Around the Dinner Table

Is March coming in like a lion or a lamb? Cold yet sunny might be more lamb-like. All I know is that in three weeks, it will officially be spring and then no one can deny that we have reached a turning point.
I’ve been thinking quite a bit of my family this week and how they shaped my interest in good food. Eating patterns reflect family patterns and I was brought up with some good ones. From my perspective at our dining room table as the youngest child in my family, I breathed in much information: not only about food and manners but also about community, values, the world around me and parenting to name a few. There was always a table to sit down to. Rarely did we eat on the run. We gathered at the table as a family at the end of the day. Being the daughter of a pastor meant that often my father’s seat was empty because he had been held up by a lengthy meeting, a parishioner needing a listening ear or a phone call from someone asking for assistance. I remember answering the phone for him and saying that I was his secretary and would they like to leave a message. Or writing him a note in my childish script to put down in front of him while he was on the telephone in his office: “Dinner is ready!!”. I didn’t want to share him during our meal together! When these delays happened we waited as long as we could and then would sit down, four children and their mother, to not only eat but also share the stories of the day.
When my father joined us, I always knew that there would be something to learn. The lively conversation would seesaw from English to French. A discussion about politics and war, a critique of a news story, a detailed review of a historical event, a briefing on philosophy, an explanation of a religious view, these all were part of our supper table and often we would have to pull out the big encyclopedia to ascertain a date, a spelling or a definition. One year, we were going to Italy on vacation so every night we would learn an Italian word or two before we started in on the food.
I also learned that others were always welcome at our table. Sundays after church, guests would often accompany us back to our house for dinner. We didn’t always know who might be coming but my mother seemed to know how to make the food stretch so no one would leave hungry. Roasts would be cooking in the oven while we were at church and as we came home, the smells would welcome us in. At my family’s table, I met people from all over the world and from all walks of life and observed how everyone was fed and treated equally with warmth and acceptance. This is where I learned that food does more than feed the body. From these guests, I discovered that the world was more than just mine. I also found out that different people eat different foods as I saw my mother planning a meal for a vegetarian visitor.
And then, there was the food. My mother made meals with love and lots of planning. The food she put on our table created an atmosphere of sharing and enjoyment. Her menus combined flavor, colour and nutrition all in one big package that said Bon Appetit! Sometimes a simple meal of soup, cheese and bread gave us all the nourishment we needed. Colourful tablecloths, luminous candles and fresh flowers were little things that contributed to an overall feeling of comfort and pleasure.
Today, when I host guests, I hope that I can offer at least half of what my parents did, and I will feel that I’ve done a great job! Thanks to them for being role models of a world where good food coupled with good conversation brings out the best in people. Here is a recipe we worked together on in the kitchen.

Sweet Sour Pork

1 c. pork tenderloin, in cubes
1/4 c. peanut oil
1 c. green pepper
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 c. pineapple
1 c. diced tomato

Dip pork pieces in batter made as follows: 1 egg, 2 T. milk, 1/4 c. flour 1/2 t. salt. Combine and beat until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes. Fry pork. Add pineapple, onion and peppers and cook together for a few minutes. Add sauce made as follows: mix 1/3 c. brown sugar, 3 T. cornstarch and 1//2 t. salt. Add 1/2 c. vinegar, 1 c. pineapple juice and 3 T. water. Slowly blend this sauce into the veggie and meat mixture. Cook until thick and transparent. Last fold in the tomatoes. Serve with rice.