It’s National Food Day! Yum!

National Food Day is a celebration that everyone can support because we all love food!  Food can tell someone's story in delicious ways.  It's like sharing part of a family's history or reliving a memory.

Most meals aren't complete without a recipe that might come from a family secret.  My Grandma Fifi's family came from Sicily, Italy.  Her mom (my Great-Grandma Lena) would cook pasta with sauce made from scratch.  She passed the recipe onto my grandma.  My mom remembers walking home from school and being able to smell the sauce as she approached the corner of her block.  It's like the whole neighborhood knew my grandma was cooking!

Cooking and sitting at the dinner table sharing meals with my family are still some of my favorite childhood memories.  I always looked forward to Friday night dinners with my "G.G.M." (Great-Grandma Manika) and Great-Aunt Angie.  We would order pizza, Chinese food, or burgers from a local diner called "Bill's Place." But nothing will ever, ever top my G.G.M.'s "toasted-cheese," otherwise known as grilled cheese.  She cooked toasted cheese sandwiches for my sister and me until she couldn't anymore.  Even on her worst days, my G.G.M. would still make our favorite sandwich to make us happy.

Food brings people together, especially families, just like in my family.  What is your favorite memory with your family while sharing a meal at the dinner table?  Do you have any family recipes you would like to share?