Paul McCartney Cooks with His Daughter to Continue Traditions after His Wife Died

The father-daughter pair also discussed their holiday traditions. The British photographer revealed that they had what was called a "Sunday roast" in England, where people had roasted meals for dinner.

May said the occasion was not unlike America's Thanksgiving. Being a vegetarian, she cooked sweet potatoes, roast parsnips, potatoes, and stir-fried Brussels sprouts, with the main being a plant-based protein, and the cookbook author stated:

"Dad does the slicing. Traditionally he always sliced the roast, and then I get all the trimmings together and a really nice red onion gravy."

During the episode, Mary told her father that a new recipe she was working on was the only thing missing. The star offered to make vegan Yorkshire pudding, causing her father to tease, "whatever next!?"

The incident made Paul recall his childhood, revealing how growing up, they didn't know people added gravy to Yorkshire pudding. The Beatles singer explained how they'd used it as golden syrup thinking the pudding was dessert!

Mary had some syrup, and with her father, they compared both the sweet and savory versions of Yorkshire pudding. Sharing some of their holiday family traditions, the photographer said there was a game they liked playing.

In it, you placed someone else's name on a post-it note and stuck it on your forehead, and you guessed who you were. Paul's daughter also shared how they played festive music, pulled crackers, and brought people together to enjoy the night.

Her later mother, Linda McCartney, was the one who got Mary to love cooking. Paul's first wife, who died in 1998 from breast cancer, raised their children as vegetarians, and the family advocated for meat-free benefits.

Mary said she was passionate about the cause and explained that with her series, she wanted to show how quick, easy, and enjoyable it was to be vegetarian. She also wished to bust some myths about the lifestyle.

Paul's daughter also confirmed how her father trusted her cooking and was great to cook for because he "appreciates home cooking." Mary said her father loved it when someone else cooked for him.

While his wife might've passed on long ago, that didn't mean she didn't live on in the hearts and thoughts of her family members. Her husband went out of his way to immortalize her in the only way he knew how.

McCartney Honored His Late Wife with a Song

Paul was married to Linda for nearly 30 years, married in 1969, before she died at age 56. In 1995, the animal rights activist was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away on April 17, 1998.

When she died at the family's Tucson, Arizona ranch, she was surrounded by her husband and their four children, Mary, Stella, James, and Heather. The death was even more tragic because Paul's mother, Mary, also died of breast cancer when he was 14.

The singer grieved for his wife openly and cried on and off for a year. The star recalled expecting to see her, the person he'd loved, walk into the house because he was so used to her, adding:

"I cried a lot. It was almost embarrassing, except it seemed the only thing to do."

Linda was cremated and taken back to England, where Paul spread her ashes on the Sussex family farm. In his emotional statement, the musician said he'd told his wife that she was on her Appaloosa stallion on a spring day while on her deathbed.

He continued laying the scene, saying she was riding through the woods and the sky was blue with bluebells out. However, before he even finished the sentence, she took her last breath, and because the family was close, her death left a significant gap in their lives.

Paul said they'd never overcome the complete heartbreak but noted how they'd learned to accept it. On June 8, 1998, a memorial was held in London's St Martin-in-the-Fields, and close friends and family attended to celebrate Linda's life.

The photographer [Mary McCartney] didn't even realize Linda and Paul [McCartney] were famous until much later...

The musician played "Let It Be" by The Beatles, a song he'd written after dreaming of his mother's visit at night to pay tribute to his late wife. Despite being a big celebrity, Paul and his musician wife ensured that his career didn't affect their children.

Paul Gave His Daughter a Sheltered Life

Mary grew up discussing food for hours around the dinner table, where they'd brainstorm recipe ideas and discuss flavors. In 1975, Paul and Linda took on a vegetarian lifestyle after dealing with concerns about personal health, animal welfare, and the state of the Earth.

Mary's favorite meal her mother made was cream of tomato soup, as she had it whenever she needed comfort. In her cooking series, the photographer put her spin on Linda's recipe and had it with lots of toast to warm her and make her feel safe.

Feeling safe was a goal that her parents pushed for her, as they'd raised Mary and her siblings out of the spotlight. The photographer didn't even realize Linda and Paul were famous until much later, with her saying:

“When you’re within it, you don’t really notice it so much."

The Beatles singer also pushed his children to live up to their dreams. Mary recalled him telling them to follow their hearts and not to be swayed by what others thought, encouraging them to believe and have confidence in themselves.