Provincial scents of slow cooked cassoulet wafting from a kitchen evoke memories which transport me to the romantic country villages of France. Other sensory delights from cooking, include the texture and feel of preparing ingredients by hand, the pleasure of licking the spoon, the soulful sounds of full bellies and bubbling pots brimming with slow cooked goodness, also come to mind.
The alchemy of cooking preserves not only food but heritage of culture and it’s ancient traditions as well. When we share a recipe, a technique, a secret ingredient with our children, we are passing on our love and wisdom for food and nutrition to the next generation. Investing time preserving culture through cooking, has benefits beyond ensuring old recipes, knowledge and skills continue, it raises healthy, happy, and nutritionally aware children. Where our food comes from, how to develop flavours from fresh ingredients, to cook with love and care, to celebrate good food for its nourishing and comforting virtues, to share a sense of community, to be culturally aware… this is the art of culinary alchemy and cultural preservation.
I’d like to introduce Emma a ‘Generational Cook’ who found a sous-chef in her daughter, Kleio. Baking bespoke muesli for her business, this mom of two unwittingly imparted her passion for creating nutritional treats to her pantry protege.
Emma’s formula for preserving culture and inspiring new family food traditions…
As a full time working mother of two, it is very important to me to still be able to prepare nutritious, real food even at a moments notice. I don’t have the time any more to labour in the kitchen prepping meals & freezing them for the week. I am not a weekly menu planner. I do, however, like looking at recipe books for inspiration, but rarely follow one. I always keep the ingredients to a minimum, I always have fresh veggies, herbs & a protein source on hand and have a pantry full of “paleo friendly staples”. Each meal I make, I ensure that I have a good source of protein, plenty of fresh vegetables and a premium fat source, whether it be some smashed avocado on the side, a handful of nuts sprinkled on top or some macadamia oil drizzled all over my salad.
If you open my pantry, you will find jars of coconut oil, ghee, cacao powder, coconut flour (for baking emergencies!), tinned organic tomatoes, organic tomato paste, dozens of eggs, maca powder, gelatin, coconut chips, a nut assortment (the bonus of making a paleo muesli—we have access to amazing organic nuts & seeds) we use daily, pine nuts, pepitas, sunflower seeds, cashews, almonds, a jar of my fave paleo pure muesli in blueberry cinnamon flavour, tinned sardines, coconut cream (for making coconut yoghurt), almond milk & hazelnut milk for the kids. In terms of fruit, my kids enjoy a little fruit and I try and stick to the lower sugar types such as stone fruit when in season & berries. I buy organic frozen berries in the off season. The above is always restocked.
Next to my stove in the drawer you will find a basket full of mixed dried spices and herbs. I use mostly sage, cinnamon, garam masala, pepper, himalayan salt, tarragon, thyme, oregano, clove & turmeric. In the garden, we grow fresh mint, coriander, parsley, sage, tarragon, rosemary, oregano & basil. We also grow seasonal vegetables – at the moment we have tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum, pumpkin & zucchini. Our yard has a lemon tree as well….every Aussie household needs one!
I am lucky enough to have a chest freezer which enables us to buy our beef in bulk from Little Creek Beef and freeze. The beef is delivered in cryovac bags. These last up to 3 weeks in the fridge defrosted so I find it best for me to pull out 2-3 different cuts of meat from the deep freeze and let them defrost in the fridge. I have found a great butcher (Karve It Up Greensborough) and they carry a comprehensive range of free range, grass fed beef, pork & poultry as well as a stack of FODMAP friendly stocks etc. I shop there for my small goods (I have recently discovered Lewis & Son, free range, preservative free small goods – omg..their kabana!!) I will then always have a quality protein source ready to be pan fried or roasted or grilled at a moments notice.
I do shop 2-3 times a week for fresh veggies from the local fruit & veg shop but always buy enough staples to last the week, i.e. 7 dozen eggs.
If you have the time, I’d say meal plan—go for it. Saves wasting food and you can really give it some thought and experiment. For me and my lifestyle, we still get all the goodness we need but without the time but keeping it simple but tasty.
Emma is a co-founder of Paleo Pure, handcrafted batches of bespoke muesli—every moorish mouthful made with love. www.paleopure.com.au
