Food Like How Mom Made It

[MIDUVIL 34]

hello,

My mother-in-law hates to cook, me it's my passion.

I don't like receipe so i cook like i feel it, my husband loves everything that I cook-

And all of our neighbour smell my cooking.

I mixed all spices that I find at home-

Yesterday it was grilled beef and rice-carots with homemade dressing salad- Today fried salmon with onions and white beans.

Before knowing me, he was eating cabbage, tuna salad or a mixed of cabbage-red beans (in cans, it's awful)- some salads and coffee. And tried to convince me (by phone, when I was in my country ) that it was delicious .

Now, he doesn't even cook or talking about those ''delicious food''.

I ask him just to eat and he loves that.

Yesterday I ask him if his mother or great mother cooks better than, he rgave me the good reply and not because he was waiting with a spoon in my hand

2 happys people

Concerning spices, I find the basic I need, I would like some food that i can find in my country like salted cod, salted groins- fruit a pain-igname-avocadoes (i can find them here)-murene - all those caribbean stuff.

[faryan 4]

I don't like receipe so i cook like i feel it, my husband loves everything that I cook-

And all of our neighbour smell my cooking.

I mixed all spices that I find at home-

ooohh, yum yum! I know exactly what u mean dont u sometimes forget what exactly u put in the yummy meal u made for hubby last week when u want to make the same one again? i have that problem sometimes... must be the ripe old age, my memory's fading..........

[Zee Bee 61]

I can't compare my cooking to my MIL's or my mom's cooking. Like others have said, it can be a little difficult to get authentic spices and ingredients to make the food completely authentic. My husband, however, loves my cooking and when he is quiet during a meal I know he is enjoying the food

[Autumnchik 6]

@ BermyCat - Have you tried Whole Foods? I used to live in Marietta and shopped at Harry's Farmer's Market. I liked the selection of produce and the variety of ethnic foods there. Harry's has since been bought by Whole Foods, so I don't know if they have changed .... but might be worth a shot.

[MIDUVIL 34]

I don't like receipe so i cook like i feel it, my husband loves everything that I cook-

And all of our neighbour smell my cooking.

I mixed all spices that I find at home-

ooohh, yum yum! I know exactly what u mean dont u sometimes forget what exactly u put in the yummy meal u made for hubby last week when u want to make the same one again? i have that problem sometimes... must be the ripe old age, my memory's fading..........

Yes, but even if I put sometimes the same spices, the taste can change- By not following receipe, but my feeling (smell-sensation-intuition) I can't reproduce exactly what I cooked before, and I don't even try. I always find that there is a difference.

**The taste depends for a big part of the way of cooking (if you cook slowly of fast, with water or not, grilled or fried, baked or broil (boil?)- I can use a lot of spice and my food is awful, but use a little spice and I handle (control) my cooking and it's tasty. And it's more true for the meat.

I'm starting thinking about what I will cook tomorrow. Maybe grilled shrimp with a tomatoe sauce (homemade with tomatoe and vinaigrette) and grilled potatoes (all from the oven).

I'm basic in my cooking, but the smell goes all over my neighbourhood and they talk about it in a good way (I'm living in a condo).

[LA80 3]

My husband likes my cooking better (oh, this chicken is so much better than my mom's, but do not ever tell her I said that), and even my father-in-law made a few comments like: "American food is bland". That's when my mother-in-law gave him a look and said: "He has never complained before".

Ever since then, she has been trying to compete.

[Dave and Helena 0]

True, its a pain not having the ingredients, fresh produce, herbs, spices that I'm used to. Buying curry, turmeric, lemon grass, pandan leaves, all so basic and so cheap back home... not so much here. But I guess I manage ok. I cant make truly 100% authentic Malay dishes like mum taught me here, but I change things up and make do with whatever I can find. To the untrained tastebuds, they wont know any different i think... taste just like home...

Don't know where you live but have you checked if there are any International Farmers Markets around? I have only been to one but it looked like they had a pretty good selection of spices, vegetables etc. I remember seeing at least lemon grass and curry (and tons of other stuff I have never seen before ) and the prices were pretty reasonable.

