Remembering Home Through Food (W1)

Let me preface this by saying that, growing up with divorced parents since I was young, I have had two homes. When thinking about those homes in terms of food, each have memorable moments; however in completely different ways. My father created food all the time by just putting ingredients together that he thought might taste good while my mother usually made things that were originally from a box or from the freezer.

My father’s parents were from West Virginia so they brought a lot of southern cooking into the family and passed them down to my father, but the food that resonates most with me was a soup that he created which he calls, “The North Eastern Cheddar Cheese Soup.” Considering I do not even like soup, the fact that this is one of my favorite foods and that I always want it when I go home, shows how amazing it is to me. My father would create foods with my sister and I saying, “What do you think would taste good with this?” and depending on if our responses were logical, he would add it. Together, my sister, father and I made this soup. All it is is cheddar cheese soup that contains bacon, peas, and small potatoes. There is just something about it that makes it feel like home whenever I eat it. I do not know if it is because of its name or if I just have completely mentally associated it to going home, but with my father, I always think of “The North Eastern Cheddar Cheese Soup” when it comes to food.

My mother never really had the cooking “pizzazz” that my father had, but there was one recipe that went through her family that I really enjoyed. I always liked whenever I could to get her to make it for me. It was called “Surprise Packages.” Having it was an extreme rarity, but it was one of the few things I remember her making and it was delicious. Ham, an egg, mustard and mayonnaise mixture, and cheese baked in a bun was the perfect recipe. It is the first thing that I think of when it comes to my mother’s household in terms of food.  

Although my parents’ families have a multitude of passed down recipes, the simplest thing as a sandwich and a soup are the things that really make me think of home in terms of food. The “Surprise Package” might not be something that sounds appealing to others, but I do not really look at either of these foods as shame-based foods. These foods are mainly just fun things that my family stumbled upon and enjoy making. That is what food is to both of my households; enjoying the food and the people you make it with.