food

It just struck me that already in a few posts, I have managed to mentioned 2 of my top 10 favorite foods--buttered popcorn and raspberries. And if you count butter as a separate food, and I really should, coming from this family, then that's 3. Buttered popcorn is my ultimate comfort food. And fresh raspberries, plucked off the cane and popped right into the mouth, are absolutely the most heavenly taste treat. I must conclude that the sensory experience of tasting food is heavily influenced by emotions and memories.

In fact, I believe my other top foods also fall into that category. Tea, of course, I didn't drink as a child; but I did really get into it in college, and there is a definite emotional and comforting aspect to tea for me. The other favorite foods that come readily to mind that are associated with childhood are cheese and ice cream. Well, I did grow up in a dairy state in a Norwegian family.

Here's an ice cream memory: Every October, my dad took us to Baskin-Robbins to get a pumpkin ice cream cone. You could only get it in the fall, and so it was a very special once-a-year treat.

And cheese? I generally feel that a dinner is not complete unless it involves cheese somehow. Did I learn that from my mother?

My mom was a very good cook, and I was always proud that she sometimes made more adventurous and unusual dinners than my friends' mothers. Hawaiian Pork Chops and Sunshine Chicken (the rice being made with orange juice instead of water) come to mind right away. That may not sound adventurous now, but in the '50's it was very daring.