In defence of mothers

I am grateful to my mother for a lot of things; insisting on me receiving a first-class education, which means I think I’m smarter than everyone else; raising me on a steady diet of cultural classics that included Gilbert & Sullivan, Playing Beatie Bow and Danny Kaye movies*, which accounts for my frequently indecipherable sense of humour; for playing taxi driver, nurse, homework editor, counsellor, sports supporter, choral enthusiast and generally giving full-throated support to the most banal of my childhood endeavours. 

However, if I were to raise one criticism, it would be that my mother did not teach me how to cook. Growing up, we didn’t even have an oven.  So when I left home, I knew how to grill a lamb chop, (over)cook vegetables and make a very sad excuse for a spag bol.

I very quickly learned that not only was there a whole world of amazing food out there; there were many, many worlds and as I took to exploring them, I realised just how large the gaps in my culinary knowledge were (to whit, they were huge. Drive-a-semi-trailer-through-them huge. I hadn’t even eaten Thai food and I live in Sydney.) So I set out to remedy this, acquiring a library of cookbooks, building my foodie knowledge and learning the basics. These, I hope to share over the coming posts, as well as the new set of gluten-friendly recipes that I have been refining since PhoodiePharmacist was diagnosed as coeliac.

One of the first things I figured out how to do was roast potatoes with a twist. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and with the tang of lemon and garlic, they are a staple that have served me well, particularly with those grilled lamb chops.

Lemon & Garlic Potatoes 

So, did your mother teach you how to cook, or did she send you out into the world equipped primarily with an ability to order take-away? And when was the first time you ate Thai?

Clementine xx

* Said Danny Kaye movies (and sense of humour) are to blame for the christening of this blog. The Court Jester is an old favourite of mine. Watch the most famous scene (and blog namesake) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3QYkUaILOI&feature=related