Some of my favorite food memories are from the gatherings at our childhood home. Our parents loved to play host, and our dad (papa Soom) always manned the grill. Outdoor gatherings started with teriyaki chicken wings (AKA Rick's Chicks). Our dad carved our names into the hot dogs so we'd know each one was cooked special for the recipient.
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I have so many great childhood memories connected to food! Dinners out at Joe's Broiler or Il Pinito with my parents and sisters were the best, Yom Kippur break-fast at my grandparents' house with kugel and bagels and lox, camp lunches of Starkist tuna lunch-packs and gushers - there are too many memories to choose from!
My first and last meal of every trip back to visit my family is Pines of Rome in Bethesda, MD. White Pizza, Eggplant Parm, and spaghetti will forever be my favorite meal. My childhood memories from there and the fact that every bite is just like the last make this restaurant my favorite place to eat!
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Starting a meal with fresh salatim (Hebrew for small salads), warm bread, and Moroccan fish always brings back fond memories of Friday night dinners with my family and grandparents. I love the inevitable "Wait, there's more?!" reaction from a guest when they learn it's just the first course.
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Cookies have been a part of who I am since I was a toddler. My mother tells me about the 6 months when I was little that I’d only eat cookies. She started baking vegetables and other healthy ingredients in them to keep me alive! And I’ll never forget the incredible chocolate chunk cookies my grandmother made. They were the best! To this day, chocolate chunk is still my favorite cookie.
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My dream meal would be a multi-course meal in a country I've yet to visit, with food unfamiliar to me. I'd share it with my husband, Clint, because he's the best company, and I love watching him squirm during our more adventurous meals.
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My Bubbi would always make a sugar cookie called kichel. They're these long, flat sugar cookies that are perfect after Shabbat dinner. I'd prick the cookies with a fork before helping her put them in the oven. To this day, I remember the taste; no dessert compares to the love and effort she put into these cookies... and no one's rendition comes close!
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I really enjoyed going over to my Grandfather's for ham and cabbage. The food was absolutely awful haha but the memories and banter were certainly memorable!
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There's nothing quite like a meal of steamed mussels with crusty bread and chilled wine. There are so many easy broth variations you can try with the mussels to mix it up and the meal always feels festive. Such a great way to spend time with friends!
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I grew up with my grandmother and she was a great cook. She made a lot of traditional Jamaican dishes that reminded me of home. I think her curried chicken with rice and peas was one of my favorites. I enjoyed watching her cook while my grandfather told me stories about growing rice as a kid.
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Growing up, my grandma had a beach house in LBI, NJ. On the drive down to the beach, we’d stop at the farmer's market to pick up over a dozen ears of corn. My cousins and I would sit on the porch and shuck the corn. Sweet Jersey corn is still super nostalgic to me!
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If I could pick anyone in the world to share a great meal with, it would be my oldest son, Ricky. He loves seafood (a lot!) so we'd share shrimp and lobster. We have this funny video of him when he was really little eating a seafood platter and sticking the lemon in his mouth. I don't think he liked it!
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I started eating table food at 3 months old and would take the entire plate for myself when I was 6 months, so you could say that I've always loved food. My mom would call me the human garbage disposal because I'd take everyone's leftovers. She'd have to remind me to breathe while I was eating!
I love any opportunity to sit down and share a meal with my whole family. It's always really special to share my favorite recipes from growing up with my kids too.
