I suppose as a kid, most of us felt that their mom was the greatest cook that ever lived. Well, I can think of at least seven kids that would have voted ours as being that person.
Ahhhh, the fragrances of home cooking that escaped from that kitchen ... and I suppose she never actually used a recipe to create any of those tasty dishes prepared in huge pots, because there were so many hungry mouths to feed. From just " a little bit of this...and a little bit o' that' came food that quickly disappeared soon after we all sat down to eat.
Back then, rice seemed to fit in with every meal and a 100# bag never lasted very long. She'd pick fresh vegetables out of our own garden, combined with pork or beef (we raised our own assortment of farm animals), add a few spices, and before too long we'd be filling our plates. It was "first come, first served" and if you weren't around when the food was ready, don't complain if there was no leftovers.
Now I must say that if there was one dish she used to cook that I didn't like and still don't. It was one of Dad's favorites and it had bittermelon in it. I'll never forget how I would manage to avoid eating it only until Dad caught on and made me eat it anyway. BUT ... just about everything else was absolutely great. I think Filipino food must have been her specialty, much to the delight of us all, especially Dad.
Mom would also make jams and jellies( with papaya, mango, figs, etc.) and desserts like zucchini bread and bread pudding (Uncle Eroy worked for Holsum Bread and kept us supplied) , homemade butter and so much more. We had our own kitchen magician!
Those were the days! It's a part of growing up on the north shore that we kids will never forget.
About Author
Chris Urmeneta was raised on the North Shore of Oahu and went to Kahuku High School ('67). He is married with two grown children in their 20's. He and his family live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Chris is a purchasing agent for a hospital based durable medical equipment company in Tulsa.
To be able to say I was born and raised in Hawaii makes me proud. I miss the Islands and think of my old friends and classmates often. Kahuku, class of '67... E-mail me. I sure would like to hear from you!! (ex- Sunset big wave rider).