Variety and the Spice of Life

As a family we have always had favourite meals. I am a very good home cook and I have always been able to make the most of my ingredients in terms of both taste and cost. When we were struggling somewhat financially, I cooked basic meals from scratch and they went down very well with the children. Even now that we are more comfortable, basic meals, albeit with better quality ingredients still rule the roost.

The favourite meal in our household is Chilli. I make it with Chilli Garlic Sauce in a jar which I buy from the Asian supermarket just off Leicester Square. It is now freely available in any UK supermarket but it’s more expensive. Anyway, it adds so much to the overall taste if you use it instead of the packets with a mix of dry spices. Don’t get me wrong, I used to love those packs but once you have used Chilli Garlic Sauce as we did for the first time in Hong Kong, you never go back.

The next meal that always hits the spot is Spaghetti Bolognese, which is my wife’s speciality. She cooks it a couple of times a month and it’s one of the meals she always makes better than I do. I also leave the bulk of the baking to her as she’s incredible with cakes, buns and desserts.

Out of season, but only just is the final meal of the set, the Christmas dinner! I also cook it for my birthday in March and I have pretty much perfected it to our tastes. For years we had it with salads, Australian style, but after an attempted coup in my kitchen (!!) I added hot side dishes, and I have to admit that it’s made a difference to the overall combination.

So there you have it. Three favourite dishes that my family enjoy. However, that is not the only aspect of cooking. To concentrate too much on old favourites means that you run the risk of your fare becoming boring. I had got to that stage last year as my daughter rightly pointed out. The result was me diving into cookbooks, looking online and experimenting for myself. It’s given me a new lease of life in the kitchen and I now try to cook at least two or three new meals a month. My recent attempts have included a very nice prawn linguine, Home made burrito and a Parsnip Loaf, which will be a new addition to the Christmas table. So, make your favourite meals but always be on the lookout for new meals you can add to your repertoire.