Having investigated the history of Mother’s Day in May, it is only fitting to do the same for Father’s Day, so here goes. Father’s Day began with a church service in Fairmont, West Virginia in July 1908, after hundreds of men died in one of the worst mining accidents in American history. The daughter of … Read more
I’ve always wondered how Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day for that matter) came about. Was it purely commercial or is there more to it? A bit of research has answered my question. Following the death of her beloved mother in 1905, American woman Anna Jarvis sought a way to honour both her mother and all … Read more
When it comes to Christmas food, traditions are a key part of the celebrations. Sitting down with family and friends and feasting together is a classic way to spend the day. And for many the dishes are steeped in tradition and made with great care and love. My family has always enjoyed wild duck for … Read more
A number of years ago we hosted an “Awesome Offal Sunday Lunch” for friends and clients. It was before offal became fashionable again and our luncheon created the opportunity for 25 offal lovers to feast on what they loved to eat. Each guest was challenged with creating an offal dish using their favourite offal cut. … Read more
I love it when I find old recipes of my mum’s, written out by hand, and tucked away in a drawer. Check this one out for baking a ham from scratch, just like she use to do on the farm every Christmas. This is virtually unheard of these days as most people buy a ham … Read more
Browsing through one of my mother-in-law’s cookbooks from the 1950s recently, The League of Mothers, I came across these instructions for making gravy. It’s good to see traditional techniques still work today! Here’s the recipe word-for-word: Gravy to serve with roasts After removing meat from pan, strain off fat, leaving only a tablespoon of fat … Read more