If you were to ask me what I remember most about my childhood, I would describe our large extendable oval shaped dining table always full of mouth watering dishes from all over the world and our family crowded around the table, sampling everything and asking for recipes. And it was all thanks to Mom. Looking back, I don’t know how she managed, since she was a full time working mother, raising three children.  Needless to say, growing up, food was a big deal in my home.

 

Mom always made everything from scratch, even birthday cakes. My favorite was a Cat cake she made for my 3rd birthday that I still clearly remember. Born and raised in Palestine to an Italian father and an Armenian mother then marrying a Lebanese Armenian, Mom was exposed to a variety of cuisines, which influenced her palette. She had cookbooks that filled bookcases and she never got bored of trying something new. There were recipes she created and there were those that were handed down to her through her parents and grandmother. Somehow, her cooking was always a big hit especially with my friends. Funny story: I remember while I was at university, Mom taught me how to make a vegetarian curry dish for lent. Of course back then, meat and chicken were staple foods for my friends and I. When I made the dish, it was a big hit, they decided to name it Oure mise’ which in Armenian means ‘where is the meat!’

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A few years ago, mom decided to put together a cookbook for the family. Although a draft of the book exists, she never completed it.