Food

My husband's food experiences as a child were far different from mine. His mother did not enjoying cooking and there weren't many variations.

My family were food fanatics. My grandmother a plain New England Yankee Cook. Baked beans from scratch, New England boiled dinners, veggies fresh from the garden, etc. Food and what we would eat next was always a major source of discussion even more than politics, news, books, golf.

My mother was more of a gourmet cook and had a column in the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune called Stove Stories. https://stovestories.blogspot.com/ Many years after her death I put them in a blog. She did believe that memories enhanced eating.

Nutrition was important and we had such a wide variety to food not just for the sensual pleasure of eating but to make sure that we had all the vitamins and minerals we need.

When I was in my studio in Argelès prior to Rick coming back into my life, I reveled in the local fresh veggies and food. I seldom bought meat. I'd make a dish for Monday and Wednesday, one for Tuesday and Thursday, etc. Of course there were restaurant meals and those made by my friends.

Rick was what one would call a picky eater. He would think nothing of doing something physical that was dangerous, but a strange casserole, veggie or fruit -- well that was to be avoided if possible.

When we were still professional friends and first met at a conference in Missouri, we went to dinner. I remember the look of horror on his face when I ordered catfish. I'd never eaten it, but it is always my goal to try anything regional.

He has gotten better and now tries almost anything ONCE. I have tried a couple of things he likes including poutine and spedis.

Our cabinets are stocked with cookies. Pre Rick (PR) I might buy cookies and eat one a day. However, this doesn't mean I ignored sweets: I just went to the local bakery for a goodie.

This week Rick is at a conference in Florida and I've reverted to my old habits plus taking the opportunity to go back to my old favorites. Thus I've made Indian dal, pasta with mushrooms and onions, and a rice/nut/onion/squash dish. I've reveled in beet salad and certain cheeses. No meat. I am not a vegetarian but I adore all kinds of veggies and grain dishes more. However, I never met a lobster I could have a culinary orgasm over. It was just I used to limit meat to when I was a dinner guest or at a restaurant.

We share the cooking. Rick has become a pretty good cook -- sometimes more adventurous than I am.

We try, but don't always succeed to have lunch together, mostly with a set table and sometimes music. Even if we are in the same flat and together, we can be so involved in our writing projects that this gives us a time to talk and make memories. My mother would have approved.