Food = Memories
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One day I was bored, and I thought to myself; “why not watch some old Disney Movies to pass the time?” While watching Ratatouille something came to me; food can be a special way to remember where you came from, your family heritage, how you grew up, and so on.
When Anton Ego took a bite of the Ratatouille, he had a memory of his mother’s cooking and how it somehow made him feel better after he fell off his bike and scraped his knee, which is what inspired me to write this blog.
Growing up I was around many good cooks but two immediately came to mind when I was watching Ratatoullie, my mother and grandfather, Pappy Ron.
My mother grew up on dishes such as homemade enchilada’s, hand rolled tortillas, and Spanish rice. And my Pappy Ron grew up in South Philadelphia. He grew up learning how to cook at an early age and it soon became his passion. Growing up, we always looked forward to Pappy Ron making steaks, pork chops, chicken, sweet & sour pork meatballs (my FAVORITE) and more!
But you don’t always need family heirlooms or documents as symbolic connections to your family. Sometimes even the smallest thing can connect you to your past better than you realize.
One winter I learned how to make Mexican Bread with my Meemom. It took a LONG time to make but it was worth it to see the smile on my mom’s face, and a year later when her sisters came to visit, we made them together again and shared them with everyone. Just seeing them smile and be happy made it all worth it to me.
My Pappy Ron grew up having to work hard and things weren’t always easy. He learned how to do everything from scratch. As time went on, he was able to travel to places such as New Orleans and learn new cooking techniques, new spices, and new dishes. He even once owned a local bar, and restaurant called The Millhouse in Middletown PA (and no it wasn’t named after Millhouse from The Simpsons…believe me…I asked).
Food and cooking are more than just memories of kids baking Christmas cookies. Certain smells, certain dishes have a way of making you feel special, and I think it’s important to try to share those moments with your loved ones.
My mother and grandfather both inspired me to write this blog because while growing up, I seemed to enjoy their cooking the best because I feel like their food was made with me and our family in mind and I felt loved because of it. I’m still learning how to cook and bake – better late than never. I ask for help when I’m trying to make a recipe and they are always happy to help me. The first dish I learned to make myself was grilled cheese; I was in the 4th grade. In middle school I graduated to making quesadillas, and now I’m learning to use the crockpot to make meatballs. I even read cookbooks to get inspired to try new foods and learn how to cook better and I’m loving it.
The next time you have a home cook meal, take the time to learn about it and try to make it yourself!
That’s all I’ve got for now, Sarah