Not Quite Like Mom Used to Make

My mother wasn't a great cook, but there were a few things she made really well that I've never been able to master. I'm not saying I'm a great cook, but I tend to be fairly adventurous and creative. My mother and her mother focused on "country cooking" although my mother didn't bake. My grandmother made fantastic pies (and she'd probably cringe at my use of packaged crust!), cakes, and cookies. She was also more patient in the kitchen (and elsewhere) when I wanted to hang around and watch/help. When it came to main dishes and sides, though, both of them cooked everything to death -- meat was so well-done it was nearly unchewable, and the few green vegetables they made were boiled in bacon grease until they were barely recognizable as vegetables.

Still, my mother made the best mashed potatoes I've ever had. Mine are okay, but I've really never mastered the technique. I know how to do it; however, after several early attempts resulted in slimy pastes, I tend to "undermash". I'd rather have a few lumps than end up with that gross glue. The other thing she made really well was chicken and dumplings. I'm not a big fan, but my youngest son in particular really liked them. Tonight I was making chicken soup and asked him if he wanted me to take a shot at dumplings. I pulled out my cookbook -- something I rarely do because I prefer to freestyle -- and measured everything just right. I added the dumplings to the soup as soon as it came to a boil, cooked ten minutes with no lid and ten minutes covered, and pulled off the lid to reveal a creamy soup with tiny lumps. It wasn't bad; it just wasn't exactly chicken and dumplings.

Overall, I think it's okay if I never master these dishes. My kids love certain foods I make. Maybe it's better if they have memories of certain foods my mom made better than I do. And someday my sons and/or granddaughters will have dishes they make better than anyone else. I've shown my kids a thing or two about cooking, but perhaps it's better if some things remain good memories, unable to be recreated once the cook is gone.