One of my favorite experiences from my childhood was of eating the stuff that came from my mother's garden. We would grow corn on occasion and decided that the very best way to have corn was to pop it off the stalk, shuck it and plop it in the pot. Corn on the cob that was picked no more than a half hour ago. mmmmm. We would have Mac 'n' Cheese along side and for some reason, my parents would have a shimp salad.
However. The tip top. The best to my little child hands was the raspberries. So tart, a little squishy at times, ever so messy. These are the hallmarks of a good finger food, at least to the young me. I loved when they came in and was really sad, probably more than I let on, when my mom decided to stop growing them.
Imagine then my surprise this last weekend when we went to Bear Lake and found that everything was raspberried to death. Raspberry shakes at every food joint. Berry stands (unfortunately closed, not berry season yet). It was delightful and, in all honesty, comforting. I am twenty years beyond picking those berries from my mother's garden and yet I am right back there once again when I have a really good raspberry.
That, I think, is part of why we can enjoy food. We tie memories into the experience and when we smell those familiar smells or see the colors of our favorite foods. When we get that taste we are reminded of those better times,of our friends, our family or our childhood. We can all get those sorts of experiences and that is pretty wonderful. Not only does it allow us a way to revisit our past but it is a fully repeatable thing. New friends, new foods, new experiences and opportunities to share and remember.
However. The tip top. The best to my little child hands was the raspberries. So tart, a little squishy at times, ever so messy. These are the hallmarks of a good finger food, at least to the young me. I loved when they came in and was really sad, probably more than I let on, when my mom decided to stop growing them.
Imagine then my surprise this last weekend when we went to Bear Lake and found that everything was raspberried to death. Raspberry shakes at every food joint. Berry stands (unfortunately closed, not berry season yet). It was delightful and, in all honesty, comforting. I am twenty years beyond picking those berries from my mother's garden and yet I am right back there once again when I have a really good raspberry.
That, I think, is part of why we can enjoy food. We tie memories into the experience and when we smell those familiar smells or see the colors of our favorite foods. When we get that taste we are reminded of those better times,of our friends, our family or our childhood. We can all get those sorts of experiences and that is pretty wonderful. Not only does it allow us a way to revisit our past but it is a fully repeatable thing. New friends, new foods, new experiences and opportunities to share and remember.
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