The nights are drawing in and there is a definite chill in the air which means it is the season of hearty soups, stews and casseroles. I remember standing in my granny’s kitchen watching her chop the vegetables and dice the cheap cut of beef which was all thrown into a big pan and left to cook for hours. She would let me assist with making the dumplings, which were a source of fascination to me as a child. The way they went in the size of golf balls but by the time they were served they filled my plate. Stew and dumplings was always served in a soup bowl and eaten with a big spoon in granny’s house. My mother, on the other hand, preferred casseroles. She had these cool earthenware casserole dishes which, when they came out of the oven, had this tantalising, bubbling goo seeping around the edge of the lid. Sausage and tomato was regular fare for us. As I moved into my teenage years and cooking programmes became popular we were being introduced to all manner of international cuisine and my mother would serve up such delights as beef bourguignon and goulash. However, most of the recipes she used were the anglicised version. Possibly due to a lack of authentic ingredients at that time. My mother was also a great one for “if I haven’t got it I’ll substitute it with whatever I happen to have handy”. Which made for some very interesting interpretations of the recipes.
The first meal I made for my husbands family was a stew. We were living in a static caravan close to his airbase. His mother and father were coming down form Yorkshire for the annual air show. Since Paul was working it was left to me to cook. We decided on a stew since it was relatively easy and, since we didn’t know exactly what time we’d be eating, it was something which wasn’t going to spoil. Up in Yorkshire I was introduced to one of their family staples, corned beef hash. Paul’s mother, like mine, wasn’t renowned for her cooking skills but corned beef hash was one of the few things she could cook to perfection.
As you all know, it has taken me nearly 45 years to find the domestic goddess in me but in my cyber travels around the world I have discovered, and have been trying out, some tasty variations on the good old soups, stews and casseroles. Some have turned out well and have been super tasty but there have been some colossal failures too. I can always tell when it has been a success, Paul will have second helpings and is then found picking at any leftovers for his supper! That’s if I don’t get them in the freezer first. The other measure of success is when Netti asks if she can take the leftovers to work.