In life we have some very significant meals. Many are planned such as rehearsal dinner at a wedding, Christmas dinner, Easter lunch, meal after a baptism, etc. Others are only significant after we look back on them. I had lunch one day at the Black-Eye Pea in Greenville. It was a chain meat and three place. Nothing special about the place or the meal except that was the first date with my now wife.
Some meals are themselves special and we are reminded of the past through them. Christmas Eve for me is steaks cooked on the grill, potatoes, and a big salad. Thanksgiving is dressing made in a pan, not shoved in the bacteria filled void of a dead turkey. Low Country Boil is the beach. A Falafels and Hummus plate at the Pita House reminds me of my late father. Salmon patties are my grandmother. Just the other day I saw a jar of peanut butter sitting on the shelf beside a can of olives, it reminded me of a weekend, ten years ago, when my then teenage sister-in-law stayed with us and a food experience that went very wrong.
There are times that we need to stop reaching for the freezer and prepared food and instead actually cook. So that we can have some real food memories! This I guess leads me to my first ever food maxim: artificial food leads to artificial memories.
So with Christmas coming up what are you going to cook? Do you need a food tradition for the holidays? How about Roast Goose or Oysters. Do something special to help link food to your memories and your memories to your food.
A few more samples before I go:
Onion Rings - Greek Fast food with my dad, the policeman, in Greenville
Meatloaf - Watching Happy Days (The Cunningham's had Meatloaf every Thursday)
Cornbread - My Grandfather
Oyster Stew - The worst sickness of my childhood
Oysters on the half shell - Papa Peanut and Grandma Sims at the Hungry Fisherman
Grilled Fish - Trip to Bahamas
Steamed Blue Clams - Edisto Beach with the Gothards (Brown Beer)
Brunswick Stew - A cold night on the farm and mom's fresh baked rolls
County Fried Steak with gravy - Ken Vanvoorhis learning to make gravy at a Deacon's Dinner.
Anything on the McDonald's Menu - Road Trips with Erskine Basketball Team (McRib!!!)
Baked Chicken - Sprained Ankle against Limestone 2/92 (don't eat it still today)
KFC Chicken Breast - Papa Peanut's Funeral
Some foods are a venerable album of memories, one example for me is Red Velvet Cake.
What do I think of when I think Red Velvet Cake?
1. Steel Magnolia (The groom's cake) and my first girl friend
2. A cub scout father son baking contest (mom baked the cake - oh the shame)
3. A cake that Aunt Sarah made for the Christmas Family Reunion that I won!
4. A birthday cake that caused my mom's hand to breakout from the red food coloring (mom loves me)
5. A particularly good one from a First ARP Lancaster Cover Dish Dinner.
6. Numerous bad Red Velvet Cake - Mom and Aunt Sarah can cook!
Some meals are themselves special and we are reminded of the past through them. Christmas Eve for me is steaks cooked on the grill, potatoes, and a big salad. Thanksgiving is dressing made in a pan, not shoved in the bacteria filled void of a dead turkey. Low Country Boil is the beach. A Falafels and Hummus plate at the Pita House reminds me of my late father. Salmon patties are my grandmother. Just the other day I saw a jar of peanut butter sitting on the shelf beside a can of olives, it reminded me of a weekend, ten years ago, when my then teenage sister-in-law stayed with us and a food experience that went very wrong.
There are times that we need to stop reaching for the freezer and prepared food and instead actually cook. So that we can have some real food memories! This I guess leads me to my first ever food maxim: artificial food leads to artificial memories.
So with Christmas coming up what are you going to cook? Do you need a food tradition for the holidays? How about Roast Goose or Oysters. Do something special to help link food to your memories and your memories to your food.
A few more samples before I go:
Onion Rings - Greek Fast food with my dad, the policeman, in Greenville
Meatloaf - Watching Happy Days (The Cunningham's had Meatloaf every Thursday)
Cornbread - My Grandfather
Oyster Stew - The worst sickness of my childhood
Oysters on the half shell - Papa Peanut and Grandma Sims at the Hungry Fisherman
Grilled Fish - Trip to Bahamas
Steamed Blue Clams - Edisto Beach with the Gothards (Brown Beer)
Brunswick Stew - A cold night on the farm and mom's fresh baked rolls
County Fried Steak with gravy - Ken Vanvoorhis learning to make gravy at a Deacon's Dinner.
Anything on the McDonald's Menu - Road Trips with Erskine Basketball Team (McRib!!!)
Baked Chicken - Sprained Ankle against Limestone 2/92 (don't eat it still today)
KFC Chicken Breast - Papa Peanut's Funeral
Some foods are a venerable album of memories, one example for me is Red Velvet Cake.
What do I think of when I think Red Velvet Cake?
1. Steel Magnolia (The groom's cake) and my first girl friend
2. A cub scout father son baking contest (mom baked the cake - oh the shame)
3. A cake that Aunt Sarah made for the Christmas Family Reunion that I won!
4. A birthday cake that caused my mom's hand to breakout from the red food coloring (mom loves me)
5. A particularly good one from a First ARP Lancaster Cover Dish Dinner.
6. Numerous bad Red Velvet Cake - Mom and Aunt Sarah can cook!
Another is Roast Goose.
1. Christmas 2006
2. Birth of our second Son
3. In-laws here for Christmas
4. My Wife's reaction when she found out I paid $40 for a frozen fowl
What are your food memories? Are you making them now?
Good Eatings!
The Hungry Preacher
And by Christmas Family Reunion you actually mean the Christmas Family's Reunion.
ReplyDeleteAnyway... I can't make Chicken Cordon Bleu without thinking of you dear brother :)
Spaghetti invariably reminds me of G'ma Frances.
Bruswick Stew... ugh... reminds me of the hours I spent picking all that meat off the bone... but it's sooo good come winter :)
Yankee Pot Roast- the one truly great meal I had at Jim's mom's house.
Boiled Peanuts- Dad!
Crunchy Peanut butter- Granny!
Toasted Marshmellows on Peanut Butter Ritz- Granny and more recently M.
Anything Denny's- reminds me of the date that I walked out on because if he's first date was Denny's it just wasn't going to get better.
Rio Bravo- the first restaurant Jim and I went out to (as friends), we had an overzealous waiter who had wandering hands.
Shoneys- all those trips after your basketball games!
Oh how that list goes on and on!!