Fostering Family Love through Food by Ashley Patania

Ashley Patania is a 26 year old senior who will be graduating with her B.A. in July. She is the oldest