A trip down memory lane...

[flotsam]

My Mom was the best cook! Nah-not really-she was ok and had a few things she cooked well. But she was very much a wife of her times (50's and 60's) and she and her peers had a very limited horizon...(Now I give an example) in the early 60's a local school was putting out a cook book and a cousin who shall remain nameless submitted two recipes that nailed down her reputation as a knowledgeable cook of international cuisines. Both recipes featured a pound of browned hamburger, a cup of minute rice, and a can of Veg-All. Mexican rice also got a dash of hot sauce and Japanese rice got a splash of soy sauce. And sadly my family home did not contain both of those "exotic" spices...Our basic set of spices and condiments were salt and pepper, paprika, gravy master, ketchup, mustard, and relish. Later we added onion and garlic powder.
So here is the question-tell me about your Moms spice rack and recipes and how you cook now.

[PJMcK]

1. My mom had an amazing collection of spices from around the world

She was an awesome self-taught cook and always provided us with a variety of foods and dishes from around the world. As an example, I recall that my parents went to a business dinner where they served tempura. This was in the early 1970s. Mom loved it so much, the next day she bought a deep frier and a Japanese cookbook so she could learn how to make it.

Her spice cabinet had so many remarkable choices and I can still recall the incredible aroma when its door was opened. Today, we have a similar collection of goodies to inspire our meals. Sometimes we'll decide how to prepare a meal by surveying the herbs and spices once we've chosen the main components of our meals.

The sad epilogue to the story is that when Mom passed away, Dad discarded all of the spices! I would have taken them in a New York minute. When I asked him why he did that, he said he didn't know how to use them anyway. Sigh. In the intervening decade or so, I've tried to teach him a few culinary skills, to little effect. Ah, well.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. My mom had salt and pepper.

And that was it.

When I was first out on my own I'd look at the various spices in the store, see what they were supposed to spice, and then try them. I've turned into a fairly decent cook over the years.

[bigtree]

3. lovely memories!

...have a nice Thanksgiving.

[Vinca]

4. Sadly, I don't remember my mother's cooking much because she died when I was 8.

I do remember my grandmother's, though and it included such delicacies as pre-made pie crust bars in a box, lots of canned tomato soup and baked beans purchased from a local bakery that made a pot every Saturday. Wow, flotsam . . . you had Gravy Master?????