By Rida Zaidi
Q. Describe a food and the memories associated with it.
I
have always had a sweet tooth. My favourite desert since childhood has been
home-made egg pudding, made by my grandmother. I can still imagine her standing
in her kitchen. Her long auburn hair tied in a loose pony, soft
linen clothes flowing in the light breeze coming in through the window.
The
kitchen was her all time favourite place to be. Briskly she would beat a couple
of eggs together until they became fluffy. Boiled milk and sugar would be
poured in next. The milk streamed through the mixture reminding me of a river
on the sun. The whole pan was then placed over simmering water and was allowed
to cook. About an hour later the pan was kept in the fridge.
I
can remember my anticipation waiting for the dish to cool. My grandmother would
gently place a kiss on my cheek after I checked the dish for the tenth time.
She would place me on her lap and play with the loose curls that hung naturally
near my shoulders. She told me stories about her childhood to make the time go
by. Open verandas, large gardens and swings would be a part of almost every
story she told.
Finally
the dish would be ready. Skipping next to her as she took out the pan from the
fridge my joy would be inexplicable. With one swift movement she would flip the
pan over so the caramelised side faced the top. Beautiful golden syrup painted
over the surface of the lemon yellow pudding. It looked like a work of art! The
pudding seemed so smooth and silky I imagined sliding down its slippery sides.
My
grandmother would place a large slice into a stemmed bowl for me. The icing on
the cake would be the dollop of fresh cream placed on the top. Whenever anyone
mentions home-made pudding it takes me down memory lane.
0 comments:
Post a Comment