:: food for thought ::

for some obscure reason this time of year seems to make me obsess about food. 
is it master chef, is it the cold weather, is it spending time indoors?
if i am not reading about food, i am cooking and eating.

the thing i love about cooking is not just that it feeds my family and sustains us, but that it is a gift to them.
each time i present them with something that is pleasing to the eye and the palate it is an expression of love and it is often a piece of  family history on a plate.

 

when i cook i like to line up my utensils and my ingredients in an orderly manner.

yesterday when i was cooking dumplings it dawned on me that there is a very good reason for this ritualistic approach.
when i am preparing a dish that is part of my repertoire, i do so in the imagined company of many people who have taken me on that particular food journey.
there is my old and dear friend wendy who introduced me to the love of cooking more than 25 years ago,
there is my first husband who is malaysian-chinese and introduced me to a new and exotic world of tastes and ingredients that were alien to such a young girl, with such anglicised tastes,
there is my 27 year old son who amazes me with his cooking knowledge and ability and who always compliments and relishes my food,
and then there is nonna, an old lady from across the road who died several years ago. she didn't speak a word of english and i don't speak  italian and yet we managed to communicate, and our common link was food.
 each time i line up fresh soft dumplings on the old red tin tray she gave me i think of her.
and of course there are the people who will share the meal and enjoy it with me.
during the period of preparation the thoughts that run through my head are of these people and the influence that they have on the food that i cook and the way that i cook it.
i am grateful for my ability to make good food, for the relationships that i have with people through my love of cooking and for the fact that it gives me so much pleasure.

Comments

[LeelaBijou]

I have always heard that a good dish can connect people, hehe. Sometimes it´s true :)

Oh, and your dish looks extremely yummy!! :)

[tracylea]

oh my goodness. they are beautiful.. and I am very hungry right now :) Food is very comforting and I'm sure even more so when one has the patience to make it so lovingly!

[little grubs]

Reading this post has just given me hope. I have been making new things this last week and almost every night it has been greeted with dismay by my little girls. I am hoping that one day they will remember their mum cooking lovely things they loved! I think that I would like to come to dinner at your house! xx

[helena / little mo]

I perfectly understand what you mean. This year I seem to have really taken a great interest in food, in particular trying out various recipes.

Whilst I grew up eating asian food, it's the one dish I've noticed that I cant cook very well! Or maybe because I keep thinking my asian dishes are never as good as my mum. It never taste the same..or maybe it's because they're not here with me to eat at the table. Food always taste better when it's a large family affair!