So what triggers off your "Ooooh I can remember that...." moment?
I was in Waitrose the other day and walked past the lovely desserts in the fridge section. I was drawn to some lovely chocolate puddings that you only needed to put in the microwave for a few seconds and then the Spotty Dick! Now who remembers that? OK before anyone gets all concerned I'm being rude....I'm not! Spotty Dick is a delightful steamed pudding with currants and or raisins being the spots. My nan used to make the most wonderful Spotty Dick and jam rolly polly too. What a treat with wonderful thick custard.
Back in the days of my childhood cooking really was cooking and not just a packet you stuffed in the microwave. My nan would slave over the oven most days to make some tasty thing to eat. She would cook the most wonderful liver and bacon casserole, oxtail stew and even lamb casserole complete with pearl barley. I bet no one even knows what to do with pearl barley nowdays. Fridays was always fish and chips day. Nan used to queue up for what seemed like ages at the chippy and would get a wing of skate for my grandad and she would have roe in batter. Traditions.....non existant now days. Isn't that sad!
Sadly my very dear nan isn't with us any more and I miss her like mad but I remember her everytime I cook. I used to watch her like a hawk when I was small when she went into the kitchen to cook. She had a small kitchen, hardly any gadgets but her food was always the most wonderful I have ever tasted.
I recently had my sons friend stay to Sunday dinner. I don't know about you but I always cook a Sunday roast with roast potatos, Yorkshire pudding, vegtables and stuffing. While I was cooking the friend stood glued to my side watching every thing I did. While I made the gravy he announced "ooh you don't make gravy like that" as I stirred the meat juices round the baking tray. I asked him how I should be making it and he replied "with those granules you add boiling water to"!! I told him to tell me what the gravy tasted like after he had eaten his dinner. He also told me off for not using Aunt Bessies frozen Yorkshire puddings! He ate his dinner and announced that he would be telling his mum about the gravy and the Yorkshire puddings and how much he had enjoyed the dinner. Needless to say he is a regular visitor on a Sunday in the hope he will get an invite to stay for dinner.
Now I was saddened that his mum obviously didn't take the time to cook how I would call "properly" and to him it was proper food! To me it's just not "real" cooking!
