IB次元官网网址檓 not an especially good cook.
Mostly, I get by.
I donB次元官网网址檛 mind cooking, though anything that takes a lot of time becomes less appealing to increasingly screen-addicted me.
As a kid, I cooked exactly one staple meal for myself B次元官网网址� hamburger patties, with mashed potatoes and baked beans. Cut up the patties, and mush everything together. Sounds tasty, right?
And pretty much the only reason I made it for myself was because it offended the culinary sensibilities of my Mum so much, she simply refused to take part.
My Mum was an amazing cook.
I grew up in a time where you didnB次元官网网址檛 watch TV at dinner time (a rule I quickly waived as an adult), gathered at the table as a family, passed everything to the left and had a fairly regular weekly menu.
Mondays, pork chops in mushroom sauce; Tuesdays, spaghetti; Sundays roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, etc.
There was also the baking. Lots of baking. Cookies, cakes, dessert bars and more.
The smells were glorious. Walk in the door and your nostrils were overcome with delight.
It was amazing. All my buddiesB次元官网网址� houses smelled like that, too. The Ramwell house always smelled like there were six chefs in the kitchen. The Tillberg home often smelled like a bakery.
EveryoneB次元官网网址檚 mom could have had their own TV cooking show.
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My sister definitely had the cooking gene passed on to her. Me? Not so much.
I have the palate of a nine-year-old and think ketchup is the nectar of the gods.
We lost Mum when we were still basically kids, so I essentially entered adulthood with limited culinary skills.
At first, I relied a lot on my friends B次元官网网址� Ron, Wendy, the colonel.
Not good.
As I entered more of a fitness stage, nutrition became more important, so I ate much healthier, but the dishes were exceptionally bland.
It also began the B次元官网网址榚verything in the poolB次元官网网址� phase that continues to this day, whereby a pot of rice is complemented by anything I can find in the fridge B次元官网网址� chicken, ground beef, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, cornB次元官网网址� anything. All added together in the one pot and grazed upon for three or four days, requiring little else in the way of cooking during that time.
IB次元官网网址檓 not totally bereft of skills. I can grill a steak, do up the Mickey Mouse pancakes, create a nice homemade stir fry and can open the heck out of the convenient bagged pasta dishes they sell nowadays.
I even went through a brief period of ordering the pre-packaged, delivered meals that include all the ingredients and all you have to do is follow the directions. But there was seemingly never enough to feed everyone, the selection was limited, you could just get all the stuff at the grocery store anyway and it seemed like a lot of work.
My son was a fairly picky eater growing up, so there was no need to offer up the varied menu my Mum perfected. His little brother only likes one or two staples as well, so again thereB次元官网网址檚 little need to diversify my portfolio at this point.
But that doesnB次元官网网址檛 mean IB次元官网网址檒l never try.
I was thinking about MumB次元官网网址檚 cooking the other day, as I patted myself on the back for steaming some broccoli and thought about bleaching my hair like Guy Fieri.
I asked my sister if she still had the old plastic container of MumB次元官网网址檚 recipes, many passed down from my Nana. I marvel at the time it must have taken in those pre-internet days to type out dozens and dozens of recipes on little cards.
She had the recipes and sent me a few of my favourites, including my all-time favourite, peach upside-down pudding cake.
I havenB次元官网网址檛 tried yet, because IB次元官网网址檓 kind of afraid I wonB次元官网网址檛 do it justice. But IB次元官网网址檒l make the time. I have to now.
If you have a favourite family recipe or two of your own, feel free to drop me an email. Maybe IB次元官网网址檒l try one of those, too.
PQB B次元官网网址/Vancouver Island Free Daily editor welcomes your questions, comments or story ideas. He can be reached by email at philip.wolf@blackpress.ca or by phone at 250-905-0029.
