This blog is inspired by my mother, Patricia Robinson, who was an amazing force of nature in my life. Known as Mrs Robinson or simply Mrs R, she made an indelible impact on anyone whoever met her. And of course, every special occasion was celebrated with the sounds of Simon and Garfunkel’s, “Mrs Robinson”….
As a single mother she met my step-father, Jacques, a bombastic Frenchman – with Napoleonic characteristics – and who true to form, ended up being buried on St Helena, the last resting place of the “le petit caporal” himself. To say our household was volatile, is an understatement. It was passionate – we loved, we laughed, we fought, we lived – and at the end of each day, in true Francophile form, good food and wine was all that mattered.
Our house was always open to friends and family and even the odd strangers. You could pop in at any time and there’d always be food on the table, a good bottle of Beaujolais or Chateauxneuf on hand, and when it came to champagne, Moet was only an arm stretch away.
And so began my love affair with food, family, friends and more. Add to this, a marriage into a Lebanese family, where food and family are ever intertwined and steeped in tradition, always prepared together with an abundance of love ready for sharing. Nuff said.
But, while this blog is inspired by my very own Mrs Robinson, it’s dedicated to my three gorgeous boys – you know who you are – to document and share easy to follow recipes of all the delicious food we’ve created and enjoyed together over all these years. It’s a compendium of your favourites – and possibly the not so favourites too. You are my raison d’aitre as they say in French – my reason to be.
Like sharing good food with family and friends, I hope that “A Mrs Robinson’s Affair “ is shared by everyone who discovers it. My wish is that it helps all youngsters graduate into adulthood to become fine young adults.
My plan is to include articles on everything you need to know to help you as you fly the nest to independence. From setting up your first kitchen, to how to set a table and maybe even basic etiquette – like how to hold a knife properly and impress the in-laws.
Enjoy.
Here’s to you Mrs Robinson….
