I'm sure many of you thought I was going to post about the fine art of crisped bread, warmed and slathered with butter and jam (which, yes, I actually am quite the expert on). In this case, Toast is a delightfully quirky film about Nigel Slater, the famous cookery writer, and his lonely childhood as he seeks comfort in food. Being on this side of the pond, and not much into cooking shows, memoirs, and the like, I shamefully admit that I was completely unaware of Mr. Slater, so I was simply swept away in a whimsical film starring Helena Bonham Carter, one of my favorite actresses.

Set in the 1960s, this imaginatively filmed story explains the very foundation for why Nigel Slater fell in love with cooking. When Nigel's mother passes away, neither Nigel or his father turn to each other for comfort.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Truer words could not have been spoken for Joan Potter, played by Helena Bonham Carter, as she sashays her way into their lives, brilliantly cleaning and cooking, leaving her own unhappy life behind. Unfortunately, she is severely lacking in warmth, or even compassion, for the young boy who becomes her stepson, and although young Nigel is enamored with food and recipes and delectably edible creations (to the point that looking at cookbooks under the covers late at night with a flashlight instead of a risque magazine is the norm for him) he and his new stepmom never see eye to eye.

Instead, their mutual love of food and what it can do to win the notice and affection of Nigel's father is the center of it all, and the competition begins to heat up. Nigel's love affair with food continues throughout his young life, and when he decides to take Home Economics instead of Shop class in high school, he flourishes even more. Now, though, the competitiveness becomes a tangible thing between Nigel and his stepmother, as now Nigel understands the basics and the science of cooking good food. Can Nigel win his father's attention? Or will Joan maintain the sole adoration? When the battle comes down to lemon meringue pie, it is deliciously heartbreaking.

Though the film pops of humor, it's actually a very sad story. Nigel's memoir clearly translates well, and beautifully, to the big screen. This is not, though, a film for those who prefer a lot of movement and fast-pacing; instead, this is for those who are prepared to enjoy a slowly told, illusory and offbeat tale centered around food. With its brilliant moments of dark, sad humor, swirled around recipes and the 1960s, it's a film I'll watch again, and soon. The visual appeal of the time is wonderful and represented well with its soft hues, and there are some seriously heart-wrenching moments of contradiction as Nigel's father dismisses everything his young son tries to make, yet raves over everything Mrs. Potter throws together. I wanted to reach into the story and beg his father to notice his son, just once, to take note of Nigel's wonderful attempts to try, to make spaghetti bolognese, if only just to please his father.

Without question, Helena Bonham Carter is perfectly cast as the chain-smoking woman from the wrong side of the tracks who is hired as the family's housekeeper after the mother passes away, and who seductively wedges her way into their lives. Oscar Kennedy as the nine-year-old Nigel is unbelievably good and I can't wait to see how his career evolves. Freddie Highmore as the teenage Nigel knocks it out of the park, and I've just realized he was in the film Finding Neverland. Ken Stott as Nigel's father is *it,* he is the right guy for this role. Well cast, filmed, and directed.

Loved this movie. Clearly, I now need to read all of Nigel Slater's books.

Visit Nigel Slater:

• On his website
• On Twitter
• And I loved this article in The Guardian

Weekend Cooking is a weekly meme hosted by Beth Fish Reads. It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, grab the button and link up anytime. You do not have to post on the weekend. Click here to see more of this week's participants.

Nigel Slater Image Credit from the BBC.

Every now and then when I read a book, I get motivated to look up the food that's mentioned, especially when I've never heard it before, so when the words "Noodle Pudding" danced along the pages of Night Swim by Jessica Keener, I thought I might give it a whirl. It has egg noodles, cottage cheese, and... sugar? I initially expected a dessert of some sort, especially since it has Graham Cracker Crumbs as a topping.

I'm not knowledgeable on the best cookbooks, so after I exhausted Google, I clicked on one option from allrecipes.com and thought it sounded simple and unique. And it was. I liked it a lot and I've never tasted anything quite like this! I found it was actually more suited to be a good side dish for a big family meal. I might make this for Thanksgiving this year.

My husband loved it. He ate it as a side with chicken, and even warmed some up for breakfast.

Here's the family recipe from agk1.

Noodle Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) package wide egg noodles
• 1 (16 oz) package cottage cheese
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large casserole dish.
2. Cook egg noodles until al dente; drain.
3. In a large bowl, blend together cottage cheese and cream cheese until smooth.
4. Mix in sour cream, vanilla extract, sugar, and eggs.
5. When noodles are done, drain, and return noodles to pot; set on cooled stove top.
6. Stir 1/2 cup melted butter into noodles.
7. Combine cheese mixture and noodles into bowl; blend well.
8. Place into casserole dish.
9. Topping: Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar. Sprinkle evenly over top of noodle mixture.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
11. Then, lower temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking for 45 minutes.
12. Cool before cutting; serve warm.

Weekend Cooking is a feature hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is an opportunity each week to share your food love. It is open to anyone who has a food-related post to share. Whether it's a recipe, a film about food, or a book, click here to visit her site and read about the feature. Don't forget to link up your food-related posts each week.

Moving back to Virginia Beach allows me to return weekly to Angie's Bakery, a Filipino bakery about fifteen minutes from my house. Among the many delicacies available, I am a big fan of ensaymada and pandesal, and every time I go to the bakery, it reminds me of my mother and my family in the Philippines.

As the Philippines was once a settlement of Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries, several of the recipes have these Spanish roots. One is Ensaymada, which is a sweet bread pastry. With a cup of coffee in the morning, it is one of the best ways to start your day off. It's a fluffy concoction with a luscious buttery cream coating on top and while it's sweet, it's not rich or overwhelming. It's just perfect.

Pandesal is basically what some may be more familiar with as a breakfast or dinner roll, but it is so much more than that. It's got a hint of sweetness that adds to the flavor without making it too sweet to eat any time of the day or night. It is my absolute favorite. Angie's Bakery in Virginia Beach makes them fresh, and they have a constant stream of people walking in and standing in line to order them. They literally take them out of the oven, put them in the paper packaging and it's impossible to be on your way home without grabbing one and munching as you drive. Not to mention, your car ends up smelling amazing with the warm baked bread scent... If you get a chance, get it fresh and hot after they are pulled out of the oven. They are so soft and delicious and divine.

Weekend Cooking is a feature hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is an opportunity each week to share your food love. It is open to anyone who has a food-related post to share. Whether it's a recipe, a film about food, or a book, click here to visit her site and read about the feature, and also to link your posts up each week.

This is my first time participating in Beth Fish Reads' weekly meme and I'm so excited to share this one with you. I was in the mood to make something with blueberries for my husband's co-worker as a thank you to her and her husband for hosting a party and I stumbled upon this recipe at The Travel Bite. (I don't have a lot of cookbooks for some reason, so I normally just jump online.) My goal is to be much more creative in 2012 so being more in the kitchen are on the list, along with scrapbooking and journaling. I used to do all of this years ago, but work has pulled me away from most of that. So, these Blueberry & White Chocolate Chip Cookies looked like they might just do the job.

And. They. DID.

Oh, my goodness. They weren't overly sweet, they were just right! The punch of the blueberry and the sweetness of the white chocolate were a wonderful combination and the dough has an almost cake-like consistency. I can see why The Travel Bite writer wrote that she would eat these for breakfast also. YUM. (By the way, you MUST visit her site, it is delish).

The recipe came from The Travel Bite and the box to put the cookies in (along with ribbon and sticker) is Martha Stewart.

Maine Blueberry & White Chocolate Chip Cookies*

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup medium-cut oats (not quick cooking)
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup fresh Maine blueberries (if frozen, allow to thaw and drain) I used regular blueberries

*I used regular blueberries; no Maine options here, but the regular ones worked just fine!

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, sour cream, and sugars and beat on medium speed until well blended. Add the egg and mix until smooth.
3. Add baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and salt to the mixture and combine.
4. Fold in the oats, then the flour and mix until just blended. Fold in the white chocolate chips and the blueberries.
5. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a parchment- or silicone-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until puffed and barely dry to the touch. Try not to allow the cookies to brown.
6. Eat!

Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend.