I was tagged a while back by Yvonne. The request? Name 5 foods or dishes that were part of your childhood & make you feel nostalgia when you think (taste or smell) of them.

GRAVY- I'm sure this isn't a surprise to anyone. My grandmother's pasta sauce is home to me. There's something about the aroma, which takes over the entire house when it's simmering, that fills me with glee.
STUFFED ARTICHOKES- This signaled spring, at least in my house growing up. Momma made this special dish & served it on Easter Sunday. I have vivid memories of my cousins & I all decked out in our frilly spring outfits, playing on my grandparents front lawn, waiting for dinner to begin & this treat to be served.
SNAIL SALAD- This dish may be indigenous to RI because I've never been able to find it done quite this way. The snails (no one in my family calls them escargot) are cooked & sliced very thin. They are marinated in olive oil & red wine vinegar & tossed with sweet red onions & diced celery. Hmmmmm... Every grocery store deli, seafood & Italian restaurant has it in my hometown. I have almost every time I visit.
LADY FINGER CAKE- My Aunt Maria ran her own cake decorating company when I was a child. Lucky me!!! You should have seen some of the birthday cakes we had. There was a cake for every interest- Disney, Holly Hobbie, Barbie, panda bears, etc. I don't remember which one of my Bday's Auntie made this for, but it turned me off of cutesy kiddy cakes forever. The filling was super creamy & sweet with a touch of rum. Pretty lady finger pastries lined the outside of the cake. Auntie would careful place a ribbon around the entire thing & finish it off with a bow.
COTTON CANDY- OK, so this may not compare with some of the above culinary delights, but, oh how I love it. I light up even when I just see a stick of it. It reminds me of traveling carnivals, the circus & St. Mary's Feast (big summer event when I was a kid). I do still have it from time to time & I turn into a giddy little girl with every handful.

I'm not going to tag anyone for this, since I'm a bit behind in the blogging world. If you'd like to participate, then post a link in my comments. And for my readers who do not have blogs (Jen & Paul Raff) you can list your 5 favs in the comments.

Posted by Dawn Falcone @ 11:16 PM 4 comments

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