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    .

2 . 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.)

3 . Cooking with steam is of great importance in Chinese cuisine. It's one of the best ways to lock the original flavors in the ingredients.

Vegetables are healthy and full of fiber, and steaming is a quick way to cook them without using much oil. Chinese cabbage is a perfect vegetable to steam: crunchy, tender, less fibrous and mildly sweet. The tender cabbage can be steamed directly with a simple sauce consisting of garlic paste, soy sauce and sugar. Root vegetables like sweet potatoes are also great for steaming. They can be cut into thick sticks or slices and then steamed until the center becomes soft. Thin pieces of carrots, fresh sophora flowers (槐花) can be coated with dry flour and then steamed. This quick dish is usually served with a garlic paste and vinegar sauce.

Steaming fish, shrimp and crabs, is all about preserving the original taste, so freshness is the absolute No. 1 rule when we shop for seafood to be steamed For fine foods from a river, lake or sea, they must be freshly caught the day you buy them. Frozen fish is seldom steamed directly, because there can be a stronger fishy smell and taste. With all the internal organs and scales removed and blood cleaned, the fish is packed with slices of ginger and scallions (姜和葱) that can neutralize the fishiness. It's then placed in a steamer that has been preheated to boil, and cooked for 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the fish. The final step is to place scallions on top of the steamed fish. Then, in a small pot, heat up some oil and pour it across the body of the fish to help the flavor release. Next, drizzle (浇) a couple spoons of seasoned soy sauce for seafood around the plate and serve. When eating the fish, it's best to dip it in the sauce for the sweet taste.

4 . If you’d like to learn how to bake bread, here’s a wonderful place to start. This easy white bread recipe bakes up deliciously golden brown.

Makes

● 2 loaves (16 slices each)

Ingredients

● 1 package (7g) active dry yeast

● 2-1/4 cups warm water

● 3 tablespoons sugar plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar

● 1 tablespoon salt

● 2 tablespoons canola oil

● 6-1/4 to 6-3/4 cups bread flour

Directions

● In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water; let stand until bubbles form on surface. Stir together 3 tablespoons sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Stir oil into yeast mixture, pour yeast mixture into flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.

● Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

● Punch dough down. Turn into a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape each into a loaf. Place in two greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

● Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped or has reached an internal temperature of 200 degrees, 30-35 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Kitchen Tips

● Be careful that your water isn’t too hot when proofing yeast.

● You can store homemade bread in a plastic bag or a bread box for maximum freshness.

Nutrition facts

1 slice: 102 calories, 1g fat, 0 cholesterol, 222mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 3g protein.

Reviews

☆ Helen

Mar 12, 2021

Fantastic recipe! I followed the directions, and it turned out perfect. Very good flavor and great for beginners. I really liked it and so did my friends.

☆ Mary

Mar 31, 2021

I was super excited to try this bread recipe, but the process was a bit frustrating. The end result was good though. It might be more helpful if it is made into a video.

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.

7 . If you've ever been enjoying takeout snacks, you can make these with ingredients (配料) found in grocery stores or even your own kitchen.

Hosomaki Sushi

In Japan, Hosomaki Sushi is a sushi roll mainly made with sweet rice and seaweed. The thinner hosomaki are the simpler, smaller version that are perfect for practicing. It takes you little time to practice to roll and you will have fun making them at home.

Prep: 20 mins     Cook: 0 mins     Total: 20 mins

Taco Bell Crunch wrap Supreme

This is one of America's favorite fast-food go-to's. You can stuff it with whatever strikes your fancy. So it is also great for vegetarians because beef can be replaced with black beans or fruits.

Prep: 15 mins     Cook: 30 mins     Total: 45 mins

Pumpkin(南瓜)Spice Latte

The first version of this drink contained spices (香料), but no actual pumpkin until 2015. Its great popularity has meant that it's being served at the end of August, far ahead of regular pumpkin season. But for those who eagerly await the drink each year, there's even better news: the pumpkin spice latte is actually quite easy to make at home at a far more affordable price.

Prep: 10 mins     Cook: 5 mins     Total: 15 mins

BBQ Chicken Pizza

It is so delicious that it is worthwhile to make from the very beginning. This pizza is a great way to use up leftover pork or barbecue chicken. A sweeter sauce will give you the more traditional barbecue sauce taste.

Prep: 20 mins     Cook: 20 mins     Total: 40 mins