I haven't blogged in more than a week due to my father-in-law Mort dying last Wednesday, September 14th. It was not unexpected - he had cancer that had spread- but we were thinking he would have six months and he died quickly in two. So, last week was a flurry of the Viewing, Funeral, Burial and all the decisions that go along with the ceremonies. I did not really contribute to any of the decision making (he has three sons and a widow) but wanted to do something to remember Mort, so I had lunch for the family after the burial, serving some of Mort's favorite dishes. A southern boy at heart, he loved fried chicken, so that was the entree. Due to time constraints, we picked it up at our neighborhood Publix. I made homemade collard greens (with pepper vinegar), mac and cheese and sliced some fresh tomatoes that I put on a platter with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Mort would make these wonderful Christmas breakfasts with light-as-air Southern biscuits, so we had to have biscuits to go along with the meal, but they were from-the-freezer type, served with butter and honey. Mort loved my guacamole, so I mixed up a batch of that, along with tortilla chips, salsa and some deviled eggs- a southern tradition. I kind of ran out of time and energy for dessert, so we made due with watermelon slices, which were cold, sweet and delicious. So, in my small way, I contributed.
I did get some good news last week, and that is that a story I wrote - Getting to Know Jennifer - is going to be included in the latest Chicken Soup for the Soul anthology which is Food and Love. The story is about how I got to know my husband's deceased wife (Jennifer) through the recipes in her recipe book. When I was thinking about this blog, I realized the way I show love, many times, is through food that I serve. As in the meal I made for Mort's family, for Mort really. May he rest in peace and have all the fried chicken and biscuits he can eat.
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