Where's the one you've been too? I'm still looking for good places to get spices and produce. I find the grocery stores fairly limited around here.

I cook completely differently than my MIL. She does lots of very traditiional North American food very well. I've always tended to branch out and constantly try new things. I lived with a Chinese family for one semester during university and had a great time learning to cook southern Chinese dishes. I was working on Indian food before I moved to Atlanta but I'm having trouble finding ingredients. We have food from different cultures as often as possible. I'm lucky that my husband loves to try new things.

~ Catherine

I agree with you that the grocery stores here are pretty limited. I like to experiment with recipes from other parts of the world but sometimes it is really hard to find everything that is needed. One would think that grocery stores in the U.S. would have a great selection of interesting spices etc. but that does not seem to be the case.

I haven't been there but according to my hubby the DeKalb Farmers Market is supposedly good. Their website is http://www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com/ and they are located at 3000 E. Ponce De Leon Avenue

Decatur, GA.

Buford Hwy and 285 is otherwise a good place to start looking. I think the one we've been to that we really liked was Buford Highway Farmer's Market on 5600 Buford Hwy NE, Doraville, GA. It was HUGE and with a great selection (at least as far as I could see).

Edited June 23, 2009 by Dave and Helena

[MIDUVIL 34]

Thanks Dave and Helena,

My husband wants to move, now GA is on my list.

I went directly on the seafood area

[trinket 30]

Thanks Dave and Helena,

My husband wants to move, now GA is on my list.

I went directly on the seafood area

Oh I would love to get somewhere near sea. Fresh seafood, cheaper price

[minnew 4]

My mom is a very good cook! When she got married to my dad she did not have much experience cooking so her MIL taught her how! Whenever I try to replicate my mom's dishes, it just never tastes quite the same.

My fiance is what you could call a picky eater, which makes it hard for me to cook some dishes that both of us will enjoy. Hopefully once I am moved down there we can both move from a "college life" or "bachelor" diet to a more sensible healthier diet. If he could eat pizza 3 times a week I think he would..lol.

My fiances mother and father are both good cooks! His dad makes some mean breakfasts! He had lots of home cooked meals growing up, but as the teenage years came it went to everybody fend for themselves. I would like to learn some of the "Southern" dishes and be able to cook them for my fiance.

[Dr. Obvious 49]

Thanks Dave and Helena,

My husband wants to move, now GA is on my list.

I went directly on the seafood area

Oh I would love to get somewhere near sea. Fresh seafood, cheaper price

Now come on, plenty of delicious fish to be found in the Ohio! Who needs the ocean with that!

Edited June 24, 2009 by Wacken

[faryan 4]

I don't like receipe so i cook like i feel it, my husband loves everything that I cook-

And all of our neighbour smell my cooking.

I mixed all spices that I find at home-

ooohh, yum yum! I know exactly what u mean dont u sometimes forget what exactly u put in the yummy meal u made for hubby last week when u want to make the same one again? i have that problem sometimes... must be the ripe old age, my memory's fading..........

Yes, but even if I put sometimes the same spices, the taste can change- By not following receipe, but my feeling (smell-sensation-intuition) I can't reproduce exactly what I cooked before, and I don't even try. I always find that there is a difference.

**The taste depends for a big part of the way of cooking (if you cook slowly of fast, with water or not, grilled or fried, baked or broil (boil?)- I can use a lot of spice and my food is awful, but use a little spice and I handle (control) my cooking and it's tasty. And it's more true for the meat.

I'm starting thinking about what I will cook tomorrow. Maybe grilled shrimp with a tomatoe sauce (homemade with tomatoe and vinaigrette) and grilled potatoes (all from the oven).

I'm basic in my cooking, but the smell goes all over my neighbourhood and they talk about it in a good way (I'm living in a condo).

Ok, so you inspired me to think western for today's lunch I marinated chicken breasts with crushed black pepper, chillies, garlic, salt, olive oil and then bake em, made mashed potatoes, and also some fresh vege salad: romaine lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, toasted tortilla strips, some cheese on top... still very very full now, but hubby loved it! i hope he wont feel so sleepy at work now,