passing the torch

My granny was an amazing cook. She did B&B every summer when the kids were still at school as my grandad corrected the leaving cert Irish papers, all of which would pay for the coming school year, what with shoes and books to buy. All of the younger six girls helped her out, frying the sizzling sausages and the bothersome bacon. She was so good that she was able to cook the eggs to perfection, ones that when you cut into them, they oozed, the yellow yolk screaming to be mopped up by some bread!

I vaguely remember the big house. The thing I remember most was when my father brought myself, and my hyper, toddler of a brother, to feed the ducks to get us out of the way of the busy B&B. If memory serves me correctly, that was the last time in the big house with us all crammed into the attic, leaving the bedrooms free for the paying patrons.

When my grandad sadly passed my granny moved out of the big house and the B&B was no more. There were two kids left at home, the others either married with kids of their own, or on a different continent altogether. Whenever we stayed there, I always bunked with my aunt who’s like a sister. She would bring up a piece of toast and a glass of milk for us to each have whenever she was going to bed, a snack that hit the spot nicely and helped me drift off to sleep. My granny would always cook up a storm on the morning of our departure, luring us out of bed with her famous fry!

In the new house, the one she still lives in over thirty years later, she was famous for her pavlova’s. She always had one ready to be topped off with cream and fresh strawberries upon our arrival. Her secret of the perfect pavlova will, unfortunately, die with her! She hasn’t made one in years now, something which is sad, but, as she is ninety-three with dementia, and my aunt found an egg in the cutlery drawer last week, it’s probably for the best!

Every Sunday in her current home, years ago, the family would rally round and cultivate a delicious roast. She knew my likes and dislikes better than my own mother, plating only the food she knew I would love!

As the years passed, and the family grew, my mother took up point on the roasts and lasagna and anything else she knew my grandmother liked, especially since she just pecked at it like a bird! The roles had reversed as my granny’s dementia grew worse. My mother would fill the freezer with dinners, in containers that were already portioned, that my granny always milled into. I’d bet I could say with certainty, as my mom is just back from looking after her for a week, that there is stew, a chicken and broccoli bake and lots of soup filling the freezer right now!

My mom, who has taken over down in my grannies as the culinary master, takes after her mother and loves to cook! The torch has been placed firmly in her hands and those dinners in the freezer go like hotcakes! Everyone down there loves when my mother comes to look after her because they know that when she goes home, the freezer is always full of delightful food that they just have to zap in the microwave…unless my granny just wants sausages and chips that is!

Now that my mother is the culinary master, she tries to get me to watch food shows whenever I don’t object. It must be in the genes as my brother is also an amazing chef. During covid, although he was living on a strict budget, he was able to put a gourmet dinner together every night for himself and his ex.

I haven’t a hope with regards the programs we watch on the tv now he is home again, as the pair of them adore watching shows that give them inspiration for a new dish they would whip up the following day! I think their rationale is to get me to cook as well!

There was one time, before my brother moved home, that I was left alone for a week, and ended up in the GP’s three times with food poisoning. The third time, the doctor did a pregnancy test of all things, just to be sure! When it came back negative and mom was gone for another two days, I was strongly urged to get take aways to avoid food poisoning a fourth time! I gladly took her advice as it was coming into the weekend.

All of my aunts are well able to cook…well all except one, who buy’s the food already cooked or frozen! Thankfully, I will never be able to pass it onto anyone as I can’t have kids, but hopefully my brother will…hopefully!