Mother Knows Best

Plitvice Lakes in Croatia – That’s me & my mom on the left with the other moms & daughters on our trip

Growing up, I could always find my mother in the kitchen. She wasn’t necessarily cooking in there; it was more command central for afternoon cocktails with friends, list writing or perhaps (most likely) a place to escape from us kids.

That’s not to say she never cooked; believe me, she did. She was an early proponent of old school California Cuisine and taught my sister and me the importance of fresh, local, lean ingredients that could be simple or complex, but always delicious.

So here, in honor of my mother, is my response to Mama Kat’s Writing Prompt Ten Things I Learned from My Mother (in the kitchen):

1. Cocktail hour begins at 5:00 (time can be adjusted accordingly).
2. Grilling is a great way to get out of the kitchen (with the added benefit of making it harder for short people and hairy dogs to find you).
3. Buy regional cookbooks when you travel, even if you don’t understand a word of the native language.
4. Snack foods can be dinner, too. Ditto for cereal.
5. Eat fruit for dessert.
6. The best way to celebrate family and tradition is with a huge meal shared together in the dining room.
7. Drink low-fat milk but eat full-fat cheese.
8. When all else fails, make pasta smothered in butter and Parmesan cheese.
9. If you need comfort food while traveling, order pizza. It’s a taste of home no matter where you are (I’ve tested this theory in Cairo, Zagreb, Taipei and Tokyo).
10. There is grace in small rituals, from setting the table with candles to serving food on plates handed down through the generations.

Love you, Mom!

In Dubrovnik