Mother’s Passion

Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

My childhood was filled with delightful foods. Although my mother needed help in order to look after my sister, me and the house, she needed no help to cook amazing delicacies for our family. Cooking was her passion.

In England, we ate our main meal in the middle of the day at school and our “tea time” consisted of, you guessed it, tea with scones or other homemade delights. Scones still remain my favourite treat here in Canada, but I let the bakery make them now as cooking is no longer my passion after so many years of providing meals to my own family.,

Every Christmas, mince pies are present on our table, but none compare to those that my mother made. She had a knack for making the most flaky, melt-in-your-mouth, pastry ever! Butter, butter and more butter! We were limited to only a few each day until my second-born arrived on December 22 and I was in hospital over Christmas. My mother brought me a beautiful tin full of them, all for me, and I ate my fill.

My mother also took a French Cooking class in Toronto and that marked the beginning of the “grand experiment” of our juvenile taste buds! Each weekend we were treated to haute cuisine and a new dish, which was sauteed or seared, poached or grilled. A new burst of herbs each time, which startled a young palate. I must admit to being a bit less fond of the entrees and more interested in the desserts! But Mother taught me how to feed my own family and do it well.

So whenever I see scones, mince pies, or quiche, my mind goes to my Mother, whose passion for cooking filled my young years with delight. Even as she struggled with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, she continued to try to cook until it was no longer safe for her to be at home and definitely past the time that it was safe for her to be in the kitchen.

Hats off to you Mom! Gone but definitely not forgotten.