Things That Make My Life Complete (Post 5) Food

I should have been born French or Italian. The French love to lunch for at least an hour, they see it as pleasure and so do I. I identify with how Italians use eating as a way to connect with loved ones and share a moment.
Instead, I was born in Britain, land of stodgy food like fish and chips, bangers and mash, pies and mash, more meat and mash with buckets full of gravy. Although I am a fish and chips fan, I am also a huge fan of cuisine from around the globe. I love to cook everything from Thai curries to French Coq Au Vin.

I think I will start from the very beginning. My first memory of food was with my Nan. She grew up during the war and very used to cooking with rations and bare bits from the cupboard. She once said "you are a good cook when you can make something out of nothing". I realise now that she was teaching me some really valuble skills. The past few yearshave been pretty tough on my wallet so from learning what she taught me has come in as a lifesaver. My "chores" in her kitchen felt more like playtime. I enjoyed nothing more each Sunday other than to ice the fairy cakes, help make Nan's signature gravy and peel the veggies. Her dinner's were legendary. She lived at the bottom of her terraced street that was on an incline. The smell of her roasts would travel almost as far as my mother's house up on the hill. The rest of the family would arrive at 1pm on the dot as my Nan would have the meal on the table without fail. Her timing was impeccable. She cooked things simply, but very well. The knowledge she shared with me formed the basis of my cooking now. She passed away when I was 12 but I feel so happy to have known her.

My Mum on the other hand was more of a microwave cook, much to my Nan's annoyance. My Mum had not taken on her skills and relied on quick and easy food. She served ready meals and vegetables, at a good stretch jacket potato and salads. It was unfortunate that I would stand in the doorway of the kitchen taking on Nan's Delia Smith-esque persona critquing the bleeps, smell of blackened sausages and lack of raw peelings. I was not allowed much independence to cook in my Mum's house. She suffered with a strong compulsion to keep everything "spotless and tidy" so for me cooking everyday was out of the question. My cookery lessons with Nan were the times I looked most forward to and time most cherished.

I left home for College and Uni. I was able to cook an excellent roast from scratch but nothing with exotic or new favours. My lack in the department was evident by cooking mushy peas and curry flavoured super noodles....I will note that I was also a poor student at the time.

It did not take long for me to grow tired of mushy pea noodles so I bought a few cookbooks and began experimenting. I did not have many herbs or spices. Over the next few months I had a full cupboard of flavours, rice, pasta, couscous, lentils....

I used cooking to my advantage if I had a date, on a first date I would bring a slice of home made pie, or a fairy cake.

I had a very notable experience walking home from lectures one day. It was a cold and dark Autumnal evening and a man of Thai origin beckoned me into his take away. The smell knocked me as I entered. Fragrant and fresh. Coriander, chilli, coconut. I normally did not trust a stranger who asked me walk through his front door but he has a glint in his smiling eyes. "Come, come in. I teach you"

I had never entered a restaurant or takeaway kitchen, the experience felt beguiling. "I asked you because you said hello". "But you said hello?" "You answered!" he laughed. This guy was like a mystical genie (can genies come from Thailand?).
He taught me how to make a real authentic Thai Green Curry (I will be making a blog post about this recipe for sure).
He taught me in Thai cooking everything must be fresh. In just 10 minutes flat I was tasting the delicious curry he had made. I loved it. I had never tried Thai food before but I was in love! It was hot from the chilli, creamy from the coconut milk, coriander gave it a fresh burst and the rice soaked up all the flavour.

The recipe he taught me is one thing I cook at least once a month. Every now and again, I would come and see him to watch him cook. He told me stories about his childhood like how he would get a mountain of coconuts from one side of the village to the next...by tying them all together and floating them on the river! He was so kind, he refused to allow his menu to rise in price. He refused to use anything less than fresh so that was also costly. I could see that although he was happy to make other people happy his take away would not survive long as leasing any property in Cardiff is costly to say the least. I told him he should set up his own Thai cooking class and you know what? He did! A year later I could see students in his takeaway learning to cook as he did. The takeaway was busy, he deserved it.

Now I had discovered how to use chilli. I was adding it to dishes. My cooking horizons were expanding. I went from cooking Thai to Indian. I learnt that by heating spices in oil or ghee it releases the flavours much better than simply adding them to the sauce. I was watching Youtube videos and choosing at least a couple a week to try.

8 years ago I met the love of my life and I could not wait to cook a romantic dinner for her. Turned out, like me she loved being experimental in the kitchen. We have been cooking for eachother ever since. She is certainly the queen of pasta and I am the queen of spice.



After we got married a bit of a drama happened where we had to quickly move back to the city. As we only had a week to move out we chose the worst flat imaginable which could be described a black mouldy box. It ate most of our belongings. Our clothes rotted away within weeks, our lungs felt heavy. We had to move again. By now we had spand most of our savings that was originally planned for our Honeymoon. We were forced to part with the whole lot or become officially homeless. 6 months advance rent, plus a bond. Ouch!
We both had no money, no job, dwindling cash.

I still had the occasional life modelling gig, but it was nothing full time. An hour here, and hour there. Very casual.
During break with one class I was talking about what I would be cooking for dinner that evening and how I can make 30 pence stretch very far at mealtimes. The tutor I was speaking to got up and walked away, I really hoped I had not bored her or offended. Instead she came back with the Art Centre Manager. She told him "Kate cooks" "She could possible bake cakes...for the cafe?"
Behind the barrier was an unused cafe. It was a real shame that it was no longer used during the daytime. It had orange and while tiles. A large table. Two standing fridge freezers. Large worktops.
He turned to me and I gargled a load of words about my baking skills that may or may not have made sense that that exact moment but I was quite nervous. Ne said "yeah, alright...start next Monday?"

Me and Gem were going to be ok, I had a job baking cafes and selling them. I formed a menu and ran the cafe as if it were my own. It was great and I was happy. Every now and again I would have an art commission. One week I had three and then it snowballed. I was drawing during breaktime. Baking into the early hours. I loved the cafe, I love food but it was not my only love. Some days I was a little tired and my baking began to suffer. I was cooking "easier" recipes. People began requesting extravagant cakes like I had created before. I lacked the time and energy. I was no longer cooking for love, I was cooking knowing it would be scrutinised.



In the end I had to choose. I chose to work at home creating art (I will talk more about freelancing another time). I knew I had succeeded in earning the savings back. I no longer wanted to be judged by many people for cooking. I wanted it to be judged by one person, my wife.

As 2017 was nearing we moved into avery tiny studio flat with a teeny kitchen. So small we have to do a little jiggle dance to let eachother out of the space. It does not have room for a tall fridge freezer. We have a single fridge with only a one little compartment for frozen things. This has changed cooking for both of us for the last 4 months. Fresh cooking means fresh eating so we are getting some good health benefits out of that. I cook with Nan's original philosphy To Make Something Out of Nothing. I cook for pleasure and enjoyment and sharing with the people who I love and care about. Whether it is a meal that has only cost 10 pence to make or a meal that has cost over £10.

Do you have a favourite recipe? If so feel free to share below. I always love discovering new tasty things to make and enjoy.