La Comida Es Amor...

I'll start with a confession... The phrase "food is love", which has become my mantra over the last two years is not an original thought... It is a phrase first shared with me by one Vickie Kirlick, my personal chef instructor at the Culinary Business Academy in New Mexico. I adopted it because of the sheer truth that it is.

Growing up, food defined moments of my life in very distinct ways. My mom's barbecue chicken, while not a meal served often in my childhood years, stood out as a sign of her special kind of love. On the weekends it was served, it was our opportunity to "feast" like never before. I remember the buttery mashed potatoes that were served alongside and the robust sauce that coated the chicken.

I have a distinct memory of my sister and her husband making stuffed zucchini, a Lebanese recipe if I remember correctly, and the distinct sense I had that there was more to food than what I had experienced to that point. Then there was the chicken mole. Oh my... To even attempt to describe it here would do it no justice whatsoever. My aunt Mimi's recipe, a rich, dark spicy sauce, complicated in construction, but simple in its goodness. My aunt's love evident in every bite, I remember the struggle to recreate the recipe after she left to go home to be with the Lord.

Time after time the recipe was attempted, and time after time it fell short. You see my aunt learned the recipe from her mom, my grandmother, and like most family recipes it was never written down, and if it was, there were no measurements for the variety of ingredients. My mom persisted, and one day, out of nowhere, the magic of cooking that lies within the fingertips of my precious mother, found its mark. We've had mole back in our lives ever since.

Years later when I asked her how she did it she gave me a very simple but profound answer, and one I believe in the deepest recesses of my heart. "I prayed" was her very simple but honest response. "I prayed".

Is there any doubt then that love is an essential ingredient in cooking? The hands that create food that sustains must be gentle, strong, loving. The hands that create food that entertains must be creative, innovative but tempered by the love of sharing something uniquely yours. Whatever your thoughts, the inescapable truth is this: When we cook we almost always cook with someone in mind. We strive to impress and bless with the dishes we create. Love is an essential spice to all things, particularly food.

What are your food memories? Share them with me in the comments section! In future posts I will post some of what you share. Next week, look for a recipe and some thoughts on one of my favorite dishes. As always, be good to one another, eat with a passion, cook with your heart and remember...

Food is love...