Food creates memories

“What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents.”

-Michael Chiarello

Ever since I was a little girl i've always loved to curl up on the couch with an ice cold drink and watch the food network. Sounds cheesy but its kind of a family thing. I've grown up in a Puerto Rican household where cooking with a variety of fresh ingredients is key for a good meal. I've always been fascinated with cooking and trying out recipes from online and cook books (even if it didn't turn out so well.) Cooking is such a big thing in my family that we have our own family cook book. Much like the family in MFk Fisher's "A thing shared," meals bring my family together. However, what really makes us bond is the preparation. Because Puerto Rican meals involve a vast assortment of ingredients, my two sisters and I help my grandma and mom prepare by cutting onions crushing garlic, or stirring the pot. The aroma that fills the house from the cooking meals is something that reminds me of my family and the times we have shared.

One of the fondest memories that I know I will remember forever is cooking with my family during Christmas. My family makes a common Puerto Rican Christmas dish called "pasteles".

My sisters, mom, grandma and aunt create an assembly line, and as the pastel comes down we each put an ingredient in (my favorite things to put in are the olives and the meat because I often times secretly pop peices in my mouth.) Although this process is tedious and time consuming, it is something my family looks forward to because it is a time we can all get together and talk about what is going on in our lives. It is our bonding time away from television, school, computers, work, and friends. It is also a way for us to just be a family even after a fight about my sister wearing my shirt without asking or me being annoyed with my mom for telling me to wash the dishes for the 20th time. Because of its ability to melt away anger, fulfill emptiness, and create memories, food has become a fun and essential thing for my family and me.