A talk by Jenny Mallin.
Walking into Grandmother's kitchen at Christmas - a British Raj lifestyle
We are treated to a glimpse of how life was for my grandmother who was a young bride living in Calcutta in the 1920s and gain an insight into her cuisine and food choices as she travels around India.
We discover how she was enticed by those exotic ingredients found in India which produced a different kind of cuisine - Anglo Indian dishes and how with the help and careful consideration of her native cook we learn how Christmas was enjoyed by those who were living in a country which was part of the British Empire.
The traditions and food preparations with a focus on Christmas and how that festive season remains a huge calendar date for everyone living in India regardless of religion, creed and caste, we see how a country with a nation with only 2% who are Christian still recognise this festive time as an opportunity to join their fellow man and embrace Christmas 100%.
Author "A Grandmother's Legacy"
Winner of Best in World Cookbook
World Gourmand Cookbook Society
| Event type: | Meeting |
| Date: | 17th May 2027 |
| Time: | 2:00 pm |
| Venue: | Hunstanton Community Centre |
| Organiser: |
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Jenny Mallin Bio
A Berkshire-based public speaker and award-winning author for her 'Best in World' cookbook memoir "A Grandmother's Legacy". Jenny delivers a fascinating insight into five generations of her family who lived in India during the days of the British Raj.
The re-uniting for Jenny of a family heirloom of a book which her great x 4 grandmother started in 1844, Madras which she remembers seeing in her mother’s pantry, is a time capsule in itself. This cherished book holds not only the handwritten manuscripts of recipes which were passed down from mother to daughter for the next five generations, but also hints at the technological changes ushered in by the industrial revolution which had a positive effect of intertwining the economies of India and Great Britain.
With her extensive collection of family sepia photographs and her compelling storytelling, Jenny manages to bring those stories to life reflecting on this period of British history through her highly visual presentation and narrative.
Jenny’s career has been the culmination of several instinctive paths in her life influencing her continued interest in both research and travel from her early days in television production at the BBC where she picked up skills in how to present but also carved out a career there in researching. With almost thirty research trips to India over the past thirty years, she has both explored and uncovered the history of her ancestors and their interesting path.
Recently interviewed by Jenni Murray on BBC’s Woman’s Hour, Jenny has also been featured in “The Lady” magazine, “Who do you think you are?” magazine as well as “Waitrose Magazine” and “Sainsbury’s Magazine”. As custodian of her ancestors’ recipe book, Jenny has been able to impart knowledge of her family’s cuisine through her teaching at notable cookery schools, including the renowned WI headquarters, Denman College in Oxford.
Jenny’s interest in both research and travel have provided her with a strong background into the British Raj history of her ancestors and their own interesting paths in life. With thirty research trips to India over the past thirty years, she has an extensive collection of family sepia photographs and her compelling storytelling, Jenny manages to bring those stories to life reflecting on this period of British history through her highly visual presentation and narrative.