A “Taste” of my Family by Alex Lundsgaarde, Grade 5
This piece was written during A Whole Lot of Food and Memoir Writing, an 826CHI workshop in partnership with Whole Foods Market.
Pad Thai is a big part of my family’s history. From the scorching hot southern parts of Thailand to here, in the Windy City.
Life was rough for my grandparents. They didn’t have much of anything. When they grew older, they sought out education, and moved to the U.S. Here they met, and got married. Then came my mother, aunt, and uncle.
When my mom was about my age, she would sit by my grandma whenever she cooked. My mom would observe every single spice and ingredient my grandma put in. Now that my mom’s older, I do the same.
I can hear my mom chopping fresh tofu in the kitchen. The rice noodles are in the frying pan with some garlic. The sizzling is almost like music to my ears. I know that something delicious is about to be made. As soon as the sweet tamarind aroma fills the air, I am almost falling off my chair. It’s an amazing sensation as I take the first bite. The lime and tamarind mixed together is like a colorful, eye-popping fireworks show. The noodles are fried until they’re golden and are bursting with flavor. As its steam rolls up my face, I think of Thailand. I think of my grandparents. The thought of it makes me feel safe and warm.
My mom inspires me to try new things with her cooking. I hope that someday I’ll be able to inspire someone, somewhere in the world with something I do well.