Partake in the Feast!
11 May 2006 | Tavernier, Florida
77' very light breeze
There has been a great discussion on the 4Real Learning Bulletin Boards (scroll down the page and select the Bulletin Board Format for a wealth of information) on cooking with children today. Cooking is something that Marianna and I love to do together and with Daddy even better! Our style of cooking changed drastically when we moved aboard, with no oven, no stovetop, two grills and a microwave in port only, our recipes undergo a rigorous pre-cooking examination and/or adaptation. Some items change over easily and yet we find that we do not care to eat them as much as we used to.
For instance, meatloaf, that ultimate comfort food, can be easily cooked on the grill in a disposable pan but it is a hot, heavy food not well suited for life in the tropics. It is brought out on cool days in January when huddling around the grill for an hour as the sun sinks warms one physically and emotionally. Never the less, meatloaf was one of the first dishes Marianna wanted to learn to make. As she explained it to me, there was no way I could refuse. In her mind meatloaf is connected with her family and is a dish that has been passed down for generations, I make it, Grandma makes it, her Mother made it, and now Marianna can make it. It comforts her to trace this lineage of meatloaf and know that each time it is served, it appears with scalloped potatoes and green beans. It is tradition and I really don't think it would taste quite right with any other sides.
With a recipe this special it needed to be copied down very carefully, and is now stored in her unique recipe folder that she has adapted from a coupon holder with similar recipes, Aunt Joyce's 7-Layer Dip, "The Girls" Strawberry Pretzel Jello, and Carol's Buttermilk Pancakes. All special and each and every one connected with a story in Marianna's mind. Of course, she also has recipes included that we have not made yet but she really, really wants to! Check out the very carefully trimmed Kitty Cat Cupcakes, a memory in the making!
Cooking is a very important part of life and as such it should be incorporated into life daily. Planning, shopping, cooking, eating, all happen on a daily basis. Therefore we have a daily pattern that can be utilized to apply education to real life and bring families together while doing so. Have your children choose the tomatoes for the tomato-basil salad or the potatoes for broccoli cheddar baked potatoes. After cleaning and slicing or baking, the sense of pride when the children can bring a dish to table is poignant to see.
The history in a dish that you learned to make at your mother's side and are now teaching to your children should be shared, tell those stories that might have taken 10 years to be funny but now are worthy of rolling on the floor laughing! Play 'Do You Remember?' Mom, do you remember when I launched the lid to your wedding Corningware across the table like a bowling ball, shattering it against the wall when the pot holder slipped? I sure do! And I remember that lesson quite well and always securely grasp lid and bowl now. Haste makes waste. Cooking is fun! Share the adventure! Go ahead and call Grandma to confirm that story and after chatting maybe make a few notes on the recipe card to prompt the story the next time. Memories are very sweet. Savor these recollections like a rare delicacy, or gorge like it is common popcorn, the point is to partake in the feast.