A disciple of the kitchen

I have a special talent for eating that has been lovingly nurtured and cultivated by my parents from the day that I was born. Unfortunately, cooking is a skill that I have had to painstakingly develop on my own. My parents are fiercely territorial; like large cats marking their domain with their scent, my childhood kitchen was off-limits. It was my job to consume, not to produce.

But, perserverance has paid off. My continual passion and devotion to food and cooking has recently elevated me to a level worthy of secret recipes, specialist advice and personal kitchen demonstrations. I feel like I have been admitted to the 'popular group' at school. Finally, I have become a disciple of the kitchen.

Currently, parental wisdom has taken the form of salad recipes, which is fortunate since the Sun is tantilisingly poking his nose out from behind the clouds, giving the (false) impression that Summer has arrived. The beauty of these recipes (which can be found in the Food Forum) is that they are very simple to make yet healthy, filling and flavourful.

Grapefruit salad with pan-fried fish created an excting medley of tangy, sweet and salty flavours in my mouth that were reminiscent of a tropical ocean. Each bite took me on a journey through juice-filled slices of grapefruit, crisp lamb's leaf lettuce, silky pieces of fish and capers bursting with flavours of the sea.

Grilled chicken with a pepper and cucumber salad dazzled me with a host of vibrant colours. Fresh, high-quality ingredients, such as super-sweet cherry tomatoes and homegrown herbs, maximised the flavours and created a Mediterrean garden on my plate.

Hopefully, the Sun will keep his hat on so that I can continue to play with my newly bestowed salad recipes. Otherwise, I have no doubt that wisdom will take on a new and equally delicious form for me to experiment with. If you have any wisdom of your own, please share it in the Food Forum.