What’s the Future for Grandmother’s Traditional Cooking?

Ruth and Emily were sitting in a restaurant located not far from their office. They were studying the menu while waiting for Peter, their colleague. It was lunch time.

“Do you have Aspirin? I have a slight headache,” Emily asked Ruth.

“Drink a glass of Cola, it helps. My mother used to tell me when I was a child,” Ruth said empathetically, “did you know that Cola was first marketed as a cure for headaches?”   

Emily looked a bit doubtful. “Really? Well, my mom also has great tips for every occasion. Hmm… I think I’ll have fish and chips, and you?”

Ruth smiled: “Oh, they have chicken with dumplings. It reminds me of my grandmother. Her chicken was so yummy,” Ruth said slowly, “just real food.”

“It takes 40 minutes to prepare it! Do you have time to wait? By the way, what does real food mean? Hot dogs, bagels, pizza… How real is such food?” Emily asked, thinking of her habit of eating on the run.

Emily’s questions seemed to challenge Ruth – she didn’t know what to say. She often thought of cooking a nice dinner instead of ordering Italian food from catering. Lonely evenings had become a problem for her since her break-up with her boyfriend. She liked to go to the gym after work to be free for dinner just in case someone would call her…    

Peter’s cheerful greeting brought Ruth out of her daydream – she was glad to see him. Peter looked quickly through the menu: “Well, a burger sounds great. You know, I hate snacks. But eat them because they are fantastic time-savers.”

After a pause he added smiling: “I’ve received a funny present from a friend – a cookbook for one – “One Bowl”. Oh yeah, reminding me about my divorce is like rubbing salt into my wounds.”

Emily smiled widely: “Hey, welcome to our ‘singles’ club’. Do you know what I like to eat in the evening?”

 “Let me guess,” Peter said, “Chinese take-out food? You bring it home and eat in front of your TV. Am I right? Ha, I do the same,” Peter said, laughing.   

Emily looked at Peter for a minute, trying to smile but her smile tinged with embarrassment. “Absolutely! You know, I am not like Betty Crocker or… Betty Draper. Not sure if I have an apron at home,” she said apologetically.

Peter and Ruth burst into laughter. Soon a waiter arrived with their ordered meals, at the same time a lovely smell of food drifted from the kitchen.

During lunch their conversation quickly moved through their favorite restaurants, best sandwiches on to their favorite series. Ruth thought, as she ate, about her grandmother’s cake – she should have the recipe somewhere. Hopefully it had not been lost. Another memory came back to Ruth – Thanksgiving. She vividly remembered her family gatherings that evoked strong feelings of comfort, belonging, and love. Ruth occasionally added some short remarks to appear engaged with her colleagues’ conversation. However, to those looking on she looked somewhat absent. She thought of home – a word with so many meanings.

Time passed quickly. Emily and Peter had finished their lunch and were ready to go while Ruth was still enjoying her chicken. Emily looked at her watch and asked Ruth about her plans in the afternoon. The latter replied but she seemed distracted and her answer was wide of the point. “What are you thinking about?” Emily said.

Ruth smiled softly. “About an old-fashioned apron that my grandmother used to wear. Homemade food is like a nostalgic reminder of her cozy kitchen, white table cloth, and lunches without any time pressures. Who has the time these days to keep to those traditions of cooking great homemade food from scratch?” Ruth asked realizing that she was actually questioning herself.