Story Weekend: Most Memorable Meal
Hmm. . . I’ll have to think about this one. I don’t want to get too hungry right before bed, so I’ll let you all go first.
If you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a theme and you share something from your life that relates to that theme, however you interpret it. Thanks to all of you who’ve been contributing. As always, there are a few “rules”:
▪ The story must be true
▪ Try to keep it under 100 words. Embrace the challenge! That’s about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it’s too long. I know how tough it is to “write tight” but I hope you’ll accept this as a challenge.
Have fun!
We stayed in a small village in southern Crete (Greek island). They were embracing tourism but still quite traditional – and tradition had it that the taverna gave you a gift at the end of the meal. Sometimes it was raki (like ouzo) and sometimes it was sweet snacks. This one time we got given ice cream deep fried in batter! It was truly amazing, and I’ll never know how they managed to deep fry ice cream without it melting!
Yum!
My most memorable meal was the one for my 21st birthday. It was a lovely family meal, with close family and friends. It was lovely to have everyone together,chatting, laughing,eating,drinking, having fun and being happy. The meal was delicious! A variety of share starters where we all dug in and had a bit each followed by individual mains. I had a Cajun chicken- immensely flavoured succulent chicken breast, with crisp crunchy potato wedges and a fresh juicy salad. We were all full but dessert was a must, of course! A trio of scrumptious cheesecakes that melted in the mouth, so rich that all your senses went into overdrive. Washed down with a tipple or two. Perfect.
this topic might have been a mistake while I’m trying to get down a size!
I can help you lose your appetite, Diane. My most memorable meal is the one that was the worst! On our recent trip to England we had many wonderful meals in pubs. BUT one night we found ourselves in one that was vegetarian. We could have gone elsewhere, but we had visions of bright green salads and juicy red tomatoes. Wrong! Ken ordered vegetarian sausages. When they came they looked like “rhymes with Venus”es with warts. His description. They were accompanied by some orangey red mashed potatoes. I ordered Welsh rarebit, which, when it arrived, was sort of dark gray and mushy. Plus, for some inexplicable reason, had been put under the broiler, so was black in places. I simply could not chokie it down. To make matters worse, our waitress was the sweetest, most gracious young woman. How to tell her I didn’t like it and couldn’t eat it? I lied. I said I didn’t feel very well. As hard as I try, I cannot forget this meal.
A vegetarian pub? There’s just something really wrong about that!
I associate best food with vacations. Best French Toast: at “The Five Spot” in Seattle…cute place that played Sinatra. Best Stuffed French Toast: a B&B in Ohio…it looked like a barn and it was snowing a winter wonderland outside! Best ice cream: at a locally owned shop in Hilton Head Island, SC…I remember being so suprised at the deliciousness. Come to think of it, I do that with smells too! I wore Raspberry lotion in Disney World, Juniper Breeze in college, Coconut Lime Verbena in Punta Cana. Whenever I catch a whiff, it takes me back. I have a terrible memory, but if my senses are involved I remember!
oh yes to the scents! when i was deeply in love in my early 40s, I used this Victoria’s Secret body wash in the shower. As the years marched on, every time I used it I was transported back to that wonderful heady time. And then. . . Victoria’s Secret discontinued the scent. I go into stores and sniff body washes searching for it, but alas, the scent has disappeared along with the love.
I used to have a picture of the Wiemariner sitting there quietly, beneath the table, waiting. Someone had the foresight to document that. I was around eight and we had journeyed to Long Island to my mother’s cousins for Thanksgiving. The Swedish Aunts had done their level best to produce a real American feast with the biggest turkey I have ever seen and loads of veggies and pies. The veggies and condiments were ceremoniously carried into the dining room. Then they processessed to the kitchen to find: an empty table. Out the back door the Aunts went in a thunder of sensible shoes but alas, it was too late. Sven stared at them from the corner of the snowy, muddy back yard protecting his catch. It was my first vegetarian Thanksgiving.
omg. love it.
I was 16 years old and working my first real job. A few months later it was my Dad’s birthday and I took him out to our favorite pizza joint. I was so proud that I could pick up the check. He ordered a beer which he normally would not do and I didn’t have enough money and he had to help me out! I will never forget and it taught me keep a little extra cash stashed!
I bet your dad was proud of you, even if you couldn’t quite handle the whole bill.
I am a foodie and proud of it. My favourite memorable meal was and is at Bon Appetit Dublin, a Michelen Star restaurant. The six course taster menu that morphs into 12 in the blink of an eye. The venue is in an old Victorian House, all chandeliers and sink to your knees carpets and they bring you an antique tapestry stool to place your purse on. Oh la la.The meal starts with an amuse buse, followed by pre starter, starter, pre main, main, pre desseRT( Did I say pre desert:) followed by dessert, than a plate of petite four with coffee and then a plate of chocolates. It is posh nosh with quenelles of this and tians of that, without the pretention. A French sommelier who accepts my admission that although I would love to be a wine snob, I am not and that I love Sav Blanc from Chile,New Zealand or Canada and says to me, Let me surprise you and he does. The meal takes about three hours to injest and many a top button on a pair of trousers has been loosened during that time. It’s romantic and social as you eat with your eyes while taking sneaky pictures of the food with your Iphone because it was far from Michelin star food that I was reared. I was raised on fried baloney and potato hash. You can take the girl from the small town but you can’t take the small town from the girl..lol. Taking time to breathe and watch the world go by while you watch sailboats on the river float by is something we all should do from time to time. It makes us remember how lucky we are to have the privildege to savour not only our food but the gifts that we have in our lives. Working hard should have it’s rewards. There is no tomorrow, only this precious moment and these are the moments I remember.
