Shout to da Grandmas...the best cooks on earth

What's your Grandma's Best Dish?

Fresh Herbed Pork Roast with Mashed Potatoes
Roast pork--then saute mushrooms, onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes, olive oil,  a sprinkle of  flour and water,  salt and pepper in pan til gravy forms, and pour over slices so they nudge, nestle and glide into fluffy mashed potatoes. Mom peels, boils and drains ordinary potatoes, whips them in pot with hand blender, salt,  milk and a pat of butter at end.  

My Mom and I speak the same language--food. I just love getting her little cooking snapshots and always wish I could dive into my phone and lap up her gorgeous creations.

Can you guess which one made all these glorious meals? Hint--her parents were also best cooks on earth!

So today I give you Grandma Nita's creations, and I invite you to post your favorite food memories, even if you have no photos to accompany them. It just amazes me how we pass these messages in a bottle from one generation to the next.

On Sunday mornings my dad takes a walk, and Mom puts out a spread for his return.  Lucky guy!

Through all of life's ups and downs, most of us have at least one or two memories of our favorite rituals or meals at the kitchen table.  It may not pass muster of food snobs around the world, but so what? It's not about being 'the best', it's about simply being yourself. This is always 'the best' to someone who loves you.

So what is your favorite meal your mother, grandmother, aunt ever prepared for you? If you have a photo, I'd love to see it.

Here are some of my mom's recent slurp shots.  Enjoy.

Garden Veggies Sauteed with Garlic and Sun Dried Tomato Paste
Saute your favorite chopped garden veggies (here, zucchini mostly) in copious chopped garlic, onion, olive oil, pinch or 5 of red pepper flakes, a spoon full of sun dried tomato paste, a spoon full of regular tomato paste, 6 chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Cook until al dente, so not too mushy. Cover and let flavors blend for 15 minutes.  Keep bottled in fridge for snack with bread, stirred into pasta, spooned over chicken, fish or beef.  Freeze and open in dead of winter when the smells of your glorious garden will light up your senses. Do you have any favorite herbs you would also toss in? I love fresh thyme in  veggies.