Mema's Kitchen

Jenna learned by her mema's side how to cook and make guests feel at home around her table. By age 3 Jenna was chopping onions and garlic, if the house didn't have the aroma of the two ingredients a proper meal was not being prepared. It took a few more years until Jenna could fill the pot and carry it to the stove for the pasta. In the mean time Jenna learned how to peel and separate garlic cloves to be shoved into a roast in order to assure just about every slice served had a sliver. Fresh vegetables from mema's garden rinsed and peels with a knife because she a peeler was a waste of money. BY the time she was tall enough to carry the pot of water Jenna was an expert at making the rue.

After graduating high school Jenna decided to pursue a culinary degree. Wanting to further her skill she decided to study abroad in Europe. When presented with the opportunity to be a pantry chef for a restaurant in her mema's native town Jenna happily took the position. As excited as she was is as sad she grew the closer her departure day approached , the position was a two year contract.

Jenna chose to depart a month earlier than she was to start work, her family provided her with enough money during the farewell get together to cover expenses for a while. She wanted to familiarize herself with the customs and surroundings before working the long hours required of her. Her mema mapped out from memory beautiful scenic areas to visit that tourists would have no knowledge of and requested she visit family.

Naturally Jenna did just what her mema asked the very first day waking up abroad. First she decided to visit family hoping someone would be her guide. As she walked the path to her family villa she was welcomed by the familiar aroma of home. Jenna was a bit overwhelmed by the aunts, uncles, first and second cousins as she made her way towards the kitchen. She was pleased with herself for not only learning to cook but learning the language fluently. She took as many pictures as she could sending them through text to a cousin back in the states to show her mema.

After all the picture taking, food, wine and sweets consumed she was offered to spend the night and be guided in the morning to take more pictures to send.

When her two year contract was up she was offered sous chef position. She could not wait to send the news to her mema. The down side to such an opportunity meant a 4 year contract, the first year without salary. Her family in the states would not be able to support her for that amount of time so it was arranged for her to stay at the family villa. Jenna took it upon herself to cook for the family, thats the least she felt she could do. After the first years she stayed at the villa and continued to cook for the family as well as being proud to pay her way.

Her time was coming to an end, she was now offered to be direct assistant to the head chef. The keys to the restaurant were going to be placed in her hand, the entire operation of not only the kitchen but restaurant was to be hers. The head chef joking told Jenna she had to pass one last test, she was to cook an entire meal that will be judged. What Jenna didn't know was that the head chef was honoring her by flying her mema from the states and she was who the meal was going to be for.

To keep the surprise the head chef started rumors that Jenna was to cook for a famous food critique from the states.

Jenna experimented with several dishes. She spent hours at the market carefully selecting the freshest ingredients. Each course she created she couldn't help but to feel something was missing. She served her family as well as patrons to the restaurant. She was delighted by the positive feed back but still could not shake the feeling of something missing. When the head chef tasted Jenna's dishes he too acknowledged their perfection. On the day she was to present courses to be judged she was more nervous than she ought to be. The kitchen was stocked with just about every ingredient she would need to serve each course. Student chefs were stationed and ready to begin. She selected the menu with reluctance, she was confident in her ability to deliver excellence but still felt something was missing.

At the last minute Jenna changed the rich, fancy menu deciding on the basics she learned at her mema's side.

She ordered the student chefs to since vegetables in cold water and what needed to be peeled to be done so with a knife. She chopped all garlic and onions with the knife she was gifted by her mema several years ago. As she mixed the chops meat by hand and formed the meatballs herself she didn't bother measuring a single ingredient. Before going into the cast iron frying pan her taste buds told her what to add or not. As they sizzled and slightly caramelized is when she knew they were done, the timer meant nothing. After being placed in bowl, Jenna placed a kitchen towel over them to keep them warm instead of placing in the warmer. Pork was flash fried in the same pan then plopped into sauce simmering with over ripe tomatoes.

Pasta was cooked al dente, a ladle full of the pasta water was poured into the sauce as well.

A bottom round roast was stabbed into and cloves of garlic shoved into each hole then only salt and pepper was sprinkled on before going into he oven. A variety of mixed vegetables that were picked that morning from local farms were thrown into a large cookie sheet with countless amount of garlic cloves, salt, pepper and olive oil also placed in the oven just under the roast collecting drippings.

A mix of just cut lettuce, olives, red onions, oil and balsamic vinegar was frowned upon by the student chefs, but Jenna loved the simplicity of it. She cut into seeded bread that was baked long enough to be crispy outside but soft inside with memories flooding through her. Again the student chefs frowned when she carelessly placed the bread clearly not in a bread bowl to be served. The students were confused why everything was being cooked and obviously ready to serve at the same time. Each were reluctant to follow her to the dinning room to place each course at once together on one long table. Covering each with a kitchen towel.

Jenna looked over the student dessert chef as pound cake was being prepared. She herself peeled, sliced, chopped and slivered fresh fruit of the day also placed on a tray without garnish.The only request she would honor from the judge would be if he/she preferred decaf or caffeinated coffee.

Jenna waited in the kitchen to be called onto the floor by the judge. Whatever critique could dole out she was pleased that the thing she has been missing was not an actual ingredient but the simplicity and enjoyment of cooking.

As she walked through the kitchen and onto the floor she saw her mema sitting with the head chef she couldn't believe her eyes.