Jenny Mallin’s earliest memories are of her mother in the kitchen, tapping a wooden spoon against the side of the metal dekshi and then tasting her curry sauce, checking the seasoning. From that moment, Jenny was hooked and her mother continued to nurture her love of cooking throughout her childhood. The kitchen, a wonderfully warm and intoxicating environment, became an indoor playground filled with new experiences, challenges, and the end result – something delicious on a plate. She took such a pride in helping her mother that it wasn’t seen as a chore, but as a special time together. Consequently, that love of cooking coupled with a desire to please someone with her food has never left her.
Jenny has travelled extensively throughout India and has also visited many other countries, including Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and America. Her travelogues and written anecdotes of her journeys are much enjoyed by her family and friends.
With her passions for cooking, India, research and writing, the outcome has been a labour of love – a memoir that mingles the history of her family when they lived in India, with her grandmothers’ recipes that were prudently passed down through the generations. Each recipe has been lovingly researched, leading Jenny on a road of discovery about her ancestors, with her grandmothers’ legacy continuing to assist in providing clues to their rich and eventful past.
Jenny works as a PA but has also had a colourful career as a Travel Buyer (which spawned her passion for travel and meeting people) and before that was in television production at the BBC in London as a Researcher, Production Secretary and Assistant. She lives in Kingsclere with Stewart, her husband of over 30 years, and their two cats. Any spare time that she has is spent doing painting, home decorating, jewellery making, listening to music, photography and enjoying nature.
Jenny is about to have her first piece of commissioned work published next month by Sainsbury's Magazine which is a 1,500 word article on her book. Meanwhile, Jenny is loving connecting with all her book fans on her Author FB Page https://www.facebook.com/agrandmotherslegacy - she only went online with her FB page three days about and has received nearly 291 "likes" and has reached 1,630 people worldwide who are enjoying reading all about her latest developments and progress in this exciting phase of her book before it is launched and released in November this year.
We learn about five grandmothers who left their legacy of a cookbook and discover about their lives through anecdotes and sepia photographs
Journalism