MANY CHILDREN, old and young, take the opportunity to give mother a chance to relax and forget the kitchen on Mother's Day. Whether they are great cooks or just trying a thing, they use her special day to cook up some of her favourites and serve her in style. We asked one such person to share his annual labour of love for mom, with readers.
For as long as he can recall, Kingston businessman Hugh Wright, of Wright's Auto, Maxfield Avenue, has always cooked for his mother, Mrs. Elaine Wright, on Mother's Day. The annual ritual includes packing his four daughters off to Carisbrook in St. Elizabeth where they spend quality time with her.
"Only illness would prevent me from going home on Mother's Day," he said.
This Sunday he will cook her 'real country food' as he told Food. "I will be preparing cow tail (not oxtail), from my farm, with gungo peas and rice, tossed salad, yellow yam, fried plantain that she loves and that will be accompanied by coconut water. For desert my sister Pat Wright will make a rum cake," Mr. Wright said.
He explained his method of doing the cow tail is to first soften it in the pressure cooker for 15-20 minutes, then transfer it to the dutch pot for a final simmering with only natural seasonings. These are: scallion, thyme, Scotch bonnet pepper, pimento berries, garlic and onion. He adds a little soy sauce for colour and salt to taste. Mrs. Wright likes spinners (tiny dumplings), so he uses that instead of broad beans.
And Diane Ashton-Smith, group manager - External Communications at Sandals Resorts International, will journey over to Mandeville, Manchester, where she will make the following dishes for her mom. Breaded fish sticks vegetable soup, red and green bell peppers stuffed with shrimp and callaloo, garlic grilled lobster tails and parsley potatoes. "For dessert, I will serve lychee cheesecake courtesy of Guilt Trip in Kingston. My mother is my tower of strength so I have to make her day special," Mrs. Ashton-Smith told Food.
