Meatballs on the Beach
Am I the only crazy person that associates meatballs with the beach? I was making a big vat of good old spaghetti and meatballs and during the course of my cooking them, my thoughts raced to the beach. Weird? Not so much. Going to the shore when I was a kid for our two, or if we were REALLY lucky, even three week hiatus was something that was an integral part of our lives that we looked forward to every year. Being one of four kids on a modest mailman’s and secretary’s salary meant we didn’t have huge quantities of cash to spend on eating out every night. One of the dear ladies we rented a place from for years was a sweet Italian lady, and she grew basil in her garden, which she generously gave to us and told my mom to add it to her sauce. Mmmm, all I remember was that it smelled great and tasted awesome after a long, hard day of playing on the beach. Ergo, my fond memory of the seaside whenever I am cooking this Italian American classic for my family.
I was reading an article recently that talked about comfort food and mentioned that it’s not necessarily all of the trumped up, calorie laden menu items served in restaurants that are billed as comfort food classics, but more the essence of comfort food evokes a fond food memory as a result of some happy experience that we associate with a particular food. Everyone has their own idea of comfort food. Often chicken soup is associated with comfort food, as it is often just what the doctor ordered, it somehow just makes you feel good when you feel yucky. But is it really the chicken soup, or the fact that your mom put something warm and yummy together for you when you were feeling like crap? I love my husband’s chicken soup. Seems like it always hits the spot and tastes really great. But is it really because it tastes so good, or because he took the trouble to make it for me? I’d have to say it’s arguably both.
Another one of my favorites is good old fashioned meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Meatloaf may not be a fancy dish, but man, does it feel like comfort to me. It just fills my belly in the nicest sort of way. Not really sure where it came from though, sorry mom, because I never really liked my mom’s meat loaf. It always reminded me of soap. Don’t know why, and don’t know how it became a comfort food, but is certainly is.
On a cold, rainy day I love Asian food. I love the starchiness of big, fat rice noodles swimming in salty sauce, and eating them until I am stuffed to the gills. I love how they expand in my gut and make me feel full. It also means enjoying a steamy, hot pot of tea to complete the experience. These things bring warmth to my bones and soothe me when the weather outside is anything but that.
I can tell my kids look forward to some of our own family classics as well. There is nothing like smelling a yummy pot roast and homemade biscuits in the oven on a cold, blustery day. It’s very cool to see my kids eyes light up when they come in the house, smell it cooking and get really excited about their dinner.
My son Tim also likes homemade soup, and it is probably his favorite meal. I think one of the reasons that he loves it so much is because he gets to help his daddy make it. He loves being able to help him and is so very proud of his creation when he done making it. It’s so cute to watch them with their own special guy talk, you can almost see them glowing with love for each other. I’m sure when he grows older, he will look back on those happy memories with his daddy, and feel good whenever he is eating some home made soup.
My other son is a cheese nut. He loves cheese on and in everything. His favorite dish is spaghetti and meatballs, and lest we not forget, it must have a mountain of cheese to complete its perfection. He knows mom loves to cook, and I think he likes to show that he can do the same too. He enjoys making his own quesadillas, and I have to suspect that him being independent and the fact that he makes it on his own will bring back comforting memories for him.
In closing, I like so many foods, it’d be hard to nail down why they are all comforting to me. But good food can elevate my mood like no other. It’s also funny that I can also remember an event in years past, and dictate what we ate while we were there. Kooky, but true. What are your comfort foods and why do you think they evoke good memories?