Childhood Dreams

I remember the family activity of making dinner, all of us crowded in the small kitchen at my dad's house. Italian was his specialty: super cheesy lasagna, pizza baked in olive oil, and, of course, spaghetti.

My job was usually to help with the salad. I would wash the romaine lettuce, spin it out in the salad spinner, and tear it up in a big wooden bowl.

Meanwhile, my dad would make the dressing: olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, spices, and sometimes some vinegar. It was a dressing to clear out the worst sinuses, and it was delicious. (This dressing probably explains my addiction to an insane amount of garlic.)

The rest of the meal is a blur to me because I usually did not do much with the main dish other than eat it. Still, I can't remember a single time the Italian meal wasn't delicious.

While I love making the traditional Italian dishes of my childhood, I also like to branch out from the other side of my family.

My mom and I are cold people, so hot dishes warmed us up through the winter months in Ohio. My mom was a fan of throw it together, let it simmer, eat it up, so the dish I best remember is her chili.

While some people acclaim their chili for the unbearable spicy taste, hers was not spicy. Her chili was mild, but, it was always delightful, served steaming with some sour cream and cheddar cheese melting into the soup.

As both my sisters were vegetarian, a special treat my mom and I would share between just the two of us was warm deli meat/cheese sandwiches.

The sandwiches were different every time. My favorite was the ham and cheese with a good mustard spread. We worked together to make the simple sandwiches, wrapped them in foil, and baked them in the oven.

The end result was always delicious: gooey cheese, blended with the sauce, with a tasty ham or turkey. Such a simple a recipe never went wrong.

Now I feel comfortable with cooking. I love the delicate process involved with making a dish from scratch. For so many meals, I don't even use a recipe and just make adjustments to fit my mood.

My favorite dishes to make are a reflection of my past: garlic powered Italian, creamy soups, and hot sandwiches: Creamy/cheesy broccoli or potato soups, sometimes spiced with a "fiesta" flare, Italian seasoned vegetable soup, home made Reubens toasted in the toaster oven, and, what has become my own invention: the Erin-Burger (hamburger topped with any tasty special cheese, mayo on the bottom of the bun, spicy brown (or specialty) mustard mixed with dill relish on the top.

My dad dreamed of opening a quaint little Italian restaurant. The food was good, and maybe it could have worked out if the circumstances would have been different.

Now that I have found such joy in cooking, I feel the same lofty dream while I am dancing, singing, and mixing up a great meal in the kitchen. Cooking is happiness, especially when the eating's so good.