I sent a member a private message because it was too lengthy to post in the main forum, but then, that set train in motion, on another tangent and possibly one which is worthy of thought and discussion.
I would be interested to read how your "passion" in cooking was born. Was it because you have childhood memories of helping your parents in the kitchen - or was it a place that you ate, that you thought, I could do that, just as well or better? Was it because someone complimented on your food?
When did you first become introduced to international cuisine? How did that happen for you?
I share below a little bit of my journey.
My late mother:
- She had a beautiful flower garden and an extensive vegetable garden. However, her meals were somewhat simple from memory (and my mother died when I was 12) - and that was a long time ago! But I do recall that every Sunday lunch there was a roast - whether that was lamb, beef or chicken.
- She would cook fish - because my father loved fishing.
- Lamb chops.
- I even recall her cooking lambs fry (offal) - and I remember turning up my nose.
- My father loved tripe - not something that I acquired a taste for (the smell was enough).
- She made a lovely bread and butter pudding.
- My father was a man who enjoyed a piece of protein - and three vegetables on his plate. As a little girl, I remember shelling peas from the pods, and topping and tailing the beans that came directly out of her lovely garden.
I only cook with canola oil - and never very much. Sometimes I will add a knob of butter into the oil - because sometimes my gut tells me that is what I need to do. Rightly or wrongly others may very well have their own opinion about that.
The fact is, I doubt my mother ever cooked a curry in her life. If she did, I doubt if my father would have been too pleased. He had a very traditional 1960s man's pallet. When did our pallets change – and when did food become so diverse? I am wondering whether issues with health and the like, is as a result of our changing environment? I am wondering whether our bodies need certain elements – and by introducing various spices – that we are not accustomed to, has had an impact on our gut health.
If you consider, as an example, in England during the war years, food was rationed . Lard was given, eggs were scarce and so too was butter. I am wondering following the war, whether that was when people’s pallets changed and the start of a food revolution? When people started travelling more extensively. I just wonder, all of this and more.
If you look at the introduction of Asian Cuisine – and I can only speak from a New Zealander’s point of view. My understanding was that the first Chinese restaurant opened in NZ in the late 60s – early 70s. As a child of the 60s and 70s I do not recall my father ever going to a Chinese restaurant. His go to, was the family pup arrangement and very occasionally he would take my younger brother and I to a small restaurant where they cooked fish ‘n chips. I can still remember sitting in the window seat waiting for the meal to be serve. The waiter brought out one piece of bread per person on a bread and butter plate. I remember my father taking the butter and covering the bread and then picking up the salt and pepper shaker and seasoning same. My guess that is what he had always done – and the bread was eaten before the main meal was brought to the table. The waiter would then bring out the main meals and more bread. I think the idea was that you should eat your bread with the fish ‘n chips and not before the main meal had been presented. In fact the vegetables – was just a small amount of coleslaw – a wedge of lemon, and two small jugs one filled with vinegar and the other with Tartar sauce. I do not remember seeing tomato sauce on the table. Not to mention the fried eggs – one egg on my plate, one on my younger brother’s plate and more than one on my father’s plate which I always thought was unfair.
I do not recall our family ever having KFC. I do remember the first KFC shop opening in the town where I was born. But there was concern over the “fast food” aspect in our household. In 1976 McDonalds came to town.
So with the fast food outlets, came concern over obesity. What has been noted, and sadly, I think is that there was a generation of children who grew up on fast food – and their ability to cook and their ability to grow vegetables in their garden, became lost in the name of 'progress'. What do you think?
All of my siblings love fresh vegetables and we love our gardens – and we love food. We enjoy wholesome cuisine and we are not afraid to look outside the box.
About 10 years ago I travelled to India. A holiday of a lifetime and stayed with an Indian family on their farm. That was my real first experience of Indian food - apart from ordering butter chicken. Now I seldom touch butter chicken but have in my pantry alot of Indian spices. One family gathering I arranged, I cooked Indian Cuisine. No forks were allowed. Fingers were encouraged to be used - and there is nothing more satisfying than taking your hand, taking rice or roti and eating from the plate without a fork to where first your nose can smell the armoas followed by the explosion of taste that your tastebuds enjoy.
I learned about Chinese cuisine - and how to cook it - when I befriended a Chinese lady who was new to NZ. She opened a cafe - and needed help with english. That was the start of a wonderful journey.
Simple acts of kindness, can lead to wonderful adventures and mine have always been about food.
With well wishes,
Robyn