We were talking about food.  For two wondrously slender people, hem hem, we spend a lot of time thinking and talking about food.  And now, an hour or two later, I can’t quite remember how we got on to the subject.

I think it started with the gammon steaks, which we bought this morning, for tomorrow night’s dinner, at the butcher.  Tim said that there was nothing wrong with the traditional gammon, pineapple, sweetcorn and peas combo.  And I chuckled, as long as they weren’t on a pizza.  Because Tim is rather purist when it comes to his beloved Italian cookery (and there’s no hint of criticism there – his tagliatelle bolognese (never spaghetti which is WRONG) is a joy, just to take one of many examples) and the various pizza solecisms rather distress him.  Chicken Masala pizza, anyone?  Never mind Hawaiian, which is where we came in.

I went on, as one does during the course of a chatty dinnertime, to baked beans on toast.  I like baked beans and I like toast.  But toast that’s soggy with tomato sauce, not quite so much.  Tim was more forgiving – and then I asked him about scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.  We’d been on the subject of scrambled eggs with baked beans already.  He is okay with the combo as long as the salmon is added at the last minute and not actually cooked.  And, if it’s just scrambled eggs on toast, the toast has to be made and buttered and kept warm so that the butter has soaked into the toast – I’m fine with that, toast warm with butter is not at all the same as toast soggy with baked bean sauce – and then the eggs are added with extra black pepper and eaten while hot and lovely…but a thought came to me.  How about scrambled eggs on a slice of smoked salmon and no toast at all, unless it’s a slice of Melba toast on the side, just for the crunch?  Because texture is almost as vital in food as taste is.  Complementary, at least?  Any thoughts?

I’m crediting my daily Marmite on toast (I have a more regular breakfast than ever before, thanks to Lovely Tim) with my stronger than ever (we started from a low base) fingernails.  Every nail is fit to be seen at present.  It can’t last but it’s pretty good while it does.  I’m sure it’s the Marmite.

The first broad bean tops of the year.  Absolutely yum.