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Some of my fondest childhood memories happened right in our kitchen, the heart of our home. This was the place to where everyone would gravitate - friends and family alike.    This is where my mom taught us to appreciate our heritage and to read and write Portuguese.   She taught us the art of letter writing (this was, after all,  back in the day).  We'd talk about school and the day,  and as my sister and I sat at the kitchen table working on our homework ,  mom would move seamlessly about, preparing dinner - mom never rushed.  

We ate well - lean meats, fresh fish, pastas and grains, milk and cheeses, lots of vegetables and plenty of fresh fruit,  and of course, fresh bread was always on the table.  Simple food, but food prepared well,  and variety,  as mom could make just about any type of food and she would even do wonders with leftovers! 

Mom taught us to be fearless  in the kitchen and inspired us to be creative.  We enjoyed gatherings with family and friends almost every weekend in our  home and experienced the joys of sharing  many delicious meals. 

I've jotted down a few of her recipes throughout the years, however, this has proven to be quite the challenge as mom has never actually used a recipe,  nor has she ever measured anything! I wanted to gather a more permanent collection of recipes, of the delicious tastes and flavours we enjoyed growing up,  including  many  secret tips and tricks that mom shared with us,  However, a career in finance and other obligations kind of let me leave that plan on the back burner.     When I retired I decided to put pen to paper (well alright, it's a laptop), and write.