I do not remember my first memory of food. Well, my first source of food (technically nutrients) was, well, whatever my mother ingested during her pregnancy, which as I am told was a particular liking of Strawberry smoothies. My mother also told me she had absolutely no aversion to food, she could eat anything. This universe works in mysterious ways. Was this my first expression of love for food?
During my childhood I remember playing with flour rather than cooking with it, and loving green salads. My favorite dressing was French. I went through the typical love/hate relationship with food we all have growing up. Wanting to go out to eat because it was fun to see Mom not cook, and trying to suggest as many food options for dinner to avoid foods we didn’t like. I can only remember a few foods I wouldn’t eat when prepared even though my Mother tried in many valiant ways to disguise these foods (Cheese Soufflé, Chicken Supreme, Brussels sprouts, and Seafood of any kind).
My Mother loves cooking. Everything about it from meal planning, to grocery shopping, the action of cooking, the finished result, and the raving complements of the family. She also loves to be in the kitchen. Because of this love, she never required us to help her with the physical action of cooking. I remember asking what can I do to help, and she would also find some way for us to help her. Getting out ingredients, setting the table, or picking out something to make for dessert. None of my siblings or myself ever just flat out asked, “Mom, teach me to cook like you”. Because of this, yes I could plan a meal once I left my parents nest, but I always needed a recipe card, and for a complete meal, I felt I always needed at least 4 items on the table always: Bread, Meat, Pasta/Grain, and Greens. You can imagine how not living at home and supporting yourself financially can change this ability to always provide a balanced meal.
A varied meal is an excellent way to receive your nutrients that your body needs. I never questioned the food I ate because Mom knew best. Of all of my friends growing up, everyone wanted to eat at our house. We always had amazing meals that everyone genuinely enjoyed. My Mom was the head cook, and my Dad was the head baker. Not only could he bake, but grilling and smoking meats was also his specialty. We used to host huge parties. 50 people at a time was normal, and my Mother being the great hostess she was, had both a Sam’s Club, and Costco card. I got to see at an early age the bulk food industry (more about that in another post).
One of the most valuable things I learned from my Mother was how to be a great hostess. I am used to accommodating many guests and people at a time, and am not frazzled by extra people for dinner. I knew how to put together a meal, but what I didn’t learn was how to eat well on a budget (I had no need growing up). I also was not confidant with my kitchen abilities because I never spent enough time in the kitchen. All that changed when a wonderful man prepared a meal for me and had it waiting with food on my plate I had no idea how to prepare or that it even existed. And, the food was incredible (More about my current tutor later).
With my own journey and experience now, my Mother and I can share recipes and cooking experiences over the phone when we talk. Now one of the greatest things my Mother continually offers me is encouragement in all my kitchen endeavors. She always has great suggestions, and is excited to hear about all my current adventures in the kitchen. In the past two years, my Mother and Father have contributed generously to my new love, making sure I had most of the basic kitchen utensil and appliance needs, an entire Pyrex set, and the most recently a stand up Kitchen-Aid mixer!
Thank you Mother for being a wonderful example in my early years. You helped lay the foundation for my taste buds and forever encouraging me to experiment and enjoy the love of food.
Now I will leave you with a quote from the book Food Rules, by Michael Pollan, that has helped me redefine my eating habits and purchases I make regarding food.
Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
Imagine your great-grandmother (or grandmother depending on your age) at you side as you roll down the aisles of the supermarket. You’re standing together in from of the dairy case. She picks up a package of Go-GURT Portable Yogurt tubes-and hasn’t a clue what this plastic cylinder of colored and flavored get could possible be. Is it a food or is it toothpaste? There are now thousands of foodishproducts in the supermarket that our ancestors simply wouldn’t recognize as food. The reasons to avoid eating such complicated food products are many, and go beyond the various chemical additives and corn and soy derivatives they contain, or the plastics in which they are typically packaged, some of which are probably toxic. Today food is processed in ways specifically designed to get us to buy and eat more by pushing our evolutionary buttons-our inborn preference for sweetness and fat and salt. These tastes are difficult to find in nature but cheap and east for the food scientist to deploy, with the result that food processing induces us to consume much more of these rarities than is good for us. The great-grandma rule will help keep most of these rarities out of your cart.
Note: If your great-grandmother was a terrible cook or eater, you can substitute someone else's grandmother – a Sicilian or French one works particularly well.
Imagine your great-grandmother (or grandmother depending on your age) at you side as you roll down the aisles of the supermarket. You’re standing together in from of the dairy case. She picks up a package of Go-GURT Portable Yogurt tubes-and hasn’t a clue what this plastic cylinder of colored and flavored get could possible be. Is it a food or is it toothpaste? There are now thousands of foodishproducts in the supermarket that our ancestors simply wouldn’t recognize as food. The reasons to avoid eating such complicated food products are many, and go beyond the various chemical additives and corn and soy derivatives they contain, or the plastics in which they are typically packaged, some of which are probably toxic. Today food is processed in ways specifically designed to get us to buy and eat more by pushing our evolutionary buttons-our inborn preference for sweetness and fat and salt. These tastes are difficult to find in nature but cheap and east for the food scientist to deploy, with the result that food processing induces us to consume much more of these rarities than is good for us. The great-grandma rule will help keep most of these rarities out of your cart.
Note: If your great-grandmother was a terrible cook or eater, you can substitute someone else's grandmother – a Sicilian or French one works particularly well.
Writers Note: Writing is a Challenge
I believe writing is challenging for many writers because by the time you want to start writing something you have so much information you want to share, it is hard not going down multiple rabbit holes and loosing the continuity of the paragraph, chapter, or main points. I will continue to attempt to remain cohesive in my future posts.
I believe writing is challenging for many writers because by the time you want to start writing something you have so much information you want to share, it is hard not going down multiple rabbit holes and loosing the continuity of the paragraph, chapter, or main points. I will continue to attempt to remain cohesive in my future posts.
My next post will be about my cooking adventure this past weekend in the kitchen where I made a Black Bean Soup, Perfect Basmati Rice, Limelight Pie, and Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread.
