Food part 1

Well, food is an evolutionary journey...or not.I can be easily satisfied with a simple grilled cheese sandwich as much as a pricey bowl of white truffle turtle soup, although one big difference between them is that I can make a good grilled cheese , the soup- not so much. I have eaten hundreds of excellent meals, but many of them have not been in restaurants.(More on restaurant experiences another day.) I have tasted sublime homemade cuisine,especially at the hands of my husband's sister Margo, his Tia Alicia and my own dear mother.Until I met Alfredo, I had never experienced Arabic cooking, and how amazing it is. I learned to make such dishes as Lamb and okra,taboulley, kibbi, mamoul, etc. From mom I enjoyed all the "comfort" foods, and I still do.I love Mac and cheese, meat loaf, turkey and dressing - you know all those mom made foods we took for granted when we were young.This was back in the day when kids could come home from elementary school and eat lunch, btw. Southern cooking- a genre unto itself- was enjoyed since I was a child, because Dad was from Kentucky, and mom made some of his favorites - and made them well: pancakes,biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, banana pudding ,pecan pie.She made to- die- for soups and casseroles.I acquired a taste for items not seen on restaurant menus such as cottage cheese with worchestershire sauce(don't eat this in public; the looks are deceiving ) Graham crackers with milk( eaten like cereal) and a mess of smelt. My dad used to say that he liked two kinds of food - hot and cold. Who's my daddy? Now , it sounds like I only like high caloric, high fat, high sugar foods.That actually isn't true, although if something calls for butter and/or sugar, please don't substitute margarine and artificial sweetener. I love a good Caesar salad, broiled salmon,sea bass, salade nicoise, boiled eggs,and most vegetables and fruits. I like simple foods and I like exotic, unusual foods( except maybe squid , chitlins, and sweetbreads- there's a misnomer). You know, I was even a vegetarian( I ate fish)for over 6 years until I got pregnant with Adam. Then I returned to being a carnivore and never looked back. Can you say, " filet mignon, please, and I'll have that medium rare" ?Nevertheless,I love eggplant Parmesan and eggplant pie( a dish my mom created). And good sushi puts me in 7th heaven. I fondly remember the pot luck dinners at church and with my sorority groups.Carb city and loved it. There might be the same dish made three or four different ways, and comparison/ contrast applied.Family reunion potluck picnics- perfection. The commonality of all of the above is not me and my gluttonous ways - well, yes, that too - but the fellowship of family and friends. We could be eating a PBJ together, and I would be content. I consider myself a good cook - and I do enjoy cooking, but I'm thankful I learned my way around the kitchen from GREAT cooks.Now it's fun (and relaxing)to taste the dishes my husband or son serve.They make tasty food, indeed. Many of my best memories involve food with friends and family ; they probably always will.I am signing off now to eat Al's homemade pizza and wings...yum...I'll be making stuffed French toast soon, a family favorite. <3.