The past few weeks I have been channeling my mom and making some great food.

My mom was an amazing cook, she could make almost anything, she was a bit of a foodie, so that was to her advantage. She was great at pairing different things to drink with food, like beers and wine, being creative with food.

When I became a vegetarian, she was terrific, she would find different and new recipes to cook for me, I’m not sure if she thought or hoped it was/would be a phase, but she took it all in stride and went all out! Vegetarian chopped liver, meatballs, you name it, she probably tried it!

She was so great that she would sometimes make something for her and myself and something else for my dad and sister, they weren’t as big on trying some of her creations and sometimes she would make something just for me.

There were things she made or ate that I didn’t care for at the time, pesto, goat cheese being two of them, but as I have gotten older, I’ve found that my tastes have changed. When I first became a vegetarian, I didn’t like a lot of vegetables! Don’t ask! VL introduced me to a love of raw mushrooms and every once in a while when I buy a package of mushrooms and I’m munching while I’m driving, I think of him, thanks VL!

My mom made the best pesto, even had basil in the garden at the summer house. I’ve made it before, it was good and a few weeks ago, I was at the farmers market and bought a basil plant, so I made some more…how much fun is it to pull ingredients that you have in the house, especially fresh ones, like big basil leaves for a tomato/basil/mozzarella! Then last week, I made some pesto and put it in an ice cube tray and froze it, it will be yummy this winter! I was even dipping mushrooms in it for a snack, yum!

It’s such an easy recipe: basil, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan cheese.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/basil-pesto-recipe2/index.html

I used to only like fried eggplant, then I discovered a love of almost everything eggplant, especially, baba ganoush, it’s an eggplant spread and so simple: eggplant, olive oil, tahini, garlic, salt, couldn’t be simpler!
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-baba-ghanoush-smoky-eggplant-dip-30084

I have always loved hummus, it’s delicious! Great with pita or veggies and it comes in different favors, go to the grocery store and look in the produce section, you’ll find a bunch of them! When my family lived in Israel for a summer, I ate hummus almost every day, y u m!
Another simple recipe: chick peas, olive oil, garlic, salt
http://mideastfood.about.com/od/appetizerssnacks/r/hummusbitahini.htm

I took my first try at baba ganoush to girls night last week, they loved it. There is a poker game here tomorrow night, they are in for a treat!

Thanks to my mom, I have a palate that enjoys the finer things, but also a love of experimenting, trying new things and cooking, I’m doing it a little more all the time. I know she would have loved what I made and I will tell you this…I am not buying any of these in the store anymore! Mine is better!

Thanks mommy!