Today's Lunch No.4 Chorizo and Scrambled Eggs

It's been a very busy morning.  One that did not go exactly to plan.  The plan was flawless and fool proof.  An early walk into Leeds to visit Millies to choose the last of the Christmas cheeses.  Then to the Blood Donor Centre on The Headrow, as their doors opened, to give them my festive pint of A-.  Finally to Cornucopia, an independent food fair in The Corn Exchange, to hand deliver a gift to the organisers.  This would see me back home by 10:30 and leave me with plenty of time to pack for the holidays and pop for petrol before having a nice lunch and going to work.

No plan is fool proof.  Millies was awash with cheese and it probably took me too long to decide what to buy.  By the time I had left it was already 9:30, Blood Bank opening time, and by the time I had got there the next available slot wasn't until 10:45.  Giving blood is important to me and today was my only chance to donate before the new year so I booked myself in and went for a coffee.

I needed to go to the Corn Exchange anyway so I headed to Primo's for an Americano, thinking I could spend the time typing this up.  Coffee ordered and table chosen, my phone died.  Losing the internet these days is like having your prise carrier pigeon "Speckled Jim" shot over Flanders Fields.  I was lost and so I resorted to a pen and paper to pass the time.

Back home, one pint of blood lighter, I had just enough time to cobble together lunch.  Scrambled eggs with chorizo served on a bed of rocket and tortillas.  Not the kind of lunch I could eat in the office but I would have liked more time to eat them.

Today's Lunch No.3 Cauliflower Soup

We're visiting Z's parents for Christmas and so the "What needs using in the fridge" game has started.  This would be simpler if I was at home in the evenings this week but alas, no.  Z is doing her best at using up leftovers, but she is only one person.  Half a cauliflower is a bit of a mountainous task for a single serving so soup it is.

We cook soups a lot, they are a good way of using up leftovers but, more importantly, they are also a good way of preparing and storing gluts of food.  We are often faced with more veg than we can eat in one go and soup is simple and versatile.

Our cauliflower is cooked in chicken stock until tender and then blended until smooth.  Stir in some cream to finish it off. If I were a TV chef I'd now be telling you to drizzle with truffle oil and a few shavings of white truffle.

Today's Lunch No.2 Pastrami on Toast

Our last holiday abroad was a long weekend in Amsterdam.  We had been before, as students, but had only visited the tacky side of this wonderful city.  What we wanted to do was to peel back some of the history and check out some of the art and architecture.

We based ourselves close to Rembrandtplein, so that we were close to the old and new parts of the city and then, we walked.  We walked along each of the semicircular canals taking in the wonky houses and stopping of for Poffertjes and the odd beer or two in some of the fine brown bars.

We had a guide book which, as well as pointing out good museums, had a really good restaurant guide.  Over the Holiday we ate in Tibetan, Thai, Argentinian, Vegetarian and Dutch restaurants.  We ate well, we always do.

The food memory that came away with was from none of these.  It was a pastrami sandwich that we had for lunch in the Jordaan district.  The cafe was called Daadler and it was heaving, partly due to the market that was on that day, but I also like to think that it was due to the quality of food and drink on offer.

Z had introduced me to the pleasures of the pastrami sandwich at Uni.  The traditional sub, piled high with meat and pickles, is still a favourite.  But the people at Daadler had their own interpretation.

A grilled open sandwich was served to me consisting of (from bottom to top); bread toasted on one side, wholegrain mustard, pastrami, sauerkraut and melted cheese.  We now had good reason to buy one of those massive jars of sauerkraut.

Today's Lunch No.1 Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Due to having to work late this week, Tonight's Menu is having four days off.  In it's place I'll be telling the stories behind Today's Lunch.  My standard weekday lunch consists of a filled roll and a couple of pieces of seasonal fruit.  Not very exciting but it means that I don't have to shell out on shop bought sarnis.

I like a good sandwich.  The rolls I take to work however, are constructed with eating Al'desco in mind.  Nothing that is likely to fall apart or leave my hands in a sticky mess.  There is nothing worse than answering the phone with pickle and mayo all over your mits.

But I'm at home for lunch all this week, so today I'm celebrating with a proper two-handed sandwich*.  I'm not going to go daft and try to recreate a towering Scooby snack, complete with an olive on a cocktail stick.  I have the morning off, not all day, and my jaw isn't fitted with a 180o hinge.

My sandwich is fully loaded though.  Dijon mustard, Wiltshire Ham, Strong Lincolnshire Cheese**, tomato, cucumber, rocket and mayo.  All between two slices of home made wholegrain bread.  This would be all over my keyboard in the office.  At home I can take my time.

*a sandwich so mighty you need to eat it with two hands or risk losing its contents over your lap.
**grated, it just tastes better.