Prompt #45 - Memorable Meals You’ve Ever Had

5 days ago

Greetings, Community!

Have a wonderful weekend filled with health, energy, amazing ideas, and magic. May it be a time for connection with your inner self and great enthusiasm in every activity you undertake.

This week's theme is about memorable meals that remind us of something special. In this case, I think I'm very traditional when it comes to food, and I really enjoy the dishes my grandmother and, consequently, my mother used to make—we grew up eating them.

Something like a palo a pique (Venezuelans will understand). Bayo beans and rice—what defines this dish is its flavor, made with simple ingredients that my mother used, and that was a feast. There are no pictures of this dish, really.

Other memorable meals that we enjoy year after year are Venezuelan hallacas. It's not so much the dish itself, but what goes into making them and what sustains the tradition. The family gathering, the sharing, the learning when the younger ones get involved, because not everyone enjoys these kinds of traditions. In this tradition, many families have developed other ways of sharing during the Christmas season, emphasizing family unity.

Meals have so much to offer, from the quiet meals we prepare to indulge ourselves when we're alone, to those we share with a few family members when everyone can't be there. Like the photo I'm sharing, from my mother's last birthday, we were only able to gather a few of us for various reasons. The meal wasn't elaborate; it was a baked pasta dish I lovingly made to share with my mother. I didn't really know who would be joining us, but the memory remains, and this image shows the few attendees, all of whom were there with such heartfelt commitment. These moments truly become part of those memories that make it truly memorable.

A memorable meal means so much, regardless of the time, place, or occasion. That's what makes it memorable.

Written content owned by the author
©Mercedes Mendoza. All rights reserved.
Photographs are the author's property and were taken from her personal gallery on June 28, 2023.
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