Memories of Food/Food of Memories

On Saturday I was watching Lidia Bastianich's show on PBS. Her show this week was on a particular town in Umbria (in Italy) that has an abundance of truffles. This made me think of something my chef friend said to me once, about how there are several factors creating an experience when you use truffles. They are expensive, so they aren't used en masse usually. Sometimes the chef will sprinkle just a little black truffle oil on top of your dish before it gets to you, and the first thing you do when you get that dish is inhale that earthy aroma and you are instantly thrown back to every experience you have ever had with truffles.

My personal experience with truffles is nil since I am egregiously allergic to anything in the fungi family. Although there were the experiences of going "Truffle Hunting" during our weekends at the YWJA camp in the Catskills as a kid, the leaders never told us what we were looking for, and they never acted as if they were playing a joke on us. But I digress...

My point is that food creates memories. The process of making it and eating it creates memories. For example, the other day my husband requested a grilled cheddar cheese sandwich because that is something his dad always made for him. Interestingly enough my dad used to make me grilled cheese sandwiches too. I wonder if this is something most dads do...

As I thought of food that held a memory for me, I realized that there really wasn't anything that I eat now that I cannot connect with a memory for me. And you know what? All of those memories involved other people. They were never singular events. I will forever connect Salt and Pepper chips to the first few months I knew my husband, and I will forever connect salami and provolone to picnic lunches under the dining room table and Christmas Antipasto with the family.

For this reason I am convinced that when you invite people to dinner, keep it simple. Enjoy food with friends and family. Build your memories. Food is not only about nourishing your body, but also about nourishing your soul by sharing it with others.