BlueWolf's Howl

« Reloaded | Bluewolf's Howl | Knowledge Management »

May 25, 2003

Is there a cook in the house?

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day. I spent the day at my uncle's house where we had a huge cookout. Well, there weren't that many people, but there was enough food to feed that many people...

We had racks of ribs... my dad and uncle "rubbed" them last night with about 20 seasonings. There was fried chicken, my other uncle's famous "German" potato salad, cod salad, corn, rice salad, string bean salad, and lots of fruit...

In my travels, I have always been known for doing some serious cooking. But, I come from a long line of cooks. My mother and father both cook. Each has their "specialty" dishes. My brother's a great cook. My uncles all cook. The men in my family do a "mens' thing" in Maine every winter (several times each year). They claim to go there to snowmobile. Truth is: they go for the food. My brother makes calzones that are famous within the family... So, if you take my cooking and put an exponent on it -- well, that's my family's cooking. They make me look like I'm just boiling water...

But that's okay. I don't mind being one-upped...I still get a plate *GRIN* and I have my own specialty. I'm known for taking pictures of all this food. When I first started, they laughed at me. They thought it odd that I would take pictures of the food instead of the people. But, the food was so beautiful... I missed seeing such beautiful food. So, I snapped and snapped and snapped...

I took some pictures of my mom's antipasto (which I previously wrote about) and turned it into "art." Now, a few holidays later... we're no longer having such a big antipasto. The new trend is to do a lighter cheese, tomato and basil thing - and now she's glad that I captured her antipasto for posterity. These people put their hearts into their cooking. It's their creative venue - their expression of artistry - and their expression of love for their family. They want them to eat. They want them to eat things that are delicious and memorable. It makes them feel needed. It makes them feel loved and is a way to show their love. And my pictures are a way of making them feel appreciated.

A year ago, they poked fun of me for taking food pictures. My brother called me "T.D.Brown.." Today I had my camera out and no one minded. In fact, my dad made sure I got a picture of the cake he made before anyone could cut into it... It was the first cake he ever made and was a collaboration between him and his brother. It was a two layer cake with cooked cream icing and a peach glazing over the fruit. (Yes, the same cooked cream that is found in St. Joseph's Day zeppolas.) It was delicious and pretty. And the brothers made it. It was devoured as fast as it could be cut.

Posted by BlueWolf on May 25, 2003 09:49 PM