It’s a weirdly exciting moment in a mother’s life when her teenage sons show an interest in cooking and actually volunteer to do it. The eldest one’s passion for Japan resulted first in tempura vegetables – really fantastic!
What was interesting for me is that I have just about never deepfried anything in my life, but he did it – certainly without any coaching from me. And, then after his 7th form year in Japan, he returned to “have a go” at making things he’d enjoyed there – I admit the thing involving raw egg I wasn’t so convinced by …
A few years on – and am astonished when middle one volunteers for a cooking night per week. Yay! but hey has he ever attempted anything but micowaved brownies?
Even more than he older one, he eschews recipes … “oh I just want to be creative … I know what I like … recipes are for dummies”. So – the first meal involved some of his fav foods, ie bacon, mushrooms, pasta and cheese. He did consult a recipe book for the cheese sauce – briefly. It was pretty good for a first effort – I did feel READLLY full.
And indeed a little while later, I noticed that half a block of tasty cheese had disappeared – no wonder we all felt like blobs!
The next week – was artistic mounds of rice with chicken and mushrooms – lots of butter involved I understand – but a concept copied from a cafe where he’d worked briefly. It was great.
But the latest one – he debated a bit about what to cook – it had to be different. Imagine my surprise (horror) when he announced he would be cooking liver and onions. As an offal hater, have never cooked the stuff myself so he certainly is expressing his individuality!
Anyway – made valiant attempt to eat it – happily he’d already identified a need for red wine to make it more palatable. Didn’t tell the younger bro what was in store as far as I knew he’d never experienced liver – so maybe he’d like it? No!
It’s all good fun. But just while on the offal subject – that same week Martin Bosley did sweatbreads in the “Listener” – and the following week, celeriac. Yuck is all I can say. Or bring back Lois Daish!
July 13, 2008 at 11:14 am |
Hey hey! Yeah, the mushroom thing was good
Sounds like I missed out with the cheese thing though! Can’t say the same about the liver though… Ah, the ol’ sukiayaki 
I still make that from time to time, but have adjusted it a bit. Reckon without the Japanese style hotplate, it’s better just putting the rice in a bowl, putting everything else on top and then of course cracking an egg on top. Will show you sometime if you’re keen to come over sometime 
Watched those two DVDs btw… The Chirstmas one looks like an advertisement for a Criscoes hamper!
July 13, 2008 at 10:59 pm |
Its terrific that your son shows an interest in food, one that is to be encouraged. Sorry to read that you personally dislike offal meats, and celeriac too. Don’t buy next week’s Listener – I am doing Chicken Livers…