my last supper...

12.09.2013

image via callie

so you guys. i used to have another cooking blog. it was small and humble and i didn't have a lot of experience under my belt...kinda like now! however, it was a great creative outlet for me and i think i had all of 15 posts before i had to take a break. we found out i was pregnant with our son, Weston who was diagnosed in utero with a heart defect. that was in 2010. turned out to be a long year. and so was the one after that. and then we had our sixth (and final) kiddo the year after that. to say things got a little more hectic would be a bit of an understatement. 

the good news? our little heart baby is doing great. he turned four years old this year. wanna hear more good news? our baby-baby is two years old, he still takes a three hour nap every day and our other five children are in school from 7:30-2:00. ergo (thanks for the word natalie), i now have a little extra time for stuff like this! it's great!

on the other blog, i wrote a similar post to this one. there's a game that food people play. we LOVE to talk about food whenever we can, so it's fascinating to pose this question: what would be your last meal on earth? and it's not so much about the fact that you know you'd be gone the next day, but more about what kind of value you place on food. 

three years later i'm still thinking about it. 

in melanie dunea's book, My Last Supper, she interviewed and photographed prestigious chefs from around the globe. she asked them this question and their answers are completely enthralling. some chefs wanted nothing more than a good baguette, some great cheese and a glass of wine. other chefs wanted a multi-course meal prepared by another chef they look up to and admire.

she also asked these questions: what would be the setting for the meal? what would you drink with your meal? would there be music? who would be your dining companions? and who would prepare the meal?

makes you stop a think a little, yeah?

in this situation, would luxury or comfort be more important to you?

for me? i would want my mom's spanish steak and rice pilaf (it's kind of a vinegary riff on meatloaf), canned green beans with mayonnaise for dipping (i know! sounds not so great, but it's SCREAMS comfort to me) and hot milk sponge cake. this cake you guys. it's over the top delicious. it has a broiled coconut topping that manages to be chewy and crispy all at the same time. and the cake is spongey perfection. holy moly! i've got to go make one now...

well, actually i just did! and the recipe will be up later this week. shooting film adds a little wait to the whole blogging process...but it's always worth it.

as for the rest of her questions? i'd eat my last meal on earth at a big dinner table in my own home. i would drink pellegrino with lime. there'd be a soft sound track of my life playing in the background...beth orton, buena vista social club, red house painters and the like. my dining companions would be anyone i'd ever shared a meal with at that table. and my mom would make the spanish steak and pilaf and i could handle the canned green beans and dessert.

so happy monday everyone! and really, what would you eat for your last supper? i'm kind of dying to know...all the other stuff too.

and the winner of the earring giveaway is Meg! email me at familytablegiveaway@gmail.com to claim your prize :)

and hold on a second! i just discovered that there is a sequel of sorts to melanie dunea's first book. it's entitled My Last Supper: The Next Course. i'm definitely adding that to my christmas wish list!

p.s. to receive a couple extra "if i were..." menu ideas and secret recipes every month that i only share via email click here.