wrong.
I've been making lovely potatoes ever since. Once they're done, mash in a fistful of butter and pour over some baked beans.

Then there's mash. Buttery mash whipped up with an electric whisk. My dad used to always pass me the spoon after he had scraped the pan. It was a cheeky pre-dinner extra that was just the best.
In case you're not sure, mashed potato goes best with sausages but also broccoli and surprisingly - don't judge me - spaghetti bolognese.

Roast potatoes definitely have their place and are suitable for things like Christmas dinner when you need at least three different types of potato for one meal. Trust me, if you're not dipping roast and sweet potatoes into mash on December 25th, you need to get on it.

Second to the lovely potato, is bread.
I remember Kathryn Ryan once saying that "Bread isn't food". Then I think to the amount of times I've melted my face into a pile of hot toast and how wrong she is.
Toast is suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And if you're lucky, you get the heel in which case, it's going to be a great day.

I went to Paris a few months ago and poured most of my savings into bread and pastries. Even my last few moments abroad were spent standing outside Gare Du Nord, stuffing a pain au chocolat into my face before boarding the Eurostar. I still had pastry crumbs in my snood as I sat down on the train.

Other food types that fill me with joy when my life is in flux (which seems to be always) include satay noodles, Japanese rice, katsu curry, pasta and tuna, sausages (done in the oven and topped with ketchup then teamed with our friend bread) and finally, poached eggs.

No matter where you are in the world, or what troubles you're facing, trust in food as a staple that will always help you feel at home.