Plus, recommended books and a show.

Tangy, Sweet, and Tender

A young couple from our church recently moved away when the husband got a teaching job at Wabash College. We’ve had the pleasure of watching their family “grow up” here as the husband completed his doctoral studies at the University of Notre Dame, and as he and his wife became parents two times over.

When their first little one came along about four years ago, I signed up to bring them a meal—it’s an easy way for me to serve when time permits. I zested, juiced, and sliced some lemons. I minced garlic and chopped the fresh rosemary. While the chicken was marinating in this aromatic mixture, I peeled and diced a couple of sweet potatoes, and browned them in my cast-iron skillet. After roasting it all in the oven, I delivered the flavorful chicken and sweet potato dish to their door in exchange for a quick baby fix. He was adorable.

Afterward, the young mom asked me for the recipe, so I sent it to her and didn’t give it another thought. That is until I was saying goodbye to the family after church a couple of weeks ago. She told me she thinks of me every time she makes Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Sweet Potatoes—now a favorite in their home.

I think of you.

I was touched. Not because they enjoyed the recipe and were still making it themselves, but by those words: “I think of you.” It was heartwarming to know that even though they’re moving away, when they make the chicken and sweet potato dish, they might remember me, and in turn, my husband who later taught their little boy in our TLC (2s & 3s) program, and our church, that enfolded them and their gifts for the few years they were here.

Last week, I made that chicken dish again—this time for a family who has recently returned to our church after many years away. Their children were young when the husband completed his doctoral degree and they moved to Canada for his first teaching job. (Do you see a pattern here? Being near Notre Dame is one of the greatest joys and hardest struggles for our church family.)

It’s been a pleasure getting reacquainted with the family, whose children are now young adults/teens. However, shortly after returning, the mother received a breast cancer diagnosis. Our church immediately stepped in to support them, and I hopped on the Meal Train.

Sharing this favorite chicken dinner, then sometimes sharing the recipe, is a pleasure. It’s more than the mouth-watering flavors of lemon and rosemary, tangy sweet potatoes, and tender bites of chicken. It’s the thought that goes with it and those that follow long after the plates are clean.

Fresh and Flavorful

On a similar note, last Sunday I made this addicting Avocado Feta Dip for a family reunion. It was a recipe I had gotten three weeks earlier from my cousin’s wife (on the other side of the family) at our annual Sunday picnic at the lake in Minnesota. The day I made it was her birthday, which was a lovely coincidence since I was thinking of her fondly while making the dip. After our reunion, my sister asked for the recipe, so I passed it on. Maybe she’ll think of me (and our cousin’s wife) when she makes the dip.

How many times have you asked for a recipe and then, when you pulled it from your files, forever connected it to the person who first shared it?

Something Blue.

I did one more “foodie” thing last week while I was home. I drove to our local blueberry farm where the bushes were heavy with big, juicy berries. It didn’t take me long to fill my bucket. I put most of them up in the freezer for my morning smoothies, saved some for eating, and put four cups into three blueberry coffee cakes. One cake went to our friends with the Lemon Chicken. Another, I shared with our neighbors for dessert after dinner. The third provided an afternoon snack at my son’s and daughter-in-law’s house when we went to visit them and our grandchildren.

My Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe came from my mom’s recipe file. As I folded the blueberries into the cake batter, spread the crumb mixture over the cake, and drizzled the glaze, I pictured her in our farmhouse kitchen. The hours she spent cooking and baking for her family and friends were one of the many ways she showed her love.

When she died two years ago, my sisters and I divided up her cookbooks. There were enough to go around to each of us and our daughters and daughters-in-law as well. Now, each time we pull out one of her books or recipes, we mix in not only the ingredients but a measure of her love as well.

We cook. We bake. We love. And we remember.

Do you have recipes that always remind you of someone you love? Tell us about them in the comments below!

Speaking of food…and books*.

Since I’m spending most of my summer at our up-north cabin, I’m reading a couple of Minnesota authors. One is J. Ryan Stradel, whose books are filled with all things food. If you want a mouth-watering read, pick up his first book, Kitchens of the Great Midwest. I recently finished it and gave it four stars. His second book, The Lager Queen of Minnesota, was a 5-star read for me—my favorite so far. I have yet to read his latest book, Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club. (No need to read these books in order as they are not a series.) I love Stradel’s food descriptions, his braiding together of characters and events, and of course, his Minnesota references!

Another Minnesota author I have to mention is William Kent Krueger. He’s probably best known for his Cork O’Conner mystery series, but I just finished his stand-alone book, Ordinary Grace. Though not about food, the characters, mystery, and deep, yet simple explanations of faith in God’s “ordinary grace” really moved me. It will definitely be on my “Best of 2023” list!

Speaking of food…and shows.

The Bear on Hulu is food on steroids. The story of a fine-dining chef who returns home to Chicago to run his family’s “Original Beef” sandwich shop drew me in. Watching the food prep is incredible, but the real pull is in the characters’ personal struggles and relationships, which are real and rough, but not without hope and healing.

Note: the show isn’t for everyone with the extreme use of offensive language (why so many f-words??) and disturbing interactions between characters. Also, if the topics of mental illness and suicide are triggers for you, I do not recommend it.

That wraps things up for this week! I look forward to hearing from YOU about your favorite recipes, people that have shared them, or any “Foodie” books or shows you love!

*(These are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. If you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission, and you’ll be supporting indie bookstores. I post these links because I value the books and not because of the commission I receive.)

(This story was originally published on 8/1/23 at lindahanstra.substack.com.)

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