I’ve had one amazing meal like that and it’s truly an event, isn’t it? No rush. Just enjoy.
An image so vivid it stays in my mind and shows itself at the strangest moments…and makes me smile and laugh out loud as if its happening again. My mother and father asking us to drive them an hour from home to indulge at their fav barbeque restaurant. They sit across from us and the fact they are in their 80’s & 90’s has no bearing because they smile and eat as if its the best meals of their lives…they save most of their dinner to bring home for the next day and obviously so they can partake in the homemade ice cream which is the highlight. Huge hot fudge sundies are placed in front of them & they devour the whipped cream and things like children. Gary & I smile at each other thankful we have done this small thing for them that literally made their day. For a moment in time they are kids once again.
It’s amazing how much the simple things in life count. And now I want barbecue and ice cream!
Any one of my birthdays before I left home because I asked for the same thing every year: fried chicken thighs (crispy on the outside, moist and juicy inside), butterbeans with chopped onions, slices of vine-ripened tomatoes, biscuits and gravy, sweet iced tea, followed by a butter cake with thick chocolate icing and whipped cream — all made with loving maternal hands. Where’s my “way back machine”? I want to be 12 or 13 again!
A good southern girl, for sure!
Here’s a topic I love to talk about. FOOD! lol
One of my favorite things to do when I go back home to NJ is eat! And, NJ has the most and best diners anywhere. I can’t name my favorite because it’s all one big happy experience.
I can tell you that my favorite burger place is in Paramus, NJ. It’s Bobby’s Burger Palace (chef Bobby Flay). From the bun, to the burger to the goodie toppings, it’s pure heaven. The best burger I ever had. Hands down.
Oh yeah. When I go ‘home’ to visit NJ, I eat my way through the state. from the diners to the pizza places to the boardwalk… I’ll have to get to Paramus next time, Gina.
My most memorable meal was at my wedding, just about 5 years ago. I got married on the beach on the Gulf Coast of FL and the beachside restaurant where we had our reception prepared a pasta dinner for me. I knew I’d need fortification for all the dancing ahead so I made sure to take a few minutes to actually sit and eat. Sitting at a table on the sand with my new husband by my side and all of our family and friends surrounding us is a moment I will always treasure. Our wedding took place 7 months after I’d survived a rare neuroendocrine cancer and it was such a blessing to celebrate such a happy occasion with our nearest and dearest family and friends. The food was pretty amazing too! 😉
Erin, I’m so glad you’re well. That’s a beautiful memory.
My uncle’s bride wanted to surprise him with spaghetti & meatballs but she was brought up on corned beef & cabbage so she asked my gram for an assist. I was visiting the newlyweds and watched her meticulously follow Gram’s recipe, step by step. The sauce appeared to be a complete success when I went out for a while however, when I returned my uncle was sampling a spoonful of pink mush and telling his tearful wife it was delicious!
Of course, when preparing corned beef & cabbage everything goes into the pot so the Irish lass added a pound of uncooked pasta to the sauce and then continued cooking it until the meatballs disintegrated. My loving uncle ate an entire bowlful of the concoction while telling his bride how good it was:) Me, I was only eleven and not that gracious but love telling the tale!
Oh no. Did the recipe come from the Gram I knew, JoAnne?
Yuppers, the one and only!
My siblings and I spent most weekends with my Grandparents growing up. We always begged Grandma to make tuna fish on toast (white gravy, tuna, & peas on buttered toast) because everytime she made this meal, we would eat it by candle light with soft big band music playing in the background. Whenever I think of Grandma, I see her at the dinner table, wearing her perfectly curled copper hair, beautiful cheerful smile, and candle light dancing in her eye glasses. Although my kids wouldn’t eat this if it was the last meal on earth, it will always be my favorite.
it sounds good to me! my grandma had perfectly curled copper hair, too, Jenny.
I have just recently got one of your books as a gift and once I had started reading it I couldn’t stop…….having a small child I managed to finish it in three days. I must admit that before that I have never read any of your books. ..I got so excited by the fact that i had managed to read a book so quickly and it brought me back to old times when I used to read 2-3 books a week, that I tried to read one more from another author……Now what shocked me was that from the moment I had started reading that book it felt like betraying the author from the previous one…….so strange that has never happened to me.
“Breaking the silence ” is such a thrilling, exciting, mysterious book so full of love that I am going to buy every book you have ever written……..
Thank you for having this blog so I can write to you directly.
I wish you lots of love, luck and happiness in life…
A
It was a sunny day in summer. Me and my girlfriend Anna had just passed our final school exams and we had a lot of free time. That day we went for a walk. I brought her to the city beach and I prepared a small surprise for her – it was a picnic. At home I cooked some pancakes with chicken and cheese and some with bananas. But the best thing was the sunset that evening.
Very romantic story:))