My Daddy Could Cook

My father was born in Tillman Mississippi, where he grew up on a farm.  He was the tenth child out of thirteen.  He spent a lot of time with his mother learning how to cook.  He would assist her, in the preparation of the meals for his father and brothers.  He would delivery the meals to his father and brothers as they work in the fields.  His mother died of cancer, when he was 14 years old.  After his mother died he continued cooking for his family.  When he was about 15 years old, he moved to Seattle Washington to live with one of his older brothers and finish his education.

I don’t remember him cooking too much after that.  He remarried and his wife Ineta did most of the cooking.  She was a professional cook, who worked at the University of Washington Dietary Department.  She was a pretty good cook, I was not allowed to cook in her kitchen which was okay, with me.

Over the last 20 years my father has been doing more cooking for my brothers families and my family.  We look forward to visiting Dad and having one of his gourmet meals, which could feed an army.  He usually prepares a nice green salad, corn pudding, green beans, scalloped potatoes, spicy rice, baked salmon, roasted chicken, prime ribs, pig feet, spicy fruit, and more.  I never know what Daddy will prepare next.  He is always trying new things and cut the fat, salt and sugar from his diet.

I enjoy the meals I had with my father.  I would usually roll up my sleeve and get in the kitchen with him.  Sharing food preparation tips and methods to lower fat and cholesterol. This is a time when he shares his family history, and told me about childhood when he spent with his mother in her kitchen.  Which is a time straight from the heart.  My father past away on May 3, 2011, I still treasure the times we spent together cooking and his words of wisdom.