Of all the things my mom can cook, one of my absolute favorites is her stew. A traditional Nigerian stew can best be described as a rich creamy red sauce, most commonly eaten with rice. Think the best spaghetti sauce you've ever had; but ten times better. It's a dish that's easy to make, but hard to make well. For Easter, I strapped on an apron and grabbed my wooden spoon, determined to make stew as good as my mom's. After hours of stirring, tasting, and ferverently praying I wouldn't screw up, I confess that I felt pretty darn proud of myself. If I closed my eyes while licking the spoon, my stew almost tasted just like mom's. YES!
Then a couple of days ago, I tasted my mom's freshly made stew. Blast it, I'd just been deceiving myself. Nothing I made compared with her homey goodness.
Happy Mother's Day Mom! I'm grateful for all that you do, and of course for your delicious stews. Maybe someday mine will taste as good as yours :)