Sue prefers to make her own grilled steak at home for Mother’s Day. — filepic
This May, if you don’t already know, the second Sunday of the month is Mother’s Day. While you can’t go wrong with a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates, it’s always more meaningful when you take the trouble to cook something for her. It doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy either – some of the best Mother’s Day meals are cooked by children who put their heart and soul into the making of the dish, so even if it doesn’t look great, it’s still top marks for effort!
Here are seven suggestions to inspire you in the kitchen. — Compiled by PATSY KAM
1. “It’s quite expensive to take the whole family out to a Western dinner, especially if it involves steak. In the past, what I did was buy a big block of beef tenderloin, marinate and grill it at home. And I would make some mash potatoes and grilled vegetables to go with it. I remember once getting a whole tenderloin for about RM150 from Mr Ho’s Fine Foods in Bangsar Shopping Complex (Kuala Lumpur). It was a lot of money then, but it fed the whole family, all five of us. And yes, Mum loved it.” — Sue, entrepreneur.
Poached egg, avocado on toasted croissant bread and balsamic glaze by Joanne. — Photo: Joanne Teo
2. “I’ll make my mum a special breakfast. Normally, we don’t have time to sit down and enjoy this meal of the day. Generally, my mother is quite easy-going and not fussy about what she eats. Since Mother’s Day is on a Sunday, it means I’ll have a little more time to prepare something special. I’ll make her favourite egg and toast – a little more atas (high-class) version lah.” — Joanne, marketing consultant.
3. “A cheeseboard doesn’t take that much effort to whip up and it looks really fancy too. What’s even better, it doesn’t involve any cooking! For Mother’s Day I’ll make my signature charcuterie board with cold meat cuts, fresh fruits and cheeses. I might include a block of Camembert that’s been drizzled with honey. Heat this up either in the oven or microwave and you get a lovely cheese dip that’s amazing with crackers!” — Tien Yue, video editor.
4. “Mum is 96 this year and she doesn’t really ask for much. We just want her to be happy and be in good health. I’m not much of a cook, but for Mother’s Day I will try and bake her a butter cake. It’s her favourite kind of cake, which is just as well as that’s the only one I know how to bake!” — Shalini, music teacher.
Andy made macaroni and cheese for Mother’s Day once. — Filepic
5. “One year, I made my mum macaroni and cheese for Mother’s Day. I didn’t follow any recipe and just made do with the ingredients I found at home. To me, I felt it was just OK, but since I made it, my mother thought it was great and happily ate it. That was about six years ago when I was still in my teens. Although she hasn’t let me back into the kitchen since then!” — Andy, computer analyst.
Carmen’s mother likes Biscoff cheese tarts. — Photo: Nyum Nyum by Nora
6. “My mother doesn’t really have a sweet tooth. But for Mother’s Day, I’ll get her favourite Biscoff cheese tarts because that’s the only dessert she gets excited over. She’s not into sweet treats much, only with this one exception. There are 25 in a box and she would eat two a day – one for tea and another after dinner as dessert – since it’s a special occasion (and the rest of us will get to have some too)!” — Carmen, advertising executive.
Dim sum for breakfast for Belinda’s mum. — Filepic
7. “Breakfast in bed? It’s not something we Asians normally do. Besides, I can’t cook to save my life! My mum enjoys eating dim sum so for Mother’s Day, I’ll probably take her out to somewhere special, a classier restaurant like Elegant Inn where the dim sum is really good quality and refined.” — Belinda, senior account manager.
