When I was growing up, we'd have meat and three veg every night for dinner. My sister and I always complained but that's what Dad wanted and he was the one that earned the money. I swore when I left home, I'd never eat meat and three veg.

Our favourite meals were the ones we had when dad wasn't home. We would have grilled cheese on toast or tomato soup or mashed vegies. Mashed vegies was my favourite, a huge bowl of all the vegetables we had boiled up and mashed together with a well of butter in the middle and a big dollop of tomato sauce on top.

When I left home, I discovered stir fries and a million things to do with pasta that didn't involve bolognaise (spag bol was as exotic as we got at home). I fell in love with garlic and chilli and capsicum. For many years I didn't eat much red meat at all, except for mince. Hell, I couldn't afford meat and when I did buy it, I didn't know how to cook it.

But lately, I've been cooking steak for the first time in my life. Steak is really good. Of course I buy a dainty little sandwich steak, devoid of fat, not a half-cow sized chunk. While I grill it, I cook a spud in the microwave then pop that under the grill to crisp up the skin and then boil up some vegetables. It is the quickest and easiest tea. A bit fancier than the old meat and three veg, but not much.