Friday, September 3, 2010
What I learned about food from my family...
Isn't it amazing that the traditions/neurotic characteristics/obsessions that your family had in your youth often mold and shape you even without your knowledge. I have found that I have some strange beliefs about food and when I look back at where they came from they were definitely based on my childhood.
1. Don't eat/drink alone
1. Don't eat/drink alone
- Even today if I have to eat alone I don't eat a meal. I eat cereal, cheese and crackers or some other random type of snack food. When I was growing up every meal was with my Mom and she cooked! On those horrific days at work when all you want to do is come home and have a glass of wine...I grab a glass of wine and sit on the patio with the dog so I don't appear to be drinking alone...really does it matter at all...we all know the neighbor Jim isn't looking over the block wall judging me...but seriously!
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| Drinking wine with the dog on the patio |
2. Food is social
- The biggest bonding experience is sharing food. Every holiday with my family was equated to what we ate, how much we ate and how amazing was the food. For example, every Christmas Eve was spent at an "aunt and uncles" house where they made a multi course Italian seafood feast. The food was to die for and put you in a food coma for the next 11 months...your recovery coming just soon enough so that you could eat again at the next years Xmas.
3. Food is nurturing
- Food is the way you show love and affection...there is no better way to care for another person than by cooking for them. I have found that I still have this belief today which goes against every other aspect of my personality. For example, my fiance (I hate that word it sounds so pretentious) works strange hours/days yet I always try to make sure he has homemade food waiting for him. It is my way of showing him that I was thinking about him, care about him and want him to be healthy. For those of you who don't know me you are thinking "oh how cute." For those of you who do know me you are thinking "what the hell that doesn't sound like Danah." I am one of the most independent, driven and hyper personalities. However, I have this throw back 1950's traditional view point when it comes to the importance of food in a relationship.
4. Listen to your body
- Growing up my Mom always told me to listen to my body-am I full, do I like what I am eating, how do I feel? And I remember this and I always think about it the morning after....when I have a horrible hang over and I ate so much food that I can't roll my body out of the bed. Thanks for the good advice Mom! Wish I followed it more often!
5. Your body is your temple
- I am conscientious of everything I put into my body. I do not eat fast food and I don't waste my calories on something that I am not excited to eat. I am always teased at work because when they order food I am never "game." However, getting sick my freshmen year of college and realizing just how important your health is I started to pay attention to the correlation between what goes in your mouth and how energetic and enthusiastic you are for life. If the food is fattening, high in calories or "bad" for you it better be the most amazing food I have ever had...otherwise I will just have a great glass of wine and be totally content.
6. Leftovers are nasty
- Since my Mom cooked every meal we didn't have leftovers with the exception of lasagna, pumpkin pie (which we had for breakfast the morning after) and Chinese food. I grew up thinking leftovers were disgusting and beneath me. However, I am trying to break myself of this strange belief...because seriously if you liked it the first time you are probably going to like it the 2nd. Plus that is a lot of food to waste if you make dinner and then never want to see it again. So this is a work in progress...
For those of you who are wondering...the Asian Chicken Soup was ok...a little spicy and the chicken was kind of dry. The recipe had me cook the chicken before adding it to the soup so it didn't have as much flavor as it could have had. Tonight I making fish tacos...wish me luck. Have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!
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