Foodies

 Foodies

I'm not a foodie, my needs in terms of food are simple, almost proletarian, plebeian in my habit of eating the same old dull things, time and again. The TV these days  is full of food shows, the internet is jam packed with recipes and videos showing us how to cook and yet I turn, again and again to the old tried and trusted favourites.
But occasionally one is transported into that world of taste and culinary extravaganza which shows what you may be missing.
Food is a necessity and with that in mind the quick sandwich, an egg, potato, peas and carrots are sufficient to fuel the engine for another day but perhaps there is another world, not necessarily the world of the vegan with concern for animals nor the world of the fitness freak or the health nut, with their lists of what you can and what you can't eat but that space around which the creative chef works their magic.

San Sebastián in the Basque Country is a place respected for its food and the integrity of the owners who sell the service of bringing that sensation to your brain when you take the first bite, a sensation you carry with you for the rest of your life.

There are at least two memories I carry with me regarding food. The first was a steak house, Walters Grill on the main road at Sea point in Cape Town, the second was in a top flight restaurant in London where a friend from South Africa took me for lunch back in the 90s.
The steak house was owned by two large Hollanders, it was 1963 and for a food impoverished Pommy who's knowledge of meat on his plate was a few ounces of overcooked beef, made palatable with lashings of gravy. Imagine the sight of a Walters Special, inch thick tender Rhodesian beef covering a bread board sized wooden board, cooked with a delicious sauce to die for. Starting  in the corner of the steak, a slither at a time, it literally melted in the mouth, another piece and another until slowly the meal became a mission, not a food stop but a gastronomic delight from beginning to end.
The second memory was with my friend Arie van der Zwan, in London, where, in totally different surroundings, in a five star restaurant I had a meal which was exquisite not only in the taste but in every aspect of the service. The detail and the perfection of 5 star cooking was for me a rarity, I would never contemplate spending so much on a meal but Arie, or at least his Anglo expense account, was treating me to, not only a gastronomic delight but great conversation, which flowed like the wine.
The trigger for all these memories has been a television trip to San Sebastián, to a steak house called Julian's, to a simple Tortilla restaurant  and finally to a remarkable space fiction place called .... where they produce tastes, rather than food. 1200 items prepared for one sitting of 20 tables each day and each different  and each unique.
Food of course is made more palatable with good company.
La Braseria in Wind street in Swansea is one of my favourites.  The atmosphere, Mediterranean Spanish, really transports you overseas to a warmer climate more mysterious than the wet streets outside  but the clincher is always the company.
My family who initially  I have to drag out, kicking and screaming, in the end, seem to enjoy themselves, come what may amongst the prawns, the bass, and the medium rare steaks and a £200 bottle of wine. The last bit is fantasy, the most I pay is £20 but maybe one day I will order a £200 bottle just to see what I am missing.