Meat and Potatoes

Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?

My parents were simple when it came to food. They were both very picky eaters, something that they passed on to me. For example, I thought everybody had turkey and ham at Thanksgiving. Turns out, we only did because my dad didn’t like turkey.

I remember my husband was always so secretly irritated with me when we first met because I was just as picky as my parents were. He’s a foodie and seeing my eating habits definitely frustrated him. But now, after 25 years together, there are only a few things on my will-not-eat list. I’m open to trying anything once and if my husband cooks it, I’m certain that once I try it, I’ll like it.

With all of that said, my parents weren’t bad cooks and there are meals that I remember fondly from my childhood. One of them is the Sunday pot roast.

It would simmer in the crock pot all day, filling the house with a savory scent that made my mouth water. I’d peel potatoes for mashing. I’d also open a can of peas that would accompany them. Because of this meal, I grew up believing (and still do) that the only vegetable appropriate to go with mashed potatoes is peas. There would also be gravy and a few carrots that were stuck in the crock pot too.

My husband recreates this dish every so often. Sometimes on my birthday when it’s the meal I request. We never go out to eat for birthdays. The person whose birthday it is requests a meal and the other person makes it and we have a lovely dinner at home. It’s always a better quality anyway.

When Josh recreates it, he tries to stick to how I remember it, but adding his own flair too. It always transports me back to the house I grew up in, and the dining room table (which I still have) that my parents and I sat around.

So many of my childhood memories are negative and traumatic, but the Sunday pot roast dinner is one that mostly carries with it positive feelings. I’ll definitely hold onto those the most.