Heart of the Home
Hello My Foodie Friends!
This weekend is Mother’s Day. For many of us, it brings back memories of our childhood. My memories include the chaos my parents incurred of getting five children to do their homework, eat dinner, brush their teeth and get to bed every school night. I often reminisce about the work my mother had in raising three boys and two girls. In many of my articles I have talked about growing up in an Italian family. I was reminded by one of my customers that Italians are a matriarchal nationality. It’s the women who carry on the traditions and hand out the majority of discipline, wisdom and nurturing to the children. As a child, every room in the house where I grew up included constant teaching and training by my mother. The bedroom task was making your bed, dusting furniture, sweeping the floor or vacuuming the rugs and organizing your clothes. The bathroom was to be kept clean at all times and the living room was “keep your feet off the couch!” The kitchen was the most intense training. Washing and drying dishes to cleaning and setting the table. When we all sat at the kitchen table, our family discussions were learning times. We shared everything from how our day went to how to pass the potatoes. We learned manners, how to hold a fork and at the beginning of the meal, watching how much Mom did to prepare the meals and us for dinner. One of my mother’s favorite cooking tools, and is my wife’s favorite, is the wooden spoon. My mother used a wooden spoon for all of her daily cooking tasks. She would let us “taste” her sauce using a wooden spoon. There were wooden spoons for frying the meatballs, stirring the sauce and one that would sit at the kitchen table while we ate.
Compliments to the Chef would like to salute all the Moms who have made life happen in our homes and especially the Kitchen. Who was the first one to start cooking a meal and the last to sit down for a meal? Who was still in the kitchen cleaning well after everyone else had left? What room in the house did mom dole out free advice on dating, school, employment and dealing with disappointment? Where did some of your funniest memories of Mom take place?
Foodie moms are the easiest to please on a special day – especially Mother’s Day. If she’s into cooking special meals for you or she’s one who simply loves to eat, there are so many exciting ways to give her a treat these days. Creating a “foodie” theme for your mom can be a fun way to tell her how much you appreciate her cooking
This Mother’s Day when it is time for dinner, seat mom first and clean up so she can enjoy her day. Call Mom on a regular basis and tell her how you feel about her. You cannot say “I love you, Mom” enough. I bet I know where she will be when you stop by to see her. Whatever the gift is that you give your Mom on Mother’s Day, the greatest gift is the smile and hug you’ll give her at her front door.
Stop into Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place and share a fun story about your mom! Remember my Foodie Friends and Moms: “Life Happens in the Kitchen” – those memories will last you a lifetime. Take care, John and Paula
Stop by and shop at Compliments to the Chef. Your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad place for our line of Beechwood, bamboo, and pakkawood spoons and instantly take your culinary, dining, and entertaining experience to the next level. The wooden spoon was a primary cooking utensil used by Julia Child and other great chefs around the world. Each of our beechwood spoons are made in France where they are lovingly handcrafted to standards of unsurpassed quality. For centuries wooden spoons and wooden cooking utensils have been preferred by chefs for their numerous advantages. Unlike metal or plastic, a wooden spoon can be left in the pot without the risk of melting, burning your hand, or ruining a temperature-sensitive dish. A wooden kitchen utensil will not change the taste of acidic foods the way metal will. Wooden spoons are versatile. Simply wash your kitchen utensil with warm soapy water and allow to air dry. Restore your wood utensils to their satiny finish by treating them with a little mineral oil or beeswax compound.
As we all are working through our hectic schedules, remember that family time is the most important time. Eat together as a family, share stories, talk about your day, listen to each other, enjoy good food, and remember to compliment the chef. Bring your family together for at least an hour a day. Mealtime is family time. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”
Take Care, John & Paula
