Growing old but do we have to grow up?

What foods comfort you? What foods make you happy? What foods even make you sad?

Foods help to remind us of days long gone.  Memories of childhood can be conjured in a matter of moments when we decide what to eat.  Like for instance our favourites sweets. Or our first meal after falling ill. Or a dish by a favourite auntie .... But best of all is re-living the experience while eating such food.  A child-like sensation encouraging a playful, trouble free mind.  Sheer delight and relief at the familiar.

I know what I'd choose. Number one would be a buttered  baby chapati straight off the tawer hot and steaming.  My close second, cheese on toast.  A thick plank of bread overflowing with extra mature cheddar and a splashing of Worcester sauce.  Number three would be buckets of the best vanilla ice cream served in waffle cones.  Finally, I love home made rice pudding.

I remember my mother at the cooker finishing off the chapatis. With a her last bit of dough she made a baby roti just for me.    Just what I needed to see me through until lunch.  It made me feel special as it came from the top of the tower of  larger chapattis ready for the feast.

Ice Cream.  Mmmm.   I remember the days of the ice cream van driving up our cobbled back street and seeing everyone's faces light up..I would plead with Mum or Dad until they were persuaded.   I remember running through the kitchen with the pennies clutched tightly in my hand and out of the back door shouting to the other kids not to let him go as I was on my way,   My delight at the choices whilst standing in the queue.

Our monies never stretched to a flake or one of the super dooper lollies.   Instead we made do with double serving of strawberry sauce.   If "Mr Italyo", as we called him, was feeling in a very good mood he would give me a sprinkling of nuts too.  The trouble was that as soon as he saw me and my friends he knew what the order would be.  One cone.  One scoop.   No fancy bits.

I remember thinking that one day I would be able to buy a double cone with two flakes.   I would imagine him saying "Now are you sure you will be able to eat all that?" "No Problem, Mr Italyo.  It's easy peasy."   I'd say.

He was called "Mr. Italyo" because he owned the famous Italian cafe up the road.  I used to see him through the windows of the cafe where the full range of ice cream flavours was served. It was in truth more a transport cafe than a" ristorante or trattoria" and definitely not for kids.  I heard that he served the best breakfast in town.   The "Full English" sign in the window made me think that the cafe was exclusively for the English and that they would be full after eating all that ice cream.  

I still like to take my time in a sweet shop and find the child in me creeps back when marvelling at the choice and colour..The anticipation  makes me feel like it's time never to grow up even as I grow older.  

I scream for ice cream!

I like ice cream, me you know.

After handbags, shoes and earrings, a bit of sexy vanilla keeps this girl sweet.

I've tasted ice cream in at least 23 countires including Barbados, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Poland, Spain and the United States- Miami and Florida keys 

After I had won BBC's Britain's Best Cook award I wandered around the West End in a daze trying to take it all in. Well after midnight I chanced upon Scoop Gelato in Shorts Gardens. I was amazed it was still open.  I told the proprietor that ice cream was my favourite.  He invited me in and let me sample almost every single flavour bar amaretto and green tea. He was really cute.  I was on top of the world.  The BBC trophy was in my hotel room.  I bought the biggest tub on offer and took it back to the hotel with me.  I scoffed it while soaking in the bath.

A week before the Royal Wedding I visited St. Andrews and saw where the Great Romance started. And I chanced upon Jannetta's in South Street.  Mmm .... yummy.  There is clearly more to St Andrews than golf and pier walks. 

So what about ice cream in Yorkshire? Two of my favourite gelateria are farms near Holmfirth.

There's Dearn Lea in Shelley.  The cone in the picture to the top right is one of theirs. 

And then there's Yummy Yorkshire near High Flatts. This is one of their tubs.  I had a scoop with a mince pie.

Both Dearn Lea and Yummy Yorkshire are working farms. You can visit the cows if you want though I'd prefer to visit the tea shop . The cows are very clean as are their quarters but even clean cows are a bit whiffy. If you must mither the moos sample your flavours first as you may not stomach it the other way round.