Alisa made the magnificent suggestion for this week's Monday Listicles topic and it's one I can really sink my teeth into.
Food + memories= my favorite things
1. Nachos
Salty chips, covered in cheesy goodness with the perfect amount of jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. Meatless or not. Black beans or refried. I love nachos with all of my heart and they LOVE me. It wasn't until 1982 that I met my first nacho platter. We had moved from Kentucky to Oklahoma and went to a Mexican Cantina with friends which was another first for me. It was a total dive from the outside-housed in the upstairs of a dilapidated hotel.
2. Fried Okra
I'd grown up eating fried okra from my parents garden in the Bluegrass State but I was not impressed. It wasn't until high school that I gave fried okra it's much deserved recognition. It reminds me of driving to The City with my best friend and her mom to pick up or take someone to the airport. It was there at The Blackeyed Pea that I rediscovered okra.
3. Ice Cream
We grew up hundreds and eventually thousands of miles away from all of our extended family but my parents made sure we knew where we came from. Every year, twice a year for 17+ years we piled into the family wagon and drove to New York. Every single night of our visit Grandpa had a bowl of ice cream for snack and insisted that we did to! He's been gone for more than sixteen years but when I think of ice cream I think of him.
4. Fettuccini Alfredo
I living in my first off campus apartment in Columbia, Missouri and found myself with too much time of my hands so I decided to experiment with cooking. My college roommates mom gave me a recipe for this which was from one of the famous Kansas City eateries. I didn't even know what fettuccini alfredo was until I cooked it for the first time.
5. Artichoke hearts
I don't find it the least bit strange that my first encounter of the artichoke kind occurred at Shakespeares Pizza. It was in my salad and it was ahhhhhmazing and I had never seen anything like it before. Luckily my friend from Iowa was schooled in these delectable treats and identified the for me. Bacon and artichokes became my one of my favorite pizza combinations.
6. Lobster
Big Yankee and I are Super Fans of Seafood. If you ever have a chance to dine at Lobster Pot in Provincetown Massachusetts you best grab that bull by the horns. It was one of our favorite honeymoon dinners.
7. Grilled Cheese
I've never mastered the art of the perfect sandwich. They always come out too soggy or burnt. Or maybe it's just that I know the best grilled cheese is one that someone else makes for you. My Aunt G mastered the grilled cheese.
8. Chili
I had NEVER even eaten chili when I volunteered to make it for a work potluck. I kinda sorta followed a recipe in my half-assed way. I did use some of the same ingredients more or less though I don't measure anything. It was better than good. It was incredible. I even won a chili cook-off.
9. Pizza
I have a long term relationship with pizza. I don't recall the intimate details of how we met I just know that pizza has ALWAYS been there for me. I had horrific morning sickness that lasted nearly my entire pregnancies but I could always eat pizza. There were times I ate pizza every single meal, every single day for an entire week. It was the only thing that kept me from hurling. Growing up we didn't eat out JUST to eat out. It was reserved for very special events such as birthdays. When Big Yankee & I decided to spend our honeymoon on the East Coast I insisted we dine at Mystic Pizza because it was one of my favorite movies and because PIZZA!
10. Cookie dough
Eaten with a spoon, straight from the yellow Nestle tube. It reminds me of some of my best, life long friends. Even now when we get together 26+ years later we bring the cookie dough.
Food + memories= my favorite things
1. Nachos
Salty chips, covered in cheesy goodness with the perfect amount of jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream. Meatless or not. Black beans or refried. I love nachos with all of my heart and they LOVE me. It wasn't until 1982 that I met my first nacho platter. We had moved from Kentucky to Oklahoma and went to a Mexican Cantina with friends which was another first for me. It was a total dive from the outside-housed in the upstairs of a dilapidated hotel.
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2. Fried Okra
I'd grown up eating fried okra from my parents garden in the Bluegrass State but I was not impressed. It wasn't until high school that I gave fried okra it's much deserved recognition. It reminds me of driving to The City with my best friend and her mom to pick up or take someone to the airport. It was there at The Blackeyed Pea that I rediscovered okra.
 |
| source |
3. Ice Cream
We grew up hundreds and eventually thousands of miles away from all of our extended family but my parents made sure we knew where we came from. Every year, twice a year for 17+ years we piled into the family wagon and drove to New York. Every single night of our visit Grandpa had a bowl of ice cream for snack and insisted that we did to! He's been gone for more than sixteen years but when I think of ice cream I think of him.
4. Fettuccini Alfredo
I living in my first off campus apartment in Columbia, Missouri and found myself with too much time of my hands so I decided to experiment with cooking. My college roommates mom gave me a recipe for this which was from one of the famous Kansas City eateries. I didn't even know what fettuccini alfredo was until I cooked it for the first time.
5. Artichoke hearts
I don't find it the least bit strange that my first encounter of the artichoke kind occurred at Shakespeares Pizza. It was in my salad and it was ahhhhhmazing and I had never seen anything like it before. Luckily my friend from Iowa was schooled in these delectable treats and identified the for me. Bacon and artichokes became my one of my favorite pizza combinations.
6. Lobster
Big Yankee and I are Super Fans of Seafood. If you ever have a chance to dine at Lobster Pot in Provincetown Massachusetts you best grab that bull by the horns. It was one of our favorite honeymoon dinners.
7. Grilled Cheese
I've never mastered the art of the perfect sandwich. They always come out too soggy or burnt. Or maybe it's just that I know the best grilled cheese is one that someone else makes for you. My Aunt G mastered the grilled cheese.
8. Chili
I had NEVER even eaten chili when I volunteered to make it for a work potluck. I kinda sorta followed a recipe in my half-assed way. I did use some of the same ingredients more or less though I don't measure anything. It was better than good. It was incredible. I even won a chili cook-off.
9. Pizza
I have a long term relationship with pizza. I don't recall the intimate details of how we met I just know that pizza has ALWAYS been there for me. I had horrific morning sickness that lasted nearly my entire pregnancies but I could always eat pizza. There were times I ate pizza every single meal, every single day for an entire week. It was the only thing that kept me from hurling. Growing up we didn't eat out JUST to eat out. It was reserved for very special events such as birthdays. When Big Yankee & I decided to spend our honeymoon on the East Coast I insisted we dine at Mystic Pizza because it was one of my favorite movies and because PIZZA!
 |
| source |
10. Cookie dough
Eaten with a spoon, straight from the yellow Nestle tube. It reminds me of some of my best, life long friends. Even now when we get together 26+ years later we bring the cookie dough.
9 comments:
#10 - SWEET!! Girl you listed some good stuff. I forgot about grilled cheese. I have to buy cheese from the deli - white american - sliced just so for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich. THEN it reminds me of an aunt who made the best grilled cheese sandwiches. YUM. I want one.
We had Mystic Pizza last summer! We're not very far from Mystic, CT. It was worth it! I love the movie.
There must be some special aunt gene that makes the grill cheese masters!
It's delicious isn't it? We ate there 2 days in a row & also went to Mystic Seaport.
Oh, this was wonderful. Food, love, family, friends. We eat a spoonful of cookie dough every Saturday night along with a glass of wine. Fancy, huh?
Such sweet memories...especially the one about your granfather and ice cream. I also love fried okra. My stepmother makes fantastic fried okra...always with fresh okra to keep it from being slimy.
@Bill I often pair my cookie dough with a glass of white--though I can't stop at just a spoonful! How do you do it?
@Leslie
Slimy fried okra is a big turn off isn't it?
Now I'm super hungry. Blergh!
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