Mom and Knives

I make pancakes in a cast iron pan. Two cups of brown sugar and water makes better syrup. Stuffed peppers and chili are two favorite meals. Chili I make regularly, but stuffed peppers not at all. I'm not sure what day of the week was what, but fish, chicken, pork, pasta with a vegetable and potatoes or rice was dinner. She cooked anything the first time by the book, then it became rote. She made a Marsala dish with veal, pork or chicken.

The weekly line up was regular. Potatoes over/under cooked with Parmesan and too much/little pepper. Chicken that bounced and fish with the texture of cardboard that got wet then dried was the curse of time bake. The one dish I looked forward to was stewed tomatoes and pork chops. Dad was home at seven, then dinner together. I want to recall the long meals we laughed and chatted, but there were those filled with grunts and my day was fine.

Dippy eggs are sunny side up. Peanut butter and honey is preferred. King Arthur flour because that's what her mother had on hand, and a coffee cup of bacon fat for the same reason.

She made Texas sheet cake for my birthday, but once you've had one why would you want another cake? She made brownies and apple crisp in the same pan, but not together. She made a brown sugar pie with left over pie dough. They were better than most of her pies. We couldn't find the lemon square recipe, but we have found something adequate, even though we're not fond of them.

My daughter and son indulge me. I teach them to cook dippy eggs. They mix the pancake batter and flip them. They use the big tongs on the grill. My son cracks eggs like he was born to and my daughter is fearless with a knife.