My mom would make us turkey soup when we were sick. At first, this was something my sister and I would turn our noses up at – but now it is the first thing I make when my family is unwell. I’ve never tasted a turkey soup like this before – I think maybe it comes from her mother or grandmother. Black peppercorns are a key ingredient as are bay leaves, turkey carcass, star anise and other secret family ingredients. When you taste this soup you just know it is treating you well – its warmth, flavour and spice coat your insides with a restorative and protective layer of home-cooked love past through generations. How many wars has this soup seen? Did it ever bend depending on the ingredients available? Is chicken a good enough substitute when turkey can’t be found?
My mother didn’t cook much with us, but she did cook amazing meals for us. Both her and my father were focused in the kitchen and got frustrated with us underfoot.
I think I had a curiosity for cooking when I was younger but I don’t really remember being welcomed into the kitchen to cook. We weren’t present for the preparation and would only show up when called for supper.
Another favourite meal my mom made on the weekends for my sister and I was a really good curry dish with chicken thighs and tortillas on the side or roti. I thought the chicken thighs were too gamey but would devour bowls and bowls of sauce, the white meat part of the chicken avoiding the red stringy tendons…
where rivers are born 