It’s better to leave the classics alone. Or not. A chance invention that turned a traditional dish on its head, became a family favourite and added fuel to an already raging fire of in-law tensions
Words by Terri Gilson; Art by Maya Pillai
In an attempt to disguise the taste of the liver, Mom would create bizarre concoctions of apples, onions, gravies and the like. But it was hopeless; there was nothing that could be done to transform that wretched bovine organ into something the least bit palatable. I still have traumatic flashbacks of sitting there, long after the family had deserted the dinner table, choking back apple smothered liver, while simultaneously throwing up in my mouth.
Growing up, dinners were mostly simple, really nothing to get excited about. And, then sometimes, they were horrifying. In the ’70s, eating liver was actually encouraged, even considered good for your health. And, if there’s one thing Mom liked to feed us, it was stuff that was good for our health.
Back then, Mom wasn’t a great cook, nor was she a bad one. She simply cooked what was minimally required for the family’s survival. I mean, she was barely 20 years old when she had me. In my 20’s, on a good day, my one main meal would have been pizza from the restaurant I worked at. In those days I could barely provide myself with daily…
