PORCH PONDERINGS

Food, Glorious Food

PROMPT March 13th

What traditional ethnic food dishes from your culture does your family still enjoy? Tell us about how the recipe was passed down and what modifications were made over the years.


No ethnic dishes were harmed in the kitchen when I was growing up. I can’t remember one dish that was not main-stream, mid-west boring food. Meat and potatoes, fresh corn and tomatoes in summer, pork chops, ham, chicken, roast beef, meat loaf, the usual meat items. Mashed potatoes, rice-a-roni, canned vegetables. I think somewhere along the way Chef Boy Ar Dee pizza in a box was introduced. Perhaps spaghetti once in awhile. Maybe chili or soup now and then.

The monotony of it all is mainly why I try to mix up mealtime. I hate to serve the same thing all the time. I always try to have a fresh salad at our main meal. I used to hate left-overs. I now try to embrace them, even change them up a bit to make them more appetizing. I know some people even throw them out.

As a person who has seen hunger in her life, I think that anyone who throws food out is wasteful. Food is precious. We need to treat it with respect. That might sound a little goofy, but think about it. Our bodies are the only possession we really own, no one can take it away from us but God. So why not give your body the fuel it needs to operate the best way it possibly can. The whole Covid virus crisis has given us a reason to take care of our bodies the best we can. It can start by eating right.