Some herbs and spices are so specific in flavor we almost immediately think of a place from their aroma or flavor. Cilantro evokes thoughts of Mexico, but also China and India. For many of the popular Mexican foods we eat in America, speaking for myself, they are not complete without the compliment of cilantro.
Herbs, of course, add flavor. Some add flavor and act as salt by boosting the flavors of the other ingredients. In part, the reason for this is the fresh herbs essential oils are activated by the heat and make them more forward on the palate. Salt, of course, enhances the flavors already there, but there is a point of oversaturation. With herbs, the compatibility of the herb to the food helps trick the palate.
Ah, just when we think we’ve gotten ourselves sorted out, there comes some information to mess it all up.
Mother’s Day was started to mean a very different thing that how we celebrate it now with cards, candy, flowers and brunch.
“It all started in the 1850s, when West Virginia women’s organizer Ann Reeves Jarvis—Anna’s mother—held Mother’s Day work clubs to improve sanitary conditions and try to lower infant mortality by fighting disease and curbing milk contamination, according to historian Katharine Antolini of West Virginia Wesleyan College. The groups also tended wounded soldiers from both sides during the U.S. Civil War from 1861 to 1865.”
The how and why we went from that to this is for another day.
This Mother’s Day is about treating mom with service and treats. Breakfast in bed, a fine dinner, unprotested chores and chocolates.
I am a bit of a fan of the current tradition. I think moms are worthy of a day of attention and relief from the kids. Maybe a day off from labor, but labor is one of the important elements that make the household run.
Someone cooks and cleans and launders and more. Laboring in those things can be a real chore. Gardening, for those who enjoy being outdoors, can be labor but the fruits of that labor can be fabulous.
Ironically, at my house, I do the cooking and the gardening. So it goes. But, if you are a mom, know a mom, want to be a mom, or just like to garden, Garden Tower Project has a deal for Mothers’ Day.
