1 . Grieve Her Mum Through Cooking

Grief and mourning can be expressed in many ways.     1    . She found comfort through cooking her mother’s recipes in a planner and in turn, learned about her mother. Her attitude to life was mirrored in her cooking.

Along with the love of food and family, her mother, and her grandmother before her, had passed down a carved wooden spoon. It was given from one to the next.     2    . She inherited this spoon and the passion her mother had.

After her mother’s death, Debbie also found the planner containing these detailed dinner party plans and recipes. Her mother was not gone.     3    . And Debbie has learned a lot about her since she began cooking her food.

    4    . In trying to make out her mother’s notes, Debbie has bonded again with her father in shared grief and understanding. Asking Dad who is who, what is what and learning and understanding, Debbie has been able to see a new side of her mother.

Everything Debbie is cooking is inherited, as is the joy and sense of achievement she feels. When she began cooking with her mother as a kid, she was in charge of turning the toast, to stop it catching. Now she is holding the spoon, adding the spices and still looking up from the stove to her mum.     5    .

3 . Cheesy Pizza Stuffing

The night before serving, spread the bread pieces on a sheet pan and let sit on the counter to dry out. Alternatively, you can bake them at 250 degrees until completely dried out and no longer soft, 20 to 30 minutes.

When ready to make the stuffing, transfer the bread to a large bowl. Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-by-13-inch or 8-by-11-inch baking dish with softened butter. Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high and add the thinly sliced onion. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and cook until fragrant, about I minute.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg with a fork, then beat in the milk. Pour the milk mixture over the bread and toss with two spoons until evenly coated. Add 1 cup mozzarella and toss again until well combined. Let sit until the bread fully absorbs the liquid, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the stuffing and any accumulated liquid to the greased baking dish, spread out evenly and top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella. (To make ahead, you can stop at this stage, cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Bake, uncovered, until heated through and the cheese is melted, 15 to 25 minutes. (You may need to add a few minutes to the bake time if the stuffing has been refrigerated.)

4 . The benefits of cooking games for children

Various cooking games for children that are available online are more than just a fun pastime activity.     1     Here are some information on how encouraging children to play online cooking games may educate them and contribute to their sense of independence and freedom.

    2     Free online cooking games encourage kids to try new things and think outside the box by letting them experiment with ingredients, recipes, and preparation methods. Such games can help kids develop a growth mindset, creativity, and the freedom to make their own choices.

Online cooking games promote math and reading skills. The act of cooking, whether virtual or in the real world, requires a lot of counting and measuring, which promotes the development of fundamental mathematical abilities. Additionally, many free cooking games online require kids to read the recipes or lists of ingredients and then follow the directions.     3    

Cooking games boost confidence and independence. When kids finish a task actively, they feel good about themselves and proud of what they’ve done. For example, some creative games allow kids to experiment with a chef’s role.     4     When kids have trust in their own skills, they are more likely to grow up with a feeling of confidence, responsibility, and independence.

Cooking games improve social skills. Playing multiplayer games allows children to interact with others, solve problems in cooperation, and so on.     5     Online games can help them develop self-esteem and practice their communication skills, so they eventually feel more confident making friends in real life.

When I was young, the kitchen had an invisible“stop" sign put there by my mom. “No, you cannot enter here!” she always said to me. Well, I really don’t blame her as it is no place for kids.

I was just left outside in admiration, looking at what wonders the kitchen held. A few years passed by and I became very interested in food, both eating and preparing it. However, the kitchen was still out of bounds so I couldn’t experiment with cooking. But they couldn’t stop me forever now, could they?

It was early morning. Mom had gone for grocery shopping and no one else was at home. Time to strike! I walked through the dining room and there was the kitchen in front of me!

I stepped inside and took in the sight in front of me—cabinets (储藏柜 ) lining a wall, the oven (炉子) occupying the central place of another wall, the dishes sparkling like diamonds. I had seen it from outside but this time it was up close. As I hadn’t had breakfast, I decided to begin my first experience as a cook by making an omelette (煎蛋) . Sure I had seen Mom do it, so how could it be hard?

I searched the cabinets and finally found some eggs and onions. I knew the basics, so I began the work. I washed an onion first and then chopped it. Then came the egg. It took me two or three attempts to crack one open and into the bowl. I put the onion and some salt in the bowl too and mixed them. After that, I lighted the stove and put the frying pan on it and poured some oil in it... and poured some on the floor too, accidentally, of course! Till the pouring of the mixture into the pan, everything was going perfect—then I wondered what was used for turning the egg upside down in the pan.

Soon, I was running all over the kitchen, searching for the cooking spoon.

While I was busy taking the burnt egg out in a plate, someone came up behind me.

Fuchsia Dunlop from the UK likes to post her experiences of food from around the world on social media. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, cooking Chinese food     1    (become) a way for her to deal with the “endless lockdown”.

    2    (realize) her dream of becoming a cook, she decided to come to Chengdu,     3     she learned local cooking skills in 1994. Seven years later, Dunlop published her first book, Sichuan Cookery,     4    (praise) as “one of the top 10 cookbooks of all time”. So far, she has published five books about Chinese cuisines, showing her deep understanding of the food culture that     5    (run) in the blood of Chinese people.

Having studied Chinese food culture for nearly 20 years, she regards Jiangnan     6     the center of the nation’s gastronomy (美食学). The decisive moment was in 2008 when she went to Longjing Caotang,     7     restaurant in Hangzhou. The whole cooking method was so moving and     8    (impress) that, at that moment, she decided to write a book about the area. According to Dunlop, by presenting the     9    (dish), she is trying to paint a picture of the area and display     10    (it) different sides, from the banquet to the street food.