Happy Birthday to Me
Empty Chairs and a New Tradition
I can’t say there is a specific birthday confection that I must have every year to celebrate. For me, it’s the meal that I look forward to more than the dessert. Although I have enjoyed many different birthday meals over the years with family and friends around various tables in restaurants and in homes, there is one food that I will forever connect with my birthday: fresh Pennsylvania Trout wrapped in foil with some butter, lemon, and salt and pepper and cooked on the grill.
The first day of Pennsylvania trout season falls a few weeks before my birthday, and as a kid my Dad, Pap, Uncle Ricky, and Uncle June made sure all of us kids knew the joys of an early Saturday morning wake up, a hurried breakfast, being jammed into as few vehicles as possible with fishing pools, tackle boxes, and coolers filling any empty space left between bodies. My brothers, cousins, and I were also left to ponder how our asking when we could eat lunch was interfering with the quantity of fish being caught. But, somehow, we managed to finish up the day with a sufficient haul.
As I got older, I bowed out of the fishing excursions, but I still enjoyed the trout for my birthday meal. Over the years empty chairs started showing up around the table for my birthday dinner. First my Pap, then my uncles, next my older brother, Jamie, and in February my younger brother, David, left an empty chair. Part of me wanted my trout dinner this year, but another part of me could not handle tasting memories of happier times right now. I felt too different so I wanted something different.
When my sister asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year, I requested a day of cooking some new recipes together with her, my Mom, and my oldest, Victoria. She thought that was a great idea and set up a day for us to meet in her kitchen. I picked two recipes from the Korean American Cookbook by Eric Gim that she sent me earlier in the month.
My daughter wanted to try the toasted chili turmeric cashews with fresh lime zest and salt from Half -Baked Harvest’s Thai Basil Sesame Cashew Chicken with Coconut Rice recipe.
Along with chickpeas and cashews we had pan fried Spring Rolls as an appetizer. Sara started playing around with making Spring rolls awhile ago and gave us a lesson on making them with the trick to double wrap them to keep them from splitting open. She made a filling by browning some ground pork with soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger; then removed from the heat and added shredded cabbage and carrots along with prepared Rice Stick noodles, then finishing with drizzles of Sesame Seed Oil and Fish Sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
It was a different way to celebrate my birthday this year, but one I’d like to make a tradition now. These past few months I have been reminded during my healing process to focus on those things that bring nourishment to me. A day spent with people I love in a kitchen provided more than food for my body. Sometimes I need the private kitchen therapy and sometimes I need the group kitchen therapy.
What else has been nourishing me…..
These Cushionaire Sandals my sister got me as a gift. I need to have something comfortable on my feet when I’m working in my kitchen-or let’s be honest when I’m on my feet at all— and these are the BEST! Incredibly comfortable! What a difference in how my feet feel at the end of the day.
I have been listening to the instrumental playlists on The Hallow App when I’ve been working on my posts.
A Drink with a Friend This weekly podcast introduced me to Substack and continues to help me to be more mindful in my everyday living.
What’s been nourishing for you this past week and what food do you always associate with your birthday?
As odd as is may sound, since I have had surgery a little over a month ago, I haven’t been able to take a bath. For me, a bath is my relaxing time. It helps me to wash away the day, reflect and unwind. Without my bath I have been struggling. Finally, this week I was able to enjoy my bath time again and it felt sooooo good. Reminding me that sometimes the simplest things are the things we will miss the most. Glad you had a wonderful birthday