Nostalgia

So some friends think it may be enjoyable for you to read me talking about food.

What is nostalgia?  Something that reminds you of your past.. in a good way.  Something that evokes that feeling that isn't explained with words.  Something just fantastic.  It's uniquely personal. 

Though I want to point out a difference between nostalgic food.. and good food.  Sometimes they're the same.  Sometimes they aren't.

Oftentimes the first taste of something, provided it's not just completely horrid and prepared in such a way to just be a mockery of the real thing, even if not the best, will just strike such a resounding chord in your memory that you search for that taste. 

Turnip cakes are a good example.  I still have not had a turnip cake in CA that I have enjoyed more than the ones I grew up eating as a kid in KY.

For me.. one of my special dishes is Taiwanese Beef Noodle soup.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_noodle_soup

As my mother used to make.. stew cuts of beef tenderized in beef broth w/ soy sauce & five spice.  Topped with Chinese style flour noodles & slightly wilted vegetable (generally bak choi).  One of the best ways to end a trip outside in the middle of winter.  Just sitting down to a large bowl and breathing in the wonderful aroma from the five spice, especially the anise.  Then that perfect bite of noodle with a nibble of beef.. just to get all the flavor in.  And snatching a piece of veggie in after.  And slurping some broth in one of the big wide soup spoons..

The beef should just fall apart.  Melt in your mouth.  The good stuff.

Since I left home, I've since had better beef noodle soup.  With shank even (stewed down til it just melted too)...

With a side of pickled mustard (the proper condiment for this sort of thing) and homemade thick noodles.  Each noodle is slightly different from the rest.  Unique.  Different.

But it all reminds me of those early bowls at home.  Sadly, these days, even my mother doesn't make it like she used to. 

But times change.  The memories remain.