Forget fancy cookbooks – the real kitchen hacks are passed down with love (and a dash of sass) from moms. The MK team shares some of their mothers’ most treasured tips and tricks that continue to inspire their cooking today. 

Sjaan van der Ploeg, Deputy Food Editor 

An overarching theme of my mom’s cooking over the years was her incredible confidence in substituting. Over the decades her dishes received praise repeatedly and weekly we’d say “mom, please show us the recipe this is amazing”, her face would first go pink, then her response: “I just threw it together”. Her ability to look at a recipe and simply add and remove ingredients on a whim had me in awe. Confidence like that can only be achieved after many years of experience. She knew what would work better, what the dish needed more of or simply what she wanted to add that we had in the fridge. It taught me to be more playful with cooking, experiment more, use what is there and trust my palette.  

Cameron Adams, Junior Designer 

One kitchen tip my mom taught me is how to make perfect caramelised onions. She always said not to rush them, keep the heat low, stir patiently and let the onions slowly turn soft, golden and sweet. 

Aneeqah Emeran, Digital Editor 

The best advice my mom has given me? “To make cooking easy and more enjoyable you have to work with a system.” She advises prepping everything beforehand and that you clean up as you go along so that once the dish or pot of food is done, there’s barely much left to clean up. I don’t know about you, but not having much to clean up after a meal is a win in my books. However, her most important lesson is to “cook with love” – this is the magic ingredient for a memorable meal. 

Christi Nortier, Features Editor 

My mom has taught me that setting the table, throwing open the windows, lighting the candles and putting on some music can and should be a daily indulgence. Her special touch has always created a sense of occasion around our meals, making us linger longer after our knives and forks have been put down. It’s about that sense of intention, care and creativity. The trick is to make it easy for yourself: she always kept the tableware, serveware and even the matches in a beautiful cupboard that was easy to get to. Or you could do it my way: my dining room table is always set – you never know when “an occasion” might come up!    

Mpho Komane, Social Media Manager 

Since my mom gave me these two valuable tips, I still use them every time! The first one is to add sugar to tomato based sauces and soups to make it less tart. The second? She told me to boil boerewors first before you grill it. The sausage will come out fully cooked and juicy. 

Taahirah Wallie, Advertising Sales Co-Ordinator  

My mom always told me to “clean as you go”. She’d repeatedly say that a clean kitchen would make the process a lot easier. Plus, it will cut down on your cooking time by far.  Anything to avoid a big mess! 

Aaliyah Omar, Editorial Assistant 

She always said “steal with the eye” when learning how to cook! My mom has gifted me many Indian and Malay cookbooks but always claimed that I’d learn more from simply watching her in the kitchen and picking up some of her best habits. 

Photography:  Freepik

Also read: Chef Kerry Kilpin’s Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe for Mother’s Day

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