But this brings up a story of my Mom. My Mom was famous for her cooking. Years after her death, we sit around and talk about how good of a cook she is. What little girl doesn't dream of being a good cook like her Mom?
But, I found out years later, she wasn't always a good cook. When my Mom and Dad were newlyweds, Mom would have dinner ready for Dad when he came home for work. There would always be 'that moment' when Mom would ask, "So, how's the food?"
Dad never learned. He was always brutally honest. "It's a little dry." or, "It isn't done." or, "It's a little bland."
Mom always tried her best to take his comments and do better. But, enough was enough. Finally, they had a big fight over it. She said according to him, there was something always wrong. According to him, she asked, he was just giving her an honest opinion.
A week went by, and Mom cooked without asking anything. Then she did something sneaky. She went to a restaurant and ordered a bucket of chicken. She came home and made the kitchen messy, just like it would be if she slaved in the kitchen. Dad came home and they sat down to eat.
Then came the question. "So, how's the food?"
She asked, so Dad had to tell her the truth. "It's the best chicken I ever ate."
Mom started crying. She wanted to prove there was nothing wrong with her chicken. He didn't understand because he really did think it was good chicken. He wouldn't lie to her.
I didn't know about this until years later. But when I moved out and started cooking for my family, fried chicken was one of the dishes I could not master. It took me YEARS to get it right. I never fry chicken without thinking of my Mom and her great cooking.
What is your favorite dish and why?
Keep the Faith
