Reasons I Love My Mother

Reason #337:

She was a ridiculously good cook and made ridiculously delicious food. Her pasta and meatballs was the best, but she did so much so well.

My dad is Italian and is used to having Italian food on pretty much every holiday, even Thanksgiving, where Italian food has no place. But my mom was great; she would make a big Italian meal for him the day before so he could have his tradition, and then she would go ahead and make a full-on regular (white) Thanksgiving meal on the actual day. She grew up in Minnesota where all anyone eats is casseroles, mashed potatoes, another helping of casserole because you look so skinny and you should eat more!, and dinner rolls coated in butter. So she served up a mean Thanksgiving.

I have so many wonderful memories of meals she made. When I would come home to visit from New York, she would make me Shepherd’s Pie because I am my mother’s son and all I need to make me happy is meat and potatoes. My sisters hate that meal, but they were quickly reminded that they were not special visitors from New York City like I was. And in a weird way, that made the Shepherd’s Pie that much more delicious.

She also made special meals on everyone’s birthdays and other holidays like Father’s Day. And one thing I really liked about her cooking was when she knew it was good. Sometimes we would be at a restaurant and she would order a reuben sandwich, for example, and then not even be able to finish it because it wasn’t as good as hers.

She wasn’t trying to be rude, she was just saying.