More Food Memories

Friday (1/23) we had some turkey wings. Typically, I debone turkey parts after it cooks and before it is reheated, but I did not do that Friday.

I recall that when I was growing up and when we had turkey, my parents (and other people if I was eating over their houses), would cook the turkey whole and bring it out to be admired. When President Bush went to Iraq to visit the troops, a similar thing happened; there was a 'show' turkey.

While growing up, I never really understood this custom and I've never tried to copy it.

However, I noticed that Friday, the wings had been cooked once, then the second time they were covered with aluminum when being reheated. As a result, the meat came off the bones easily.   ¶ 10:31 AM

  Food Memories

I was visiting Minka Goldstein today. Her mom died a few days ago. Minka read some messages from her kids about her mom. A lot of the memories were detailed and vivid and were about food. Last month at a similar visit to Arthur Moer, one of his kids also had food memories of Arthur's mom.

My food memories are not as detailed or intense. I posted some food memories on Dec 6, 2003 which relate to my grandparents. My memories of my mothers cooking are less vivid and detailed. My mom made a lot of things well. Her meat spaghetti sauce was fabulous. But I most liked the plain chicken and rice meals we had. Mom liked the white meat. I liked the drumsticks and wings. My brother liked the upper leg. Dad seemed to like any kind of chicken. Now, my kids and wife still like chicken a lot, especially the white meat but I prefer the wings and I really prefer turkey to chicken. Another plain thing I looked forward to was the salami and eggs that we had most Sunday mornings. This should be easy to make. I've made it a few times and Ann has made it a few times but it just doesn't come out the same. I think there has been both a change in my tastebuds, a change in the diet of chickens and a change in the way salami is made. It would be difficult to separate out the different causes. I also remember that the ice cream used to taste much better than it does now. I was in Iceland in 1993 and the ice cream there tasted just like it did when I was growing up. The icelanders told me that their cows eat a lot of moss and much less grass than American cows (easy to believe, the much of their country is covered with a deep moss). A few months ago I had some Ovaltine. I remember growing up that it didn't taste very good and expected that they had improved the product. Not so. It tasted as mediocre as I had remembered.   ¶ 3:40 PM

  About 1980

My Grandmother was living on 16th Street near Florida Avenue (about the 1800 block). The place she was living in was The Roosevelt, a senior citizen's apartment for independent living. There were people looking at buying it. The Washington Post sent reporters into the Roosevelt to talk to residents. Grandma was interviewed. According to the paper, here is what she said, "Now that I'm over 90, it is time to begin to think of the future."

I remember this while talking with Paul Droar yesterday.   ¶ 5:41 PM