Come on, admit it. At one point in your life, you’ve made up an excuse to get out of going to a family dinner. I’ve been there. But after reading (and re-reading and re-reading) about the tragedy at the Boston Marathon, dinner at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house was all I wanted.
Because I’ve been so preoccupied with finding the next best place to eat, I forgot just how comforting eating my grandfather’s cooking is.
Dinner this evening wasn’t anything extravagant. It was grilled BBQ chicken, baked potatoes, corn and artichokes cooked in garlic, parsley and oil – and it was exactly what I was in the mood for. My grandparents have always been great cooks and every year we continue to have Easter and Thanksgiving at their house. As they’ve gotten older some of their skills in the kitchen have weakened, but I’ve often been told that “the best food is the kind made with love” and that is something they both have plenty of.
Are there any foods that one of your family members makes that you just can’t get enough of?
Although we didn’t have it tonight, my absolute favorite is my grandmother’s ice box cake. She layers a mix of two packages chocolate and one package vanilla pudding between a crust of graham crackers – which is my favorite part. The crackers soften but aren’t soggy. They retain that smooth buttery flavor which compliments the pudding nicely. The only word I can use to describe it is perfect.
If I can make one request, it’s that you never overlook family dinners – because you never know when it may be just the kind of meal you need.
A Picky Eater's Adventure in Food 