Mum Food

I’m not a big believer in presents for Mothers’ Day.

Yes, I did get breakfast in bed and a lovely day out with my Mum, sis and the munchkin. I also received a beautiful, handmade bookmark with the munchkin’s comments about why he loves his Mum. One cracked me up. “My Mum cooks me really good food, like pasta.” The main reason this made me laugh was that half my time, I’m “urging” him to eat it!

I did, however, buy myself a little Mothers’ Day present, the book Recipes my Mother Cooked, featuring some of Australia’s best known foodies and their mums. So, in the spirit of Mothers’ Day, I took half an hour out yesterday afternoon to read it.

Obviously to produce great chefs, food writers and TV personalities, the culture of food had to come from somewhere, so it was no surprise that most had learned a thing or two from their mothers, or that their Mums were pretty handy in the kitchen.

From my own perspective, coming from a family that was mostly raised on “meat and three veg”, the mouth-watering recipes from other cultures and from dedicated domestic goddesses, made me wonder if I’d missed out. I think not…

Despite the fact that my Mum was a fairly plain cook, mostly because my dad was a fairly plain eater, she has still left me with quite a legacy.

Firstly, she taught me all those wonderful cooking techniques – sautéing, creaming, kneading, double-pan melting ­(is that a technical term?) – in fact, all the basic skills. Combined with some Home Economics classes where I learned to make white sauce, there’s virtually nothing I can’t tackle.

Secondly, she knew how to make a mean casserole out of… virtually nothing! The day or two before payday often meant tinned spaghetti on toast or one of mum’s “creations”. The latter was definitely the preferable option. This skill has come in handy, especially during those years in share houses.

Thirdly, she passed onto me the recipe for Tia Maria Cheesecake (see below), which was her “party special”. My job as a kid was to crush the biscuits AND lick the beaters, yummo! I really need to make it again. Poor hubby has heard much about it, but never actually tasted it.

The passing down of family recipes and food culture is so often over-looked as an important part of life. Yet, it is those very recipes, smells, stories and traditions, that can bring back a sea of memories from our childhood, and bring beloved relatives back to life in our hearts.

For my most recent big zero birthday, my Mother-in-Law (MIL) gave me a most beautiful gift. She is one of those people who always embarrasses me by asking me what I want for my birthday/Christmas. I never really know what to say, and this time, what I really needed was a new apron and some tea-towels – which I duly received in abundance. However, it was the packaging that was her “real gift” to me. She had photocopied all the favourite family recipes, laminated them and made them into the box. I was presented with recipes for Aunty Margaret’s Infamous Intoxicating Trifle, Grandad’s Hot and Sour Soup, the always popular Apple and Rhubarb Crumble (of which hubby has become the master) and so many, many others. Seeing hubby’s adored Nan’s tiny writing in a tinier notebook reproduced faithfully brought tears to my eyes. It was a lovely gesture – sharing the wealth of his family food culture, allowing me to bring it alive in our home.

It is this gift that has inspired “The Mum Food Journal Project”.

The Mum Food Journal Project

Step 1: Go raid Mum’s cupboards, pester Nan and hunt out all those family recipes. (Remember that blokes have been known to cook too… your Dad or Grandad may have cooked some special dishes too.)

Step 2: Scan them, photocopy them, photograph them or even copy them by hand into your own cookbook.

Step 3: Put them together into a journal, folder, box, a blog or a book. Ideally keep two copies. One to use, one to archive.

Step 4: Wherever possible, record the stories behind them: the special techniques Mum used; the atmosphere in Grandma’s kitchen; the laughter, tears and stories that were shared as you gathered to prepare food and to eat it. Add your own memories. If the recipe has been passed down through the generations, find out its history, why certain ingredients are included, what area of the world the recipe is from, what cultural influences are at play. Were ingredients grown at home or growing wild in the local area? Were some ingredients rationed or expensive, making this dish a special treat? Was the region your ancestors came from known for this type of cooking?

Step 5. Cook those special family recipes with your kids. Encourage them to spend time cooking with grandparents. Make sure the traditions and stories are passed down to the next generation.

Step 6. Eat together as a family, at a table, as often as you can.

Food is the heart and soul of a family culture, crossing time and generation. While the modern world is a busy, busy place, we all have to eat. Let’s not lose that connection.

Marlene’s Tia Maria (or Kahlua) Cheesecake

250g plain biscuits – Chocolate Ripple are best
125g butter
500g cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 Tbls Gelatine
250ml cream (whipped)
2 Tbls Tia Maria or Kahlua
½ cup strong black coffee
125g dark chocolate

Crush the biscuits into crumbs and put into a greased spring-form pan. Pour melted butter through crumbs and press down with the back of a spoon to form a pie crust. Refrigerate.

Dissolve gelatine in hot black coffee and refrigerate until almost set.

Beat cream cheese and sugar till almost creamy. Add Tia Maria (Kahlua), coffee mixture and melted chocolate. Fold in whipped cream.

Pour into pie crust and refrigerate until set.

Decorate with grated chocolate. Serve with whipped or extra thick cream.

NB. This is a stock photo, not the actual Tia Maria cheesecake. The real thing looks just as delicious though!