home-style cooking

since few do it better than mom, i made a trip home recently to enjoy the cooking and company of home. and my mom rose to the challenge. i was greeted with freshly-baked cookies and banana bread, spoiled with homemade belgian waffles for breakfast, and pleasantly surprised by a pizza dinner, of course with a side of vegetables (she is my mom after all). and she outdid herself this time. what a temptation—my parents live among nature, nestled away in the valley of the white mountains of nh, surrounded by lush landscape and friendly neighbors. i spent my time with friends and family on lake winnepisake, and walking around the white mountain valley, along the saco river, a welcome retreat from the city. going home never seemed so inviting… and then she brought out the food. yum!

admittedly, i called home on a whim while i was walking down the washington street in hoboken after work one day, which was crowded by the rush hour madness. since it is summer, restaurants are packed with outside diners, trying to soak in the last of the sun and warmth of the season, and markets flaunt their produce outside on displays, so both your sense of smell and site are equally as stimulated. it was during one of these walks home that influenced the phone call home to put in a request for chocolate chip banana bread. i just had that craving. and wouldn’t you know it, i just cant seem to stroll into a store and find gf-banana bread in the baked section. my mother of course obliged.

after she presented the banana bread, moist and sweet, stuffed with semi-sweet chocolate chips, she entered the room again with a tin, decorated with a country theme, filled with soft-baked chocolate chip cookies. “try one”, she said, beaming with pride from the more-than receptive audience she had. “but, only one… they’re for later.” my cousin, who came with me for this weekend get-away, dove in also. and she was as complimentary as i was. these cookies were amazing, mrs. fields quality… they did not taste “special” as my sister’s refer to gluten-free foods. they were so sweet, buttery and soft. my mother informed me that she was going to start selling these gf treats locally—she was receiving that great of a reception. so, if anyone is interested in an online order email: glutenfreemom@gmail.com. she loves to get email.

for dinner that night we had fresh-baked pizza; this time she made pesto pizza with red peppers and broccoli. as a side we enjoyed freshly sautéed ginger vegetables. ginger is her latest ingredient. great for me because i am a huge fan of it. years of going to sushi (and forgoing the gluten-filled restaurant-style soy sauce) has made me a ginger lover.

the weekend was truly a vacation … good food, good memories and a beautiful landscape.

we left the next morning, but not before having beligum waffles with homemade blueberry and peach syrup.
i’m back in hoboken now, with my dried cereal and tea in the morning. it works. (thanks mom!)