There is one universal thing in this world. No matter where you grow up, what religion you affiliate yourself with, your gender, socioeconomic status, age or any other category you might identify with we all mark events in life with FOOD. Whether joyous celebrations, Holidays, times of mourning or just time spent with friends and family. I think food is the great unifier of the world. Men would say sports but what do you do at a sporting event? Eat concession stand food!!!
Every culture has it’s own “Homestyle Food”. I probably shouldn’t admit this but if it looks weird while it was alive, I won’t eat when it’s not. I get that from my mom. She would turn her nose up at different delicacies. She grew up in Germany but came to the Midwest after marrying a GI. No not Elvis, although she claims to have been at a party he was at. (Not so sure about that). She learned to cook American food while living with my Grandparents. Now I loved my Grandma with all my heart but even she admitted she was not much of a cook. She had about 10 dishes that she made well and never deviated from that selection. My mom tried to expand her repertoire, but it didn’t work. The food my mom learned was quite different than what she was used to so she put her own spin on traditional recipes. Her favorite spice wasn’t even a spice. She added onions to everything!!! I used to hear a story about onions at every celebration. Years ago my Grandpa came in from the field to the delightful smell of cake wafting in the air. Trying to feel out whether he could sneak a piece my Grandpa yelled, “who made a cake?” My uncle who was home on a school break yelled “If it has onions in it, it was Karin”. She reportedly chased him around the house yelling at him in German. He never commented on her cooking again.
Having a single mom, we didn’t get to spend a lot of leisure time together. Our bonding time was usually while doing some household chore. My favorite chore was cooking. Mom would put me on the counter or this old chair that turned into a step ladder and just talk to me. She wanted to know every aspect of my day, If I had fun, what I learned, did I make a new friend? Of course, there was always the dreaded “how did the test go” question. I avoided that question for dear life. She could always tell if there was something weighing heavy on me. We had some of the best talks while we were cooking. While we shared our adventures of the day, she would put a little of this and that in our dinner. No joke, that is exactly what she would say, I little of this and a little bit of that. I don’t think she ever looked at a recipe and rarely used a measuring cup. That could be why all my birthday cakes looked like pancakes. I would ask her what a certain spice tasted like, and she would sift a bit on my finger then she would roar laughing if I made a face from the awful taste. Cream of Tarter, has anyone ever tasted that? I have, I can’t really remember what it tasted like but for years I would have her taste something I prepared and ask her what it needed. In her usual wise cracking fashion she would say ” Cream of Tarter maybe?” We did a lot of playful eye rolling in our house. I thought it silly back then but I got my sense of humor from her and am very thankful for that.
Once a week we would have steaks. T-bone steaks, green beans and a baked potato. You would think that growing up in Texas we would grill the steaks outdoors (She moved to Texas when I was 5 years old). No grilling, she would broil the steaks in the bottom drawer of the stove and turn our house into a smoke house. So much so you had to open the windows and doors to be able to breath or see. You could literally see smoke billowing out of the house. I thought the fire department would come a couple of times. Some how after the smoke cleared and plates were served those were the best steaks I have ever had!! She had a round cutting board that she used as a TV tray. We did have a dining room table but that was just for sewing stuff and a catch all. Who really eats at a table anymore? After my mom passed away I was left to sort through all the very valuable collectors items that she said were my inheritance. (I’m just kidding, she said everything was a collector’s item. It really was, it was collecting dust) I found the round cutting board and brought it home. Unfortunately, I put it in the dishwasher and it’s life as a cutting board was cut short. I still have that board and find it every so often and reflect on our Sunday steak night. I still try to make something special on Sundays. Guess that’s the Midwest coming out in me.
After all that my point is food accompanies so many precious memories. The hands that make it, the items used to prepare it and most of all the love that flavors it. My kitchen is a hodge-podge of hand me downs from either my mom or my grandmother. Each time I use an inherited item I feel comfort knowing that in a way I am holding their hand and they are guiding me not only in the preparation of this meal but in my journey called life. I don’t have any children, children that don’t meow anyway. I’m sure my “collector’s items” will either be passed on to my nieces or nephews but the items that came from my Grandmother will be thoughtfully bequeathed and hopefully they will feel Grandma’s love when they use the precious family mementos.
I invite you to select a few pieces that could aid in your chores, help nourish your family, and perhaps be the envy of your descendants.
David:
Being a guy I have always been a fan of food. There is no food ethnicity that I would turn down. I was introduced to many types of food dishes at a young age. You see my Dad was in the construction/home building business as I was growing up. There were many events & trips that we were fortunate enough to attend and with every new event came the opportunity to expand my horizons and chow down on something new. This food obsession accompanied me the rest of my life. So much so that I chose Hospitality and Restaurant Management as a career. Can you think of a better career choice for someone that loves to eat??? It’s kinda like putting the rooster in charge of the hen house don’t you think?
I had a rewarding career in the food service industry despite having long hours and lack of quality time with family and friends. I learned a lot though. I can make a mean macaroni and cheese and break down a side of beef in the blink of an eye. There was never a dull moment. I learned about Operational, Food and Labor costs and saw a bit of the country moving to different stores. I met a lot of hard working people but also learned to always check the kitchen before you let the dishwasher leave or you might have a long night. Speaking of dishes, you would be amazed at how much inventory there is in the typical kitchen. Not just the items that make it to the front of the house and the guests table. Walk-in coolers and freezers the size of a large bedroom filled with product. You practically need to have a Master’s degree to run all the equipment, certainly to maintain it. I have developed an appreciation for kitchenware of any use. It certainly has come a long way from the meager Weber kettle grill of my youth. When I was a kid a microwave oven was almost as big as a regular oven, now they are more compact with convection capability, roasting, air frying, dehydrating. If they could only wash the dishes they would be worth their weight in gold.
I’m a little bit past my prime to work in a restaurant with the hectic schedule, lack of predictable free time and staffing issues but if you invited me to go to the back of the house in any kitchen and play I would have the time of my life. I really enjoyed the creative aspect of the work, the constant innovation and the unpredictability of working with the public. Anyone who has ever worked in the Food industry knows exactly what I’m talking about. You have good days and bad days but always at the end of the day you worked hard and were proud of the products you served.