Food Face - MY MOTHER!

Here is my mother, Sue Peterson. A lot of what I know about cooking and a lot of the style of cooking I do comes from my mom. I am always grateful for the healthy eating habits I learned from my mom. Growing up, we didn't eat a lot of fried food and my mom rarely cooked with a lot of butter and almost never used heavy cream. We ate a lot of fruits and vegetables. And I suppose I can credit my Grandpa Erv, who raised my mom on the vegetables and fruit from his own garden. Anyways, my mom sent in a Food Face, and I post a Food Face. Enjoy.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY, MOTHER!

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?

Mom’s lemon meringue pie. Oh my heavens… Her spaghetti sauce (never a recipe) and her meatloaf (never a recipe), which was the best on a sandwich the next day with plenty of mayo. I remember eating Puffa-Puffa Rice cold cereal on a TV tray in front of Saturday morning cartoons and snacking on cold Rice-a-Roni after school. When Dad and I would go to “town” we would always stop at the butcher and buy a hot dog for me as a treat. Not boiled or grilled, just a cold dog from the meat case. Dad also had a killer garden and all summer we ate from it.

My pretty mom. Photo courtesy of Senor Hackworth.

What foods can you not get enough of?

Auntie Shar’s chocolate cake and Larraine’s brownies- both chocolate, so right there you can see a theme. I also love a good rib eye steak (no pink in the middle, sorry Ethan). I grew up on meat and potatoes, so I’m definitely a carnivore (sorry Megan).

What is your favorite restaurant?

Ruby River Steak House (carnivore, remember?).

When the our family's childhood elementary school asks for a Statue of Liberty,
my mom delivers, even after all of us are long gone from those hallowed halls.

It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside.

What would you fill your belly with?

I would want to bake something sweet, cookies or brownies, and nibble bits of batter or dough.

What are your essential kitchen tools?

Bosche mixer (workhorse), Cusinart food processor (I need a bigger one for Christmas, Santa), Lustre Craft cookware (have had it for 29 years), bamboo spoons and spatulas, electric knife sharpener, and Silpat baking mats (nothing, I mean nothing, sticks).

Grandma Sue and Baby Addie.

Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Let me count the ways… or should I say “loaves?” Today I can make a decent loaf of bread, but for years I made sad, heavy, ugly, small, flat, and/or handicapped bread. Yeast and I had a struggle for a long time and many were the loaves that ended up in the trash. Injury wise the thing that seemed to happen the most to me was reaching into the oven and touching my forearm on the upper baking element. I have so many scars from doing that.

Rookie's Notes: When my mom sent me her Food Face answers, my sisters and I already had plans for getting her a Cuisinart 14-cup food processor for her birthday at the beginning of April. It was so nice to see that she really wanted one. I love being able to get someone a gift they really want.

Also, Mom, you forgot one big kitchen injury. Remember slicing your finger on a mandarin orange can? I seem to remember that you got stitches.


Did you answer these questions in your head as you read this? Good. Want to be a Rookie Cookie Food Face? Answer the questions below and then send them to me with a few pictures of yourself. I will post one new Food Face every week.

What foods do you remember most from your childhood?
What foods can you not get enough of?
What is your favorite restaurant?
It's raining cats and dogs and freezing outside. What would you fill your belly with?
What are your essential kitchen tools?
Have you ever had any major kitchen disasters?

Send your answers and a few pictures of yourself and your blog address (if applicable) to whitney_leigh_ingram@yahoo.com