Cookery has greatly increased in popularity over recent years thanks to the many celebrity-based television shows such as MasterChef and Not my Mama’s Meals, and the public appreciation of creative cuisine and fine dining in the home has grown as a consequence.

But it’s also important to remember the value of sharing food and recipes in the family home, as a way of reconnecting, cherishing family members and boosting your own cooking prowess.

Sharing is caring

There’s no denying that food can be a great shared experience, and a group of friends or family coming together to enjoy a home-cooked meal is a practice which has been kept up since the beginnings of civilization itself.

Too often, it seems, our meal habits become a series of snacks-on-the-go, with the prevalence of fast-food chains and our increasingly busy lives. The table gathering is an important reminder of the fact thata meal can be a treasured and social ritual, a chance to spend quality time together. This is especially true in this age of technological distraction and text communication.

The importance of home-grown ideas

It’s just as important to preserve recipe traditions as a way of keeping the memory of a well-loved family member alive. Many people were taught to cook by their mother or grandmother and passing these hand-written notes and traditional family dishes on to your own children ensures that a personal, family history is preserved beyond the present generations.

Sparking your creativity in the kitchen

This said, anyone who loves to cook knows that this skill is an ever-evolving process and you can never have enough recipes to hand. For many amateur chefs, creating new dishes is part of the fun of cooking, whether for one person or for a family to enjoy.

Nowadays, the internet can be your own personal cookbook. You can literally find recipes from every corner of the globe and for specialist dietary requirements such as gluten-free and vegan. Online recipes come at every level from advanced to simple enough to teach your kids, often coming with star ratings for taste and skill level required. You can even submit your own recipes for others to try out and enjoy and forums have become popular as a way of discussing ideas and giving feedback.

It’s a good idea to keep a folder in the kitchen for any loose clippings from newspapers or print-outs from the web, so you always have a back-up for that unexpected dinner party. And don’t forget to write down those home-grown family favorites so your kids will have something to learn from and remember their time with you in the kitchen: shared family experiences should never be lost or forgotten.