The Fine Art of Family Magazine

Growing up, it was generally understood that I would eat dinner with my family every night. No matter what went on during the day, I knew there would be a plate of my mother’s homemade food—usually a meat, vegetables, and potatoes—waiting for me at home. With this ritual ingrained in my DNA, there was no question that I would bake, boil, grill, and saute for my own kids. It didn’t have to be a fancy or expensive feast. Even pasta or pizza (reserved for the busiest of days) would work as long as my family was fed and we were together.

Sounds simple, right? Still, I often read in the news about the importance of sitting down to dinner with your family. Have we become so busy, independent and disconnected that we need to be told to do this? Has the modern family—two working parents and technology-obsessed kids—made sharing meals together a thing of the past?

If you need another reminder to uphold (or reclaim) this great tradition, let me tell you why I love it. Cooking for my daughters has slowly evolved into cooking with my daughters—one of my favorite things to do. As early as age seven, my youngest, Laura, started whipping up her own dishes. Whenever we had guests over, she would always volunteer to make this special fruit salad. My husband, oldest daughter and I would look at each other and say, “Yummm, Laura, that’s great. Go ahead!” And she would proceed to cut up fresh fruit, douse it with apple sauce, and mix it up (pictured above). It was disgusting, but we all ate it with a smile and plenty of praise for the little chef.

Encouraging Laura to explore her passion has paid off: she is now an incredible cook. Just the other day, I came home late from work to the most enticing aroma. I had the urge to yell, “Honey, I’m home, what’s for dinner?” I knew my husband wasn’t cooking, so it was a nice surprise when I discovered Laura, who was home from college, in the kitchen standing before a stunning spread, including the Barefoot Contessa‘s eggplant hors d’oeuvre and Mario Batali’s short ribs. I was very proud to see that she, too, has a deep appreciation for taking care of her family through food.

Though dinner at home has changed with the times (I’ll admit an iPhone occasionally vibrates at our table), the sentiment of togetherness is still strong and shouldn’t be taken for granted. What may have started out as an essential maternal task has turned into this irreplaceable bonding experience that continues to grow with every home-cooked meal. Don’t miss out on this precious time that’s both satiating for the body and soul.

xox,
M

P.S. Continuing our chat about food, catch our conversation with Micheal McCarty, owner of the famous Michael’s restaurant in Manhattan and Santa Monica, as part of our column MY HEIRLOOM later this week. We’ll also post a delicious excerpt from the fabulous book Mastering Cheese (new from Clarkson Potter) in SEE IT THEIR WAY.

Published on July 4, 2010

Tags: Capturing, Family, Food, Monicas Blog