Growing up during the war meant that our meals were dictated by food ration books and coupons – I couldn't believe it the first time I saw an orange and a banana! My mother was a very good cook, though, so we always ate well – she'd do chicken, roasts and stews, and taught me how to make them all. Those are the kinds of foods I tend to make now. My husband always laughs at me when we talk about going out for dinner because I always suggest going to Le Caprice – he says, "That's because you want to have fish and chips, Barbara," and it's true. You don't lose the taste for staple foods like that.
In winter, I make lamb stew a lot. Liquidy, slow-cooked things are good for me because, if I'm in the middle of a book, I have a habit of burning pans – I'm always wandering back to my office. For the stew I'll use shoulder and neck cuts from the butcher, and the secret is not to just throw the meat into the pot – I do it the way my mother taught me, which is to roll the meat in flour, then sauté it to seal in the flavour. I use a chicken broth – from the same butcher – with it, and add carrots, onion and a bouquet garni. Delicious.
Cooking is a very relaxing thing for me, especially if I've been writing all day. It makes me feel domesticated, and I forget the career woman side of me for a little while. Over 40 years of marriage I have had to cater to my husband's tastes, too. He's never been a big fish eater, but I've forced him. He'd much rather have meat. I do a lot of cod and Chilean sea bass – what he calls "soft fish". I either bake or sauté it in a little butter – not too much, else it would defeat the purpose.
I am weight-conscious all the time, and try to keep it under control (the deep fat fryer I bought to make good chips a while back very rarely sees the light of day) because, while I'm not fat, I wouldn't say I was thin, either. And I avoid salt altogether in cooking – I've never been a fan, and can always taste the difference when I eat out. Also, I rarely serve dessert because I prefer fresh fruits – blueberries, strawberries and cherries when they're in season.
That said, I do sometimes, as a treat, buy a tin of creamy custard from the English food shop in New York. That, and some salad cream.
I think the way I eat keeps me very healthy, and I wouldn't change it. I look pretty good. I may be in my 70s, but what's a number? I feel 30 inside.
Dr John Briffa's verdict
Fish & chips Fish gets my vote, but I'm less enthusiastic about the batter and chips. They are rich in carbohydrate and omega-6 oils, which we should avoid in excess. However, this dinnertime treat needs to be taken in the context of Barbara's general diet, which overall is nutritionally balanced.
Lamb neck A good protein-rich "primal" food. Like butter, we're often encouraged to be wary of lamb on account of its rich content of saturated fat. However, there really is no good evidence incriminating saturated fat from a health perspective, and besides, the predominant fat in lamb is actually monounsaturated.
Chicken broth Broth or stock is generally a healthy brew, rich in a range of nutrients (including calcium and magnesium) as well as building blocks of cartilage and tendon that just might help keep Barbara's joints in good nick. This golden liquid is a good hearty basis for a soup or stew.
Sea bass Fish is always generally going to rate highly from a nutritional perspective, being a natural, protein-rich food. Other forms of fish such as sardine, mackerel and salmon will offer more in the way of health-giving omega-3 fats. The problem is, such species tend to be very "fishy", and are therefore likely to be a step too far for those like Barbara's husband who are not naturally inclined to eat fish.
Fresh fruit Fruit is a generally nutritious food, but does comes with a lot of sugar which isn't always a good thing. One of the good things about Barbara's fruit choices is that they tend to be highly nutritious but relatively low in the sugar stakes. Nice choice.
Tinned custard This comfort food is too sugary to be healthy, but as with the fish and chips, as an occasional item it does not detract too much from Barbara's generally healthy diet.
Butter Butter's main constituent is saturated fat, which science has now exonerated regarding its purported role in heart disease. The rest of butter comes mainly in the form of monounsaturated fat which, if anything, has benefits for heart health. Bearing in mind these facts, it's perhaps no surprise that studies do not link butter eating with enhanced risk of heart disease. Gets my vote.
