My family were refugees to the UK. My mum spoke no English and had only a small income from sewing blouses. My little brother and I relied on school lunches but came home to simple but gloriously delicious meals. The sweet smell of rice steaming alongside fried shallots and garlic can turn your appetite into a ferocious monster. My mum has the Vietnamese way of never forgetting to balance sweetness, savoury, tanginess and freshness. These meals have always been happy and I still eat like this.
