the other little nibblers

Every story needs its cast of characters.  And here is mine – all those little nibblers out there who help make my life that little bit sweeter, and make all the nibbles and scribbles worthwhile…

The Gribbler

The Gribbler

(avert eyes now to avoid slush factor)

One of the more frequent characters whose (online) name you will see popping up amongst these pages, The Gribbler, aka the Love of my Life, aka my gorgeous Silver Fox, aka my wonderful and very long-suffering boyfriend.  Brixton-based – so you (mostly, see below) have him to thank for  all scribbles around and about my adopted ‘hood of late – he has a few cracking dishes up his own metaphorical culinary sleeve.  Unfortunately, we both share the charming characteristic of being absolutely unbearable with low blood sugar levels.  Fortunately, though, we are both quite good and knowing when it hits.  Coffee fiend, lover of all things Rowley Leigh (Financial Times), a pretty dab hand in the kitchen (particularly: grr man food, stews, chutneys, old skool British grub).

The Bibblers

The Bibblers

The Gribbler’s two little mischievous monkeys – Bibbler 1 is 8, Bibbler 2 6 – named ‘bibblers’ because of their tendency to potter along in a little (rather imaginative) world of their own – not entirely unlike their darling daddy…

Adventurous eaters, willing to try all market ‘taste offerings’ (warning: if you see a small redhead and a taller blonde girl approaching your stall, it would be wise to hide your wares…) you’ll see these two making an appearance in child-friendly establishments, as well as any Epic Food Adventures – The Gribbler’s self-prescribed missions which likely include a market visit, massive investments in large cuts of meat/whole fish/interesting shellfish and basketloads of market-bought veg.

The Sweet Tooth

The Sweet Tooth

My bestest girlfriend, and favourite (female) partner-in-crime since I was 18, The Sweet Tooth’s mission in life appears to be to make me give up giving up everything bad for me (more recently chocolate and alcohol…).

Gung Ho and Chutzpah are this lady’s middle names (I know, seriously, who could do that to a kid), and she will rise to any challenge set which, if you check out my own profile, kind of shows why we are such bosom buds.

Any trip which the Sweet Tooth accompanies me on and we are likely, nay obliged, to try at least one of the respective establishment’s sweet offerings.  Thankfully she lives just a mere sneeze away from The Gribbler, so we are slowly starting to create our own little London village!

The Chutney Monster

The Chutney Monster

Do not be fooled by this one’s innocent facade – for underneath that ear-to-ear grin, she is hiding a dangerous secret.

At night she goes out and hunts down innocent cheeses and chutneys and OBLITERATES THEM ALL.

Truly it is a terrifying sight to behold.

So do not get between her and a cheeseboard, if she is yielding a knife.  Your life may be at stake.  Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Thankfully, after many years of living with me at University, the Chutney Monster has now confirmed that I am, in fact, a friend, not foe (I occasionally distract her by means of various gifts: cheese knives, home-made chutney and wooden breadboards), and we spend very happy lunchtimes pootling round a market near her (Pimlico) or me (Spitalfields), and then gorging ourselves stupid on our loot, whilst somehow managing to simultaneously talk at a million miles an hour.  She may be dangerous, but she is AWESOME.

TeaBoy

TeaBoy

His head isn’t really shaped like that, honest.

It’s just, for some reason, that’s the way I’ve been drawing him since I’ve known him…TEN WHOLE YEARS!  And all that time he has been making me absolutely cracking cups of tea, accompanied by good chat.

TeaBoy is from Oop Norf.  Well, sort of, although I’m told Chester isn’t actually as oop norf as I seem to think it is.  Still, it gives me a chance to occasionally throw in my really good northern accent, which I know TeaBoy appreciates.

And recently we found out that not only is he a dab hand with tea, but he makes a pretty mean pancake as well.  Possibly the best meal known to mankind…

More still to come…