A Taste of Our Lives - inspired by A Taste of My Life

I love having DSTV!
I enjoy the really old movies, even the black and white ones. I also watch some of the programs on Kyk-Net as I sometimes long so for my Afrikaans heritage in this English environment that I live in. Most of all I love the inspiration that the cooking programs bring.

I recently discovered a delightful program called, A Taste of My Life.
A well known British chef, Nigel, visits with celebrities - actually he spends a whole day with each of them. They talk about careers, childhood memories and the role that food played in their lives. Nigel then gets a friend or family member to cook a particular dish which the celebrity remembers fondly and it is often received with great sentimentality.

This program inspired me to create a cookbook for my eldest daughter as she is getting married at the end of the year. I am using only recipes that will be of some significance to her. Hopefully it will bring back a flood of good culinary memories! There are so many - rusks and cookies made for long caravan holidays in George, her first attempts at cooking as little girl (simple trifle, custard cookies, crunchies etc), the chocolate brownies recipe that her little sister baked over and over and fattened us up on and of course the quick and easy milk food she made during winter while procrastinating over studying. How can I forget the nutritious cauliflower soup which I decided not to liquidise before serving. I somehow missed a tiny green worm hiding between the florets - it ended up in my daughter's bowl! Probably just a little protein, I said, but I don't think she has ever forgiven me!

Here are two of the recipes:

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

5OO gram cauliflower (pieces)
2 Tablespoons flour
Black pepper and salt
1 Litre of water
1 Litre of milk
3 cubes of chicken/vegetable stock
1 Large onion, chopped

Brown the onon in some marge/butter and add the cauliflower
Add the flour, milk and water.
Season.
Boil until soft.
Liquidise


QUICK AND EASY MILK FOOD

25ml Flour
25ml Cornflour (Maizena)
25ml Milk
25ml Real butter
25ml Cinnamon sugar

Mix flour, cornflour and a small quantity of the milk to a smooth paste.
Stir the flour mixture into the remaining milk and stir over slow heat until boiling. Cook for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the butter to the milk mixture.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
(2 Servings)


I'm sure you have some fond memories of the role that food played during your growing-up years - please share them!