My love for cooking came from a very young age but not in the way you would expect....My Dad was away a lot and my Mother was a terrible cook, I mean the worst, and so growing up I never really got to experience beautiful or exciting dishes (Lots of burnt fish fingers and Findus crispy pancakes) Once a week on a Sunday my Dad would ALWAYS have control of the kitchen and nobody was allowed to bother him but I would sneak over to the doorway and try to have a peek to discover what the strange and wonderfully foreign smells filling the house were. Needless to say I was pretty much always caught out and told to go away, of course giving it another shot minutes later! Hours later midway through whatever Sunday western movie happened to be on TV the food would finally be ready. I would tell him that it smelt nice and he would ask me if I wanted any, at this point I asked the usual questions of what was it and what was in it? His reply to me would be "I'm not telling you, do you want some or not?" So I would of course say yes simply going on the aromas alone. I would have no idea what I was eating but I remember loving every mouthful and when I was finished he would ask if I liked it (To which the answer was always yes!) and only then would he tell me the contents of the dish. We continued this little routine for years and years each of us reciting our lines like a perfectly rehearsed theatre production. I tasted foods such as stuffed sheep’s hearts, liver curries, freshly made pasta and even pulled pork! The point was he refused to tell me what he was cooking so I would not be put off by the ingredients, imagine a 7 year old being asked if he wants to eat a stuffed sheep’s heart, no chance!!?? This opened my eyes to a whole new world of ingredients and the idea that food could and should be something wonderful to enjoy. It also paved the way for my philosophy that everyone can enjoy all foods, when prepared correctly for them personally. Long live blind taste testing!

THIS IS NOT A DICTATORSHIP

I want to hear from you guys! Id love to know any thoughts, feelings or suggestions anyone may have. Everyday is a school day!