"Soup"erb

The current Mrs James is currently feeling a bit under the weather due a particularly bad cold and has spent the best part of a couple days shivering in bed and aching all over.

M-I-L decided to "help" by making our evening meal. Now, I could wax lyrical about her (in)ability to prepare food, and her complete lack of grasp of the concept of hygiene, but suffice it to say that I was not overjoyed when I arrived home to that piece of news.

Tea turned out to be something which purported to be soup, but was in fact a very small pack of assorted pot-herbs boiled mercilessly for several hours in a very large amount of water. (When it comes to preparing soup, M-I-L has no concept of "less is more", preferring to go along with the contrary "more is more". In all cases, the "more" involves the addition of copius quantities of water).

Also, you'd think the stock cube had never been invented, or any other flavour enhancing additive for that matter. What I was presented with looked and tasted similar to something which could more easily have been prepared by placing a bowl under the hot water tap.

Giving credit where it's due though, I have to admire her artistry in skilfully removing any trace of what might be considered to be flavour, body, or nutrition from said delicacy.

Jamie Oliver must be sh*tting himself!