A better day for biriyani
My neighbour has been round twice this week to give us ham with a teddy face that her grandson doesn't want to eat; it has not been a good week for curry. My family and I have grazed on summer party food aimed at children: wotsits, baps and fairy cakes. Even when Salim and his mum came for tea, the most cooking I could muster was fishfingers and I was pleased with myself for remembering not to serve his on the plate with the picture of the piggy and to have hidden the teddy ham on the top shelf of the fridge. 'Can't I have rice?' he asked. This afternoon, my body was asking the same thing. There had been one barbecued value burger too many. And so it was of immense relief to be asked to pop round to Sajida's for biriyani. 'The kids hate school dinners,' she said, 'so I always make rice for after school.' We used to have crackers with margarine in the same situation. I hadn't recognised her at first. We were trying to manoeuvre our buggies ro...