Many moons ago, I was enticed by a certain dating profile - the results, as you know, have been very positive, with by-products of a wedding and a baby (thus far).
One part of his profile, however, has always intriged. V mentioned his passion for cooking, especially his Mama's Lasagne.
I think it was a lure, as I have never yet been party to eating such a dish. He does a mean line in steamed veges and is a dab hand with the grill pan (and even the barbeque) but the said lasagne is but a mythical dish in our relationship.
Its not that we have been lasagne-less (a fate considered on par with starvation according to 'Salina) - I have even imparted several recipes here boasting about the deliciousness that is the lasagne that graces our table on occasion (too rare by 'Salina's standards, too often according to the bathroom scales).
However, tonight I have to wait no longer. Of course, I had to wait until Mama actually travelled half the world and negotiate with her to prepare the mythical dish.
I will give you the verdict soon. (oh, and MIL is a gem. She even got to read my blog yesterday - and laughed at the last post that I wrote. And not a maniacal "if only she knew" sort of cackle but a real one. If she has noticed the mess she is too polite to comment and both daughters tick her boxes of great kids - so successful thus far. We are taking her and her travelling companion on a trip this weekend - trial by long-distance transportation... Stay tuned)
Do you have a childhood dish you need your mum to visit and prepare for you ever?
There are many from mine - my mother may have learned to cook later than many of her peers - but we rarely saw her culinary flaws (although there was the occasional dish that caused mystery illnesses).
Those that didn't included her Spag Bog (does everyone's mum have their own version?), Roasts, Curries (back in the day when "Curry" meant Keen's powder and sultanas in the stew) and Slices. I can't pick one (which was also always the case at birthdays, when you got to demand your favourite feed) - although her Tuna Mornay is always a winner.
Its funny - most of her dishes became my dishes, and although I have probably altered every one of her staples, it does give a warm glow as I cook them thinking about her.
(NB - most of this post was written yesterday - before ingestion - it was delicious!!)