Home sweet home

Dec 23 2008 by Barry Ellams, Chester Chronicle

Eating in is the new going out for Cestrians who are enjoying the renaissance of an old tradition. LEANNE DELANEY reports.

LOVE food but would rather enjoy it in the comfort of your own home?

Chester cliques, circles of friends and families are now opting to cook at home rather than dine out.

Fine wines, good food and good company are still on the menu as people look to tighten their financial belts by lining their stomachs with good old-fashioned home cooking.

An insatiable appetite for TV cookery shows has made a big impact in the UK as people turn to Rick Stein, Nigella Lawson, Gary Rhodes and Marco Pierre White for the very best advice on DIY cooking.

A group of more than 500 people in Chester were questioned on the meals they cook, influences they have and whether cooking is out of enjoyment or necessity.

More than 60% admitted to owning and using famous cookery books; 40% said they like watching TV cooking shows with 25% actively preparing recipes.

Interestingly, 50% of those interviewed admitted to preparing and eating healthy food, 30% liked fast and convenient food and 20% enjoyed making their favourite food. while more than a third said they cook for leisure and enjoyment while 65% said they simply cook to eat.

One family from Saltney said: “We enjoy cooking, but most of the time it’s an extra burden, recently my family and another have been cooking for each other on different nights. I really look forward to the joint nights, it’s fun for the entire family.”

Eating for pleasure is a rising trend in the UK made more popular by Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me. Chester, a city bustling with restaurants of all varieties, also has an active home dining circuit.

One social dinner party, “The Chester Ladies”, is made up of eight friends of varying ages and professions who host their own dinner parties once every few weeks.

The Ladies are a unique close knit collection of personalities who say their conversation flows as smoothly as a memorable Rioja

Visiting The Chester Ladies, I was greeted by dinner host for the evening Laura Watson, dentist and mother of two-year-old Lucy who had prepared a three-course meal. As the only mother in the group, the dinner was held at her home, while her daughter slept peacefully upstairs.

A starter of baked camembert pasta, seasoned with garlic, rosemary and black pepper was served with garlic bread.

The group consisted of a solicitor, Karen Owens, GP Trisha McCully, practice nurse Jane McCully and teacher Suzanne Wells.

Karen Owens said: “We all met separately and ended up living in Chester. With not seeing each other in a long time we decided to get together, and we have been having dinner parties ever since.”

She added: “We have been doing this now for two years, and I look forward to someone else cooking.”

Laura serves Meatball Tagliatell, from the cookery book Jamie’s Ministry of Food of which she admitted using on a number of occasions.

She added: “I use a lot of organic food in my cooking, I especially buy it for my daughter as it’s healthy for growing babies, but I enjoy it myself, and have started using it in everything, to my husband’s dismay..”

The conversation passed through films, books, news, jobs and Christmas.

Teacher Suzanne Wells said: “It’s not about impressing people with culinary expertise, it’s friends and family enjoying a night together with home-cooked food.”

GP Trisha McCully said: “There are misapprehensions about food in the media all the time, obesity being the main one. Cooking doesn’t have to be a chore, and there are so many healthy and easy cooking options now that we rarely have an excuse not to cook.”

Dessert and pièce de résistance was chocolate mousse, made famous by cookery book, Nigella Express.

I was lucky enough to enjoy a second evening of home dining, this time at Thai Connection, a home in Broughton where three different families join together for an array of Far Eastern fare.

Host Parissa, has two children, Phon, six, and AJ, 18 months.. The families are all from Thailand and come together to enjoy favourite dishes from their country. Each family has children and they all join once a week, taking the strain off cooking.

Parissa said: “I love cooking, and miss Thai food and try to cook it whenever I can. My English husband Terrance tries my international culinary skills, although he does not possess the pallet my cooking requires.”

For starter, Parissa served rice soup to a Thai recipe.

She said: “I cook this as it really warms you up on these cold evenings, adding a pinch of mincemeat for a sweet and Christmas taste.”

Parissa’s friend Pam, a mother of five-year-old Tina, said: “It’s a treat to share cooking with another family, and watch our children play together, it makes cooking a pleasure.”

For main course Parissa served Thai green curry.

The families met as all their children attend the same school and became close friends over the past 12 months of hosting dinners.

Dessert was mince pie and custard. Parissa said “I know its not Thai, but it’s a favourite of mine.”