I love food. Maybe a bit too much. I could spend all day eating if it weren’t for the amount of weight that I would gain, and also that I would probably make myself sick. Here are my top ten favorite foods of all time. The ones that when I need to lose weight, I have to not even look at cause I have no willpower.
- Mashed Potatoes – I don’t know what it is about mashed potatoes, but I love it. Out of all the foods out there, mashed potatoes are my favorite. They taste good alone, with meat, with gravy, etc. I don’t think there is anything that wouldn’t taste good with mashed potatoes.
- Cheese – When the kids were growing up, we used to have cheese parties. I would get an assortment of cheeses, and we would eat them while watching a movie.
- Milk – As you can see, I love dairy. Since I was a kid, I have been obsessed with milk. I can drink cups of them like they are water. I am not sure I could ever give up dairy.
- Bread – Bread and cheese, Bread and jelly, sandwiches….enough said.
- Chili – Growing up, we always had chili with ground beef and beans. When I was an adult, I found a recipe for white chicken chili, and it has become a regular in the meal rotation. What I love about chili is that it’s quick and easy to make but full of flavor. My parents used to use the slow cooker to make chili, and waiting 6-8 hours for a bowl was torture. However, well worth it.
- Melons – When the melon is sweet and juicy, I can’t get enough. My dad will usually cut them and put them in a big bowl. The kids and I can eat the whole thing. It’s very addicting. They have to be in season because, if not, it lacks flavor. However, when it is in season, I can’t get enough.
- Crabs – I love seafood. When my sister and I decided not to eat any meat, I couldn’t give up seafood. My favorite is crabs. I think the reason I love it the most because it reminds me of my childhood. My dad was getting a bushel, and the entire family sitting together to eat them. I remember that my parents would sometimes add a little too much Old Bay, and my mouth would burn. We would put sugar around our mouths to cool the throbbing. Even with that, I still kept eating.
- Seafood Guacho – My grandmother and aunt make the best seafood guacho. It’s mushy rice with seafood. There is also a meat version, but I prefer seafood. It’s full of seafood flavor, and the texture is perfect. Some people add “refrito,” which is usually a tomato-based vegetable topping. I have never liked it, so I keep it plain.
- Empanadas – I love the corn-based empanadas. The ones you get at the Panamanian grocery stores are usually filled with ground beef. When I was a teenager, my sister and I went with my aunt to the country. There was a little hut on the side of the road that sold chicken empanadas. These were the best empanadas that I had ever eaten. A couple of years, we tried to go back, but the hut had burnt down. Hopefully, they were able to relocate because those empanadas need to be shared with the world.
- Fried Fish – Fried fish full of lemon and salt and served with a side of rice and lentils is also part of my childhood. I remember how it was a rite of passage when you could eat your own fish without needing your parents to help. The fish have their bones, so you have to make sure to pick them out without accidentally swallowing them. It’s something that I have taught my own kids. Adding Caribbean-style hot sauce on it makes it even better.
These foods are not just my favorite because they are delicious, but because of the memories, they bring with them. This is the beauty of food.
