Living History

Cooking

Many people’s earliest memories are of the kitchen, and the tastes, aromas and warmth that surrounded the room that was often seen as the heart of the family home. No matter what family members did during the day, you could always be sure that at six o’clock sharp they would be there at the dinner table, waiting eagerly for the hot meal their mother or father had ‘slaved over a hot stove’ to prepare. And of course there were always the traditional weekly meals that everyone looked forward to, such as the Sunday roast and Friday night fish and chips.

Cooking is a great and often overlooked tradition for people all over Australia. Many families have their own recipes for meals that are passed down from generation to generation – like special mince pies, or curries with secret spices. Some people learnt to cook at their mother’s elbow, standing on a stool so they could stir noodles in a pot or cut biscuit dough into shapes. Others learnt after they’d left the nest, often with extremely messy results!

More Information

Want more information on this topic? Check out the following links?

Australian Food and Drink

The Backyard

Old Aussie Recipes

Contributions