Family Favourites

Family meals can be the most enjoyable of all. They can put an end to bad moods and arguments and emphasize affection. A favourite family dish sometimes conjures up pleasures and fond memories for a lifetime; I still think of my grandmother’s special roast chicken with a feeling of intense nostalgia. Family food must please both young and old; it must have the reassuring qualities of nursery food plus the flavour and interest of more exotic dishes. It must be practical and suitable for either preparing ahead and peeping warm, or cooking very quickly after a day out. This chapter contains some of my family’s favourites which they have eaten up enthusiastically, remembered, and asked for again.