Do you love to cook? Do you love to fill the bellies of those you adore? Do you want to make just an ordinary meal into a taste of delight? Me too ...
As a little girl, I'd spend a lot of weekends with my grandmother, Verene ... I have very fond memories of walking into her little old house on Semaphore Road in Adelaide, South Australia. As we walked down the rickety, wonky, lopsided hallway, there was always an aroma coming from the kitchen. Whether it be the wood burning in the old stove, or the sweet smell of homemade scones cooling on the table under the window, there was always a drift of magnificence floating in the air. As we approached Grandma's kitchen, there she'd be, at the head of the kitchen table with her apron on ... I love that memory, it brings alive all the senses from back then; the warmth of the sunlight through the back kitchen window, the pupils dilating as we saw what's on the coming menu, the wafting smells of yumminess, the feeling of being loved because she made this for us and the taste buds frolicking as they eagerly await their satisfaction.
I remember being able to assist her from a very young age. Grandma would hand out huge responsibilities as she would teach the art of squeezing all the juice out of the lemon, limes and oranges or spread the flour on the right spot of the kitchen table so the dough could be kneaded to perfection. I remember always asking "what's next?", and she'd reply, "don't forget to add a cup of love!" ... I'd giggle as she'd scoop up a cup of thin air love to put in whatever recipe we were creating, and boy, did it make all the difference ... It was Grandma's secret ingredient!
To this day, as I cook for my family and friends, I channel my grandma (amongst others) and say the same thing to myself whilst deep in preparation of my next course, "Don't forget to add the cup of love!" and I smile as I feel it magically pour into whatever I'm cooking. Not only does it warm the heart, but it fills the bellies of those I'm feeding. I'm not an adventurous cook, by any means, I am a full-filling cook - not just an "oh, I'm full" cook, a full-filling all the senses cook, thanks to grandma and my Mum, my aunties and my nana who all taught me a little something in the kitchen.