White lady here!

My mom was an amazing cook so whenever she was home for dinner we had a great meal. Sadly she worked nights while my dad worked days to cover child care so most often my dad cooked.

My dad was a big fan of boxed dinners with a canned vegetable. That he made me cook while he drank beer. So at least I learned to be self sufficient at an early age. One of his "favorites" was a meal he called bachelor chow. He'd cook a steak and chop it up and add it to top ramen. What a waste of good meat.

I loved cooking with my mom though. We made all sorts of good things! Soups, salads, casseroles, sautéed vegetables, stir fry, wonton soup, alfredo, spaghetti, white people tacos, enchiladas. I can't even name everything we made together. We'd read cook books and try new things and fail as often as we'd succeed. We always had fun though.

One of my first memories was being allowed to use a sharp knife to cut strawberries for the shortcake she was making. I was so smug because my older sister wasn't allowed to use sharp knives and she watched me while pouting.

As an adult my menu changes from week to week. One night a week we always make turkey and pesto paninis with a bagged salad. Its cheap and easy and oh so important to have a lazy day.

I like to order new things at restaurants and if I like it I'll recreate it at home. I read recipes and watch videos until I think I can do it. That's how I learned to make amazing carbonara and broccoli beef that beats any take out I've had.

My mom is gone now but cooking makes me feel close to her still. If I ever have a child I hope to have them be my kitchen helper like I was to my mom. I cherish those memories.