Hi Foodies! How is life going? Here, despite our winter, we had a few warm days and we could forget about the bulky sweaters and socks for some time. I know, I’m going on with the socks again(LOL). 

Today I’d like to talk about how cooking has helped my mother and I create a great bond. I’m sure many of you will relate to this experience and I’d love to hear about your own experiences and the memories you cherish the most about cooking with your parents.

As far as I can remember, I have always been in awe of my mom when it came to cooking. We used to spend a lot of time in our kitchen but i haven’t realised until lately that cooking had an important role to play in strengthening our mother-daughter bond. 

When I was a child, I was curious about what my mom was doing in the kitchen. I would sit and watch and as I grew older, I was getting involved with easy tasks: Beating the eggs for the cake (with a fork because we didn’t have a whisk), sprinkling the chopped toppings on the pizza, doing the dishes, etc. 

Did you, as a child, get involved in the kitchen? What were your first tasks?

As I grew up, I was more involved in the kitchen and it was always fun. I knew a lot about the spices and I began to experiment with omelettes. I would make these fun and somehow fancy combinations, sprinkling a bit of anise powder, some turmeric, chilli powder and herbs. 

I was not allowed to use the stove when I was a child so my mom would be cooking them. Cooking was definitely an adventure at a young age for me!

How about you? Were you more involved in cooking when you grew up? Did you enjoy it or was it more of a chore?

I still remember baking together. While mom would be measuring flour and butter for the cakes, I would be doing the same with other ingredients in smaller quantities; for example, measuring the cocoa powder with a tablespoon spoon and counting out loud because mom always said that it has to be correct. 

If we were making cookies, we would shape them together. If we were making a big cake, mom would mix the batter first and afterwards let me continue mixing. To my mom it didn’t matter whether I was doing it correctly or not. I was learning something which would sooner or later become handy. 

Even today, we still have fun cooking together. When there’s a family dinner party, we will plan the menu together and we get very creative. Needless to say, the internet has taught us a lot as well. 

Our kitchen has become the place where we spend a lot of time together, not only to cook but also to dance while cooking if there’s a good song playing on our radio. (Yes, it’s fun) Cooking has become a great way to unwind for me. 

Mom and I talk about food a lot. If one of us wants to try something new, the other will add her own input. Even today, when I create recipes, I still ask for my mom’s input since she has a lot to share.  

Cooking alongside with mom is always a pleasant activity filled with giggles, dancing, 2-minute arguments because we don’t always agree on the same techniques or using the same types of ingredients but these get resolved within seconds. 

I think that cooking with your parents is a fun experience. It’s a great way to learn but it also helps to form a strong bond. It’s something to pass along to the next generation. 

What are your memories about cooking with your parents? Nowadays, do you prefer cooking on your own or with your parents? 

As a parent, are you teaching your children a few cooking tricks or do you prefer to cook on your own?

I’d love to know about your personal cooking experience, whether it’s with your parents or your children.