The Fulton effect

“Real sushi doesn’t have carrot in it, you can’t do that, that’s not how they do it in Japan” pronounced this strikingly good looking lady of mixed Asian decent.

“Your in Australia now love, see that over there, that’s the West gate bridge” I informed her.

Un be known to me she was friends with the owner of this little cafe down at Fisherman’s Bend, Port Melbourne and by the end of the day I was sitting down with the boss being told I don’t have the professional aptitude to make it out the front, either I’m in the kitchen full time or I’m looking for another job.

Fair call in hindsight and it’s been a good path since. Safe to say I wouldn’t have said that to my Nan and I still get myself in the shit on occasion for saying things as they are when I probably should just keep my trap shut!

The relationship I had with my Nan I have always used as a back drop to how to deal with customers in hospitality or people in general! These somewhat unheralded cooks are the life blood of all well feed, clean and organized family’s! Mum’s do a great job to, yet Nans have got a bit more experience under their belt than mothers do as they’ve been doing it for longer! Thry should always be treated with the up most respect and love, given what they do for their family’s.

We all know those lovely ladys that have spent the majority of their lives at home over a hot stove, doing the washing or cleaning the nest, all in order to keep the family full, happy and healthy. It’s ingrained in them, they love to make others happy!

This week the world and especially us Aussies lost someone we could consider to be the God mother of Australian cookery! The mighty Margaret Fulton.

When I started in cookery my old man gave me a heap of my Nans old cookbooks and sure enough there were a couple of Mrs Fultons books.

This fine accepte of the Order of Australia changed the way us Aussies looked at food when she teamed up with Woman’s day back in the 50s.

She made available different types of recipes and cuisines from all different parts of the world that were for the most part not available to the ladies and runners of the household at the time.

There was no Google or cooking apps back then, our mum’s and nannas had Margaret Fulton, that was pretty much it, apart from what their peers passed onto them! Without this lovely lady we would have been stuck eating bland as bat shit meat and three veggies for a few more decades.

Her main stay cook book, The Margaret Fulton Cookbook had sold in excess of two thirds of a million copies within ten years of its original release back in 1968! Not only could this woman cook, she was truly a pioneer of home cookery!

Whenever I have had people cook for me, especially mum’s, you always get the old “Sorry, I bet it won’t be as good as what you’re used to” and they have no idea how greatful you are that you’re not the one cooking tonight. Plus restaurant food is an experiance, its not the pure love of keeping your loved ones or friends healthy and happy, there is pay checkues involved at the end of the week!

My Nans, partners, adopted mothers and all the likes have one thing in common that most eateries can’t replicate, they’re cooking for me or you to make us happy! That in my mind is what love in cookery really is.

No matter what, you never, ever complain to your Nan about any of the food she has probably slaved over for hours on end! Anybody that has the tenacity to complain about someone’s cooking when they’re not paying for it needs a mental health plan!

I have always felt that my Nans stew tasted better the next day, once it had rested, infused and all those flavours have had the opportunity to get come together. Yet I never complained, or told her that when she insisted on me filling up until I couldn’t move! Same thing when anybody cooked for me, I’m happy I don’t have to cook and I’ll probably do the dishes for you to, I’m extreamly grateful!

Biting ones tongue is hard work for a no nonsense, middle aged chef like myself when confronted with unreasonable drama, hence why my craft is best plied behind the scenes.

Home style, Nanna specials is what real love is all about and nearly everyone of us has Mrs Fulton to thank for the great tucker our Nans and mummas have been pumping out for the last few generations!

Telling it how it is still is and probably will continue to get me into trouble from time to time, but being honest about your opinion is also another one of the great things my Nanna tought me. Nobody has to listen to anybody’s opinion, yet when that opinion is backed up by results, then that’s all the validity one needs!

A big thanks to Mrs Fulton and all the other family matriarchs keeping our familys full and well feed!