We always asked Mum because Dad was at work. And even if he had been at home his culinary skills were severely lacking. Partly due to the fact that he was the breadwinner or worker of our family, and partly due to the social norms of that time that 'Mums cook and Dads work'. They were different times.

I remember my Dad did have two dishes he could prepare by himself. One was porridge with milk for breakfast and the other, for all other occasions, was beans on toast. If you don’t know what that means, it’s a can of Heinz Baked Beans in tomato sauce heated in a pan on the stove then poured over sliced toasted bread - yummy with some grated cheddar cheese on top! And he was also able to prepare himself a cup of tea. My Mum would always sarcastically say, “Well at least he’ll never starve to death”.

In England lunch at midday is sometimes and confusingly called dinner, yes dinner at midday! This is a particular use of the language only found in some areas of England. And it doesn't end there, the evening meal or dinner is often called tea, which has nothing to do with drinking tea, although it’s spelt the same and you can eat your tea with a cup of tea if you like. So tea means your evening meal in some parts of England. It comes from the fact that we eat our evening meal much earlier in England, usually between 5 and 6pm. This is because school finishes at 3.30pm and offices and shops close at 5pm, so then you go home and eat. Eating early means that when it’s time for bed it is very possible that you are hungry again! So then we had what is called supper, for me that was usually a bowl of cereal, like breakfast cereal but before bed.

For many years now I've been very happy with the North Italian eating times, the food and the diet. I say North because I’m very pleased I don’t eat at 10 or 11 o’clock in the evening like in the south of Italy. I like to be in bed for 10.30!

Another important aspect of meal times is who you eat with. I’ve never met anyone who likes eating alone, although many people find themselves in that situation. When we were very young children we ate around the table all together as a family. Then as we got older my Mum would let us put our food on trays and eat it while watching our favourite TV series. At the time my sister and I were very pleased about this, but now that I'm a parent I wonder if we missed out somehow. Well, that was just how it worked in our family.

Now when I think about the dishes my Mum worked hard to prepare and those unforgettable tastes I know it’s what sparked my interest in cooking. Whenever I’m cooking I think about my Mum and sometimes I smile thinking about my Dad’s beans on toast. But the most important part of cooking - I don’t think it’s the tasting, it’s the sharing with family and friends.

Corr, now I’m starving! Is it dinner time?

Ciao for now!