A Jamie Oliver Moment

My mum put on the usual spread of delicacies for our family dinner last night. You know, just the usual for a simple Saturday meal: Soup, a roast, salad. And for dessert apple and pineapple slice, Viennese Sachertorte (chocolate sponge cake), cherry cheesecake slice and fresh cantaloupe. (I bet you're wishing you were of German heritage now.)

My grandfather asked why my mum had cooked so much (I think she just likes to cook). Then he asked me if I also cooked, to which I sadly had to reply no. Highlights of my own cooking career include crumbling cakes, raw 'baked' potatoes and my all-time favourite, cheese a la flames. I feel like I'm a disappointment to my lineage! When experiencing my cooking, people frequently comment in utter puzzlement, "But your mum is such a good cook..."

My own cooking abilities can be summed up in the Jamie Oliver moment I had a couple of days ago. I'm pretty sure it was Jamie Oliver that had the show where he'd come into someone's kitchen and cook up something restaurant-like from whatever was on hand in the pantry. Feeling a bit inspired, I attempted my own fanciful dish from what I could find in the fridge. Pumpkin soup and leftover pasta, with a little help from the spice rack, became the very classy herb and pumpkin penne with chives and parmesan.

Tasty, but still a clear distinction from my Mum's cuisine.

Is there anybody out there?

It's getting really lonely here. I'm beginning to think the blogosphere has been conquered by the mighty Facebook. People who previously couldn't hold down a blog have mysteriously become prolific status-updaters and wall-commenters. I, still rather lacking in Facebook skills, sit here faithfully constructing a more sophisticated and somewhat antiquated kind of prose... all alone.

I'm lead to believe one of two conclusions:
1) nobody reads my blog anymore because blogging is so old-fashioned, or
2) nobody reads my blog anymore because my content is so boring.

So, just in case it is the latter, I am giving you, my dear faithful readers, the chance to let me know how boring I've been and give me some suggestions for improvement! Please check out my new poll on the sidebar.

And if I get no responses, I know it's time to learn to use Facebook...