What favorite dish brings back happy memories over the years? With this nostalgic activity, you can put yourself in a state of gratitude and joy.
Thanksgiving has a complicated past in the United States, but most people agree that it is a time to honor family and friends. It’s a special occasion to reflect on the past while creating memories for the future, and it’s a time to express our love and gratitude towards one another. It’s also a time for us to eat, which got me thinking: what is a favorite dish that has brought me joy throughout my life? (Hint: it’s not a turkey; we have steak at our Thanksgiving dinner… I know, blasphemy and all that… get over it!)
Thinking back on good times has immediate mental and physical health benefits: thinking back on fond memories puts us in a state of gratitude and joy. It reconnects us to our historical and cultural selves. So, while it might seem frivolous, take this activity seriously and reflect back, using your favorite dish as an excuse to remember joyful moments in your past.
What would I choose, you might ask? I could choose my mother’s incredible Governor’s Egg Casserole (trust me, there is NO superior breakfast casserole), which I’ve been eating since I was a child. I have the option of picking my father’s homemade Chicago Firehouse deep-dish pizza – he was so proud when he got that one right! Or my grandmother’s fabulous crab cakes, which she’d make from crabs caught off the dock in her backyard. I can’t decide! But that’s okay; the point is to journey through the past even if you don’t have a specific answer.
Is your favorite dish one that makes you nostalgic in the most wonderful way possible? Are you still excited when it’s on the breakfast/lunch/dinner table? What makes that food so unique to you and your history?
