Now in my family my dad is the BBQ king, yet I will admit my dad has been known to over or undercook meats due to his distractions of talking. My mom actually deserves the crown of the grill! In the Myles home, “Papa Myles” gets down in the kitchen. Appetizers consisted of fine cheeses and olives, opposed to the classic chips and salsa back at home. When we got to the entree we first toasted with a bit of the bubbly, then began to indulge. With fork and knife in hand, I took a bite of the flavorful beef and rosemary potatoes, enjoying as they melted in my mouth. I think I could get used to the cooked-to-perfection roast tradition! No disrespect to my USA roots of course.
What I noticed about both experiences is the stories shared around the table. That no matter where you come from, everyone enjoys gathering to eat and talk. Talking about old memories and what is current in our lives. It was a homey and comforting feeling to experience, especially being so far away from my own home. My manners could have been a little more up to par, but all in all I was relaxed and felt pleasantly pleased with my first English Sunday Roast.
I feel wherever you are in the world you will always experience different cultural aspects. Even when you live in the same country, there are differences from one family to another. We may have different music tastes or personality traits, different senses of humor and different stories of our past. I have survived the differences, but I am still learning along the way. Because I feel, at the end of the day, what a family really stands for is love and togetherness. No matter how crazy or different we all are, we can unite, often times around food, which is a benefit in my book! Bon appetit … or as they say here - Cheers!