Last night, I was watching the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” (already up there in my list of favorite Food TV shows hehe) and of course it got me thinking about the best food I ever ate. Now, that’s really a very, very, very hard question because I’ve eaten a lot of very, very good food. But, as soon as I asked myself that question, one thing immediately popped in my head: Mommy’s cooking.
My mom doesn’t do a lot of cooking, but when she does, it is AWE.SOME. Literally mouth-watering, heavenly-smelling, fill you up GOOD food. So the hard part for me is actually choosing which of my mom’s dishes is The Best. And I’ve decided on my answer:
The Best Thing I Ever Ate is My Mom’s Fettuccine.
My mom makes this delicious tomato-based pasta sauce with italian sausage, bacon, shrimp, and mushrooms, always topped off with a generous amount of cheese (sometimes different kinds of cheese!) and sometimes with a dollop of sour cream. It is sooooo good, just thinking of it is making me salivate like crazy. And when you taste it, oh when you taste it, it is a party in your mouth. Rich, red, spicy, meaty, it is everything good in this world.
Have you read or watched Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel? They say the cook transfers whatever emotion she is feeling into the food she is preparing, and in turn everyone who eats that food will feel those emotions too. If food can really convey the cook’s feelings and personality (and I believe it does), then my mom’s fettuccine expresses her hard-work, patience, creativity, thoughtfulness, her desire to provide the best always, and most of all, her LOVE. Yes, that sounds hokey, but it’s true. It’s really food from the heart, straight to my tummy.
There were a lot of runners-up from my mom’s cooking: ox tail, short ribs, cheesecake, adobo. Actually, everything she makes is delicious! Even something as simple as tuna salad, when my mom makes it with just the right amount of mayo, salt, pepper, Tabasco, and chopped hard boiled eggs, feels like a gourmet treat. Although I have to admit that I’ve never been a big fan of curry (one of her specialties), but I never liked curry, period.
I wanted to make a list of the top 10 Best Things I Ever Ate, but I figured it is too hard to choose, and I’m content with just picking one single, glorious, fantastic dish. Thank you Mommy for making the best foods ever. I love you!
I am inspired by this and decided to make the dish for my girls for Girls’ Night this weekend! I’ll try to remember to take pictures on Sunday, but there will definitely be lots of food, drinks, wine, and dessert that night, so I’m looking forward to it!