Not many things spark the memory like the scent of a favorite dish or childhood meal wafting out of the kitchen. Food plays a big part in everyone's life. It is one of the simplest necessities of living, and without it, no one would survive. Though food isn’t all about the simple nutritional value. A simple dish can make a huge impact on a person’s life. The only downside to what my family had was that no one really cooked on a regular basis or for some special event.
My family was never big on cooking. My mother is a Six Sigma Manager for AT&T and my dad was a self-employed safety engineer and consultant. When I was young my sister would take care of me or I would be in daycare since I was too young to be by myself. With the long work days my parents were exhausted and neither one of them wanted to go into the kitchen and attempt to cook a decent meal.
Because of this there were never any special family dishes or recipes that were amazing, and only a few times a year would our family get together and have a big meal. The one person that I can remember who was always willing to cook was my Nana. She had some good recipes, but sadly she pasted away a few years ago leaving the family without a consistent chief. I only remember a few random occasions that my mom would open a cookbook and make something out of the norm, but they were not often or special enough to make an impact on my life. Sometimes the only smells coming from the kitchen was the smell of a frozen meal being cooked in the microwave. Thus I sadly never got to experience that family meal that would forever change my life.
Coming from a simple, yet odd family that did not do much cooking, to narrow down a particular dish that impacted my life in a significant way is very difficult. To find a meaningful meal I had to expand my search to my recent life and people. That lead me to one person in particular, the girl I have loved for the past three years.
When I first met my girlfriend she never struck me as the type who cooked or even knew how to cook. Not to say she was lazy or anything, but just not interested in cooking. Why cook when you have parents to do that for you?
We started dating in March 2006. We had become friends in the 7th grade at the same school, and I asked her out for homecoming in the 9th grade. That March I asked her out. In those first months I had never seen her cook. When I went to her house her mother always made us dinner. The big surprise happened to me in May on my birthday. The day fell on a school day, and when I arrived there I was greeted with a rather large glass dish. It contents was the most delicious and moist red velvet cake I have ever had.
I have had many different types of cake throughout my life; vanilla, chocolate, angel food, German chocolate, strawberry filled, almost, any type of cake that one could think of I’ve tried it. Some cakes have been really good some have been horrible, like the one my mom left in the oven too long.
My girlfriend had made the cake herself as a small gift to me for my birthday. Ever since then she has made me the same cake every year. It has been something I look forward to because it’s the one time I know she will cook in a year.
The cake was moist since it was fresh, and the icing was hand made. Since it was made early that morning it was still warm from the oven. The cake was huge though making it impossible to eat by ourselves, even though we tried. I ate more cake that day then I probably should have. I ate almost a third of it for my lunch that day at school. We ended up getting our friends together and passing out the cake between us to get rid of some of it. By the end of the day there was just enough to give the rest to my parents so they could have some too. To me the cake was special and the best one I have ever had. I had never had red velvet cake before that day. It was amazing, and I was able to share with all my friends, and even with my parents back at home. I found out that day that my girlfriend was an awesome cook, but she has to be in that right mood to get up and be willing to do it. Though at the end of her toil the resultant work is magnificent.
Those days in May are some of the best of my life because I’m surrounded with good friends and good food. We don’t even need a little party we just get in a group and share the cake. That’s what the main idea of a great food dish is all about. Bring a group of people together to share that food item and bond closer together as a group. The cake was not just about the sweet taste to celebrate a birthday, but also a symbol of love and friendship.
Thus my girlfriend making me the red velvet cake was the first dish that I considered significant in my life. Yes it was a great dish, and yes it was an awesome gift. Though to me it was not about the cake itself that made the day special, but it was that she decided to take the time to craft the food with love. I know she knows that it was special to me and I hope she will keep making the cakes in the future. One day I want to return the favor and become the cook my parents never were.
My family was never big on cooking. My mother is a Six Sigma Manager for AT&T and my dad was a self-employed safety engineer and consultant. When I was young my sister would take care of me or I would be in daycare since I was too young to be by myself. With the long work days my parents were exhausted and neither one of them wanted to go into the kitchen and attempt to cook a decent meal.
Because of this there were never any special family dishes or recipes that were amazing, and only a few times a year would our family get together and have a big meal. The one person that I can remember who was always willing to cook was my Nana. She had some good recipes, but sadly she pasted away a few years ago leaving the family without a consistent chief. I only remember a few random occasions that my mom would open a cookbook and make something out of the norm, but they were not often or special enough to make an impact on my life. Sometimes the only smells coming from the kitchen was the smell of a frozen meal being cooked in the microwave. Thus I sadly never got to experience that family meal that would forever change my life.
Coming from a simple, yet odd family that did not do much cooking, to narrow down a particular dish that impacted my life in a significant way is very difficult. To find a meaningful meal I had to expand my search to my recent life and people. That lead me to one person in particular, the girl I have loved for the past three years.
When I first met my girlfriend she never struck me as the type who cooked or even knew how to cook. Not to say she was lazy or anything, but just not interested in cooking. Why cook when you have parents to do that for you?
We started dating in March 2006. We had become friends in the 7th grade at the same school, and I asked her out for homecoming in the 9th grade. That March I asked her out. In those first months I had never seen her cook. When I went to her house her mother always made us dinner. The big surprise happened to me in May on my birthday. The day fell on a school day, and when I arrived there I was greeted with a rather large glass dish. It contents was the most delicious and moist red velvet cake I have ever had.
I have had many different types of cake throughout my life; vanilla, chocolate, angel food, German chocolate, strawberry filled, almost, any type of cake that one could think of I’ve tried it. Some cakes have been really good some have been horrible, like the one my mom left in the oven too long.
My girlfriend had made the cake herself as a small gift to me for my birthday. Ever since then she has made me the same cake every year. It has been something I look forward to because it’s the one time I know she will cook in a year.
The cake was moist since it was fresh, and the icing was hand made. Since it was made early that morning it was still warm from the oven. The cake was huge though making it impossible to eat by ourselves, even though we tried. I ate more cake that day then I probably should have. I ate almost a third of it for my lunch that day at school. We ended up getting our friends together and passing out the cake between us to get rid of some of it. By the end of the day there was just enough to give the rest to my parents so they could have some too. To me the cake was special and the best one I have ever had. I had never had red velvet cake before that day. It was amazing, and I was able to share with all my friends, and even with my parents back at home. I found out that day that my girlfriend was an awesome cook, but she has to be in that right mood to get up and be willing to do it. Though at the end of her toil the resultant work is magnificent.
Those days in May are some of the best of my life because I’m surrounded with good friends and good food. We don’t even need a little party we just get in a group and share the cake. That’s what the main idea of a great food dish is all about. Bring a group of people together to share that food item and bond closer together as a group. The cake was not just about the sweet taste to celebrate a birthday, but also a symbol of love and friendship.
Thus my girlfriend making me the red velvet cake was the first dish that I considered significant in my life. Yes it was a great dish, and yes it was an awesome gift. Though to me it was not about the cake itself that made the day special, but it was that she decided to take the time to craft the food with love. I know she knows that it was special to me and I hope she will keep making the cakes in the future. One day I want to return the favor and become the cook my parents never were.
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