No one in the world made fried chicken like my grandmother. My mother ranks a close second, but just can't match the taste of Gramma's. I'm convinced it was because Gramma had an iron skillet that for decades had one job, and that was to crisp up fresh chicken (never frozen) and the skillet was seasoned to perfection.
Growing up, I had the perfect "Leave It To Beaver" family meal setting. With a stay at home Mom, our dinner was ready at the same time when Dad walked in the door and changed from his his fatigues into his white tee and jeans and we sat down to a feast. It was simple fare, but always delicious. Today the professionals say you eat with your eyes first and insist that plates must be a work of art. My mother's plates never had pureed anything, no colorful blobs, and nothing was placed with a pair of fru-fru pair of tweezers. Each plate had a protein, a starch, and veggies - and my mouth began watering immediately because I knew the flavor was going to be perfect! Nothing replaces good taste.
Across the span of my life, I've watched the emphasis on the family meal change tremendously. When I was young, society still placed great importance on the home cooked meal. Then it began to change as the "helpers" were introduced, then boxed meals, then they finally perfected the TV Dinner - and suddenly, Moms every where were cut loose from the kitchen. Then came the fast food boom and before long, as a society, we were eating from bags and boxes - the wholesome home made family dinner was a thing of the past. Since Mom was no longer cooking, she was no longer teaching the kids to cook - and our heritage began slipping away.
With the popularity of Food Network and Cooking Channel - being a "Foodie" is now the popular thing. But, if you never learned to cook, that's not easily done. Thankfully, my Mom taught me to cook, I just really sucked at menu planning and meal timing. So, at the ripe old age of ... I'm not telling you ... I began my culinary journey. If you want to reconnect with your roots, I suggest you do the same, and soon!
Think about that one dish that takes you back to when you were a kid - something that really has a special meaning to you. The term comfort food is so misused today - it's tossed around as anything that is not good for you. The true meaning is that dish that takes you back. For me, my ultimate comfort dish has a very strong cultural attachment.
My great grandmother was the
