While not all moms are domestic goddesses and wield a frying pan with particular finesse, the kitchen is still the room in the house that most of us associate with warmth, family and love. (And that all-important element of baking, bubbling and frying food, of course.) In anticipation of Mother’s Day this Sunday, we asked foodies and celebrity chefs to share their stories and memories of their beloved mother’s kitchen.

– Benny Masekwameng, MasterChef SA judge and executive chef at Mondovino  
“In my mother’s kitchen the first thing I learnt to cook perfectly was seafood. On the weekend we used to cook hake and kingklip; I never imagined myself cooking with prawn, oysters or crabs.”

– Reuben Riffel of Reuben’s at One & Only Cape Town and Rueben’s Restaurant & Bar in Franschhoek
“In my mother’s kitchen family matters were resolved. It is where I feel closest to my mom and closest to my siblings. We tend to become very nostalgic over the kitchen table, and I think that is encouraged by the smells of food cooking in the background. My mom’s and grandmom’s kitchens have stayed the same since I was a little boy. In today's world of ever-changing things, it's the most comforting place to go to, especially when it goes together with the smells and tastes of yesteryear.”

– Michael Olivier, editor of Crush online and guest chef on SABC’s Expresso
“In my mother's kitchen stood a large cream four-ovened anthracite-fired Aga. On it – and in it – the smoothest, creamiest, custards were baked, the crunchiest aromatic aniseed rusks dried, succulent legs of lamb and large farm chickens roasted, steaming pots of warming winters soups bubbled gently, flat irons were warmed, and chipped enamelled pots of honeyed rooibos brewed gently.” ?

– Vanie Padayachee, executive chef at The Common Room at Le Quartier Français  
"In my mother's kitchen we sat at the breakfast nook and did our homework whilst mom cooked. The smells always made my tummy grumble. I was sometimes allowed to clean the green beans or peel carrots and potatoes, but I was not allowed to still the pot until I was 10 years old. I was often given roti dough to play with whilst mom rolled and fried the roti. Later on, mom had taught me how to grind spices. As I write this, I am taken back to her kitchen."

– Chris Erasmus, executive chef at Pierneef à La Motte  
“In my mother’s kitchen nothing ever sleeps! There is a constant bubbling brew of preserves, chutneys and jellies on the go.”

– Sibahle Mtongana, celebrity food writer and TV personality
“In my mother’s kitchen I first learned to bake. It was soft scones that my mother used to make in large batches just before the festive season to give to friends and family members who came for a visit around Christmas and New Year’s. Precious moments.”

– Abigail Donnelly, Eat Out editor and Woolworths TASTE food editor
“In my mother’s kitchen I learnt to make spaghetti bolognaise, but in my grandmother’s kitchen I fell in love with food.” ?

– Lizelle Stolze, executive chef of Serendipity Restaurant  
“In my mother's kitchen was a large, round table where recipes were deciphered, meals were planned, homework was done, friends were treated to baked delights straight from the oven, and heart-to-heart talks happened. My mother's kitchen was the heart of the home I grew up in.”

– Nina Timm, author of My Easy Cooking, winner of the 2012 Eat In Award for best local food blog
“In my mother's kitchen we celebrated food. For as long as I can remember, my mother's kitchen has been the centre of activity in our home. We still enjoy our food around the big, old, family table and there is always place (and food) for more guests. My mom taught me to plan; even today you will find a to-do-list in her kitchen. She plans shopping, as well as her meals, and therefore saves time and money. My mom gave me a love for food and people and I strive to pass that same legacy on to my children.”?

– Coco Reinarhz, executive chef at Sel et Poivre  
“In my mother’s kitchen you will always find passion, love and a celebration of local fresh products with family and friends. Being a professional chef, she built her house around her kitchen.”  

– Katharine Jacobs, Eat Out online editor
“In my mother’s kitchen I learnt so many things – including my times tables – but the first thing I learnt to make all by myself was béchamel sauce. I must have been about nine at the time, and had an all-consuming obsession with white sauce. I made it every day for a year: white sauce with rice, white sauce with noodles, and eventually, when I got really adventurous, white sauce with cheese in it. This is probably also the reason I vaguely resembled a ball of mozzarella, aged nine.”

– Bernice van der Merwe, food journalist and owner of My Basaar  
“In my mother’s kitchen tea and coffee always taste better. She also makes the best oxtail that I’ve ever tasted.”

– Simoné Roussouw, executive chef at Babel on Babylonstoren Wine Farm “In my mother’s kitchen memories were created. Eat, drink, love and laugh.” ?

– Dax Villanueva, Eat Out reviewer, writer and blogger  
“In my mother’s kitchen the most resilient food memories were made. While the details of my most recent fantastic fine dining experience are already fading, I can still clearly remember my mother in the kitchen and the dishes she made. Cauliflower and garlic soup, banana bread, and steak, egg and chips were some of them. Simple but tasty fare. This tells me one thing: that which makes a meal memorable is love.”

– Linda Scarborough, Eat Out copy editor
“In my mother’s kitchen I was allowed to lick the mixers and make my own shapes of spiced cookie dough to bake alongside the neat rows of stars and moons. Now my mom still makes me ‘little people’s tea’ (with lots of milk) and we catch up and giggle together.”

By Linda Scarborough

Share your Mother’s Day stories and memories with us on Facebook  and Twitter (#InMyMothersKitchen).

Photograph: Johnny Hughes