I am mostly self taught. I did domestic science at school in the late 70s/early 80s and I did cook a couple of things, I think Shepherd's Pie might have been one thing, but I don't remember cooking much else at the time. My mother was a reluctant cook and I don't remember getting involved in the actual cooking of meals at home, although I was in the kitchen when she cooked because I remember her smoking while stirring a pot of something.
I left home at 17 and lived in a bedsit and survived on packets of 'Beanfeast' a dehydrated soya mince substitute. When I got sick of that, I learned to make a pasta dish demonstrated on a breakfast TV programme with Danish salami, peas, cream and bow tie pasta.
I then bought books like 1000 Recipe Cookbook, the Reader's Digest cookbook and Sunday Tilmes Cookbook. What really kick started my interest though was the Roux Brothers cooking show on the BBC in 1988 which is when I started collecting cookbooks and really taking it seriously. It's turned out to be a life long interest.
Didn't you also reach the semi finals of MasterChef? That must have been quite an achievement.
I remember the Roux Brothers' cooking shows, and so many others. It's funny, but I don't remember what else I cooked at school either. Except perhaps one thing, which turned out to be a disaster. I may save that story for a future post.
My mother cooked and baked quite a bit until arthritis set in quite early in her life. Her Stew and Dumplings were a favourite. Suet dumplings floating on the top of sweet beef gravy. Something I've tried to replicate without success.
I did reach the semi-finals of MasterChef. That was 30 years ago this year actually! It was filmed in Maidstone in September 1996 and then went out as MasterChef 1997 in the spring I think it was. Back then, it was a studio-bound cooking competition with none of the location stuff that makes the re-boot a bit more exciting. But I loved it, I felt very comfortable cooking, I think the food was pretty good and I felt a bit hard done by not to make the finals. I was beaten by the eventual winner, Julie Friend, which made it a bit easier to swallow.
I love old-fashioned suet dumplings. I generally tend to follow the packet recipe! But I sometimes add some chopped herbs, onion or bacon if I'm feeling fancy.
My mother was a good cook but we never cooked together. She did buy lots - too many really - of cookbooks and I used to look at them a cook what looked interesting. Mostly cakes and deserts but also the odd savory dish like salmon soufflet. That might have been what my first girlfriend (a good cook herself) liked about me.
So I guess I'm self-taught although I've learned a lot from my wife. But apart from lasagna, we rarely cook together so it must be from her example and critiques that I've learnt.
Interestingly while I don't think that anyone of these 3 women formally taught me anything, they must have influenced me and encouraged me to raise my standards.
The only cookbook that I remember my mother having was the Stork paperback cookbook. But the scone recipe pages are so well used, they are stuck together.
I like to say cookbooks taught me! Like N Leana’s mom, my mom would shoo me out of the kitchen, wanting me to study and “get a good education.” So I occasionally watched her but never participated. Once I was married, I had to learn and it was cookbooks that helped me (this was pre-internet). That and trial-and-error. Lots of errors, lol!
I only started my "cooking journey" when I went to college. My mum banned me from the kitchen when I was a kid - said I was such a klutz and a bookworm that I'd either hurt myself or burn the house down 😂.
(Umm I did forget to turn the kettle off a few times cos I was curled up with a book somewhere 😉.)
I was only allowed to do some prep work at the dining table - well away from any knives or fire. Shelled a lotta nuts, deveined shrimp, peeled squid…
I am mostly self taught. I did domestic science at school in the late 70s/early 80s and I did cook a couple of things, I think Shepherd's Pie might have been one thing, but I don't remember cooking much else at the time. My mother was a reluctant cook and I don't remember getting involved in the actual cooking of meals at home, although I was in the kitchen when she cooked because I remember her smoking while stirring a pot of something.
I left home at 17 and lived in a bedsit and survived on packets of 'Beanfeast' a dehydrated soya mince substitute. When I got sick of that, I learned to make a pasta dish demonstrated on a breakfast TV programme with Danish salami, peas, cream and bow tie pasta.
I then bought books like 1000 Recipe Cookbook, the Reader's Digest cookbook and Sunday Tilmes Cookbook. What really kick started my interest though was the Roux Brothers cooking show on the BBC in 1988 which is when I started collecting cookbooks and really taking it seriously. It's turned out to be a life long interest.
Didn't you also reach the semi finals of MasterChef? That must have been quite an achievement.
I remember the Roux Brothers' cooking shows, and so many others. It's funny, but I don't remember what else I cooked at school either. Except perhaps one thing, which turned out to be a disaster. I may save that story for a future post.
My mother cooked and baked quite a bit until arthritis set in quite early in her life. Her Stew and Dumplings were a favourite. Suet dumplings floating on the top of sweet beef gravy. Something I've tried to replicate without success.
I did reach the semi-finals of MasterChef. That was 30 years ago this year actually! It was filmed in Maidstone in September 1996 and then went out as MasterChef 1997 in the spring I think it was. Back then, it was a studio-bound cooking competition with none of the location stuff that makes the re-boot a bit more exciting. But I loved it, I felt very comfortable cooking, I think the food was pretty good and I felt a bit hard done by not to make the finals. I was beaten by the eventual winner, Julie Friend, which made it a bit easier to swallow.
I love old-fashioned suet dumplings. I generally tend to follow the packet recipe! But I sometimes add some chopped herbs, onion or bacon if I'm feeling fancy.
You've now got me thinking about my mother's onion gravy and humongous Yorkshire Puddings.
My mother was a good cook but we never cooked together. She did buy lots - too many really - of cookbooks and I used to look at them a cook what looked interesting. Mostly cakes and deserts but also the odd savory dish like salmon soufflet. That might have been what my first girlfriend (a good cook herself) liked about me.
So I guess I'm self-taught although I've learned a lot from my wife. But apart from lasagna, we rarely cook together so it must be from her example and critiques that I've learnt.
Interestingly while I don't think that anyone of these 3 women formally taught me anything, they must have influenced me and encouraged me to raise my standards.
The only cookbook that I remember my mother having was the Stork paperback cookbook. But the scone recipe pages are so well used, they are stuck together.
I like to say cookbooks taught me! Like N Leana’s mom, my mom would shoo me out of the kitchen, wanting me to study and “get a good education.” So I occasionally watched her but never participated. Once I was married, I had to learn and it was cookbooks that helped me (this was pre-internet). That and trial-and-error. Lots of errors, lol!
Making errors is also how we learn.
Yes, for sure!
I only started my "cooking journey" when I went to college. My mum banned me from the kitchen when I was a kid - said I was such a klutz and a bookworm that I'd either hurt myself or burn the house down 😂.
(Umm I did forget to turn the kettle off a few times cos I was curled up with a book somewhere 😉.)
I was only allowed to do some prep work at the dining table - well away from any knives or fire. Shelled a lotta nuts, deveined shrimp, peeled squid…
In my youth, I’ve let the odd pan accidentally boil dry. 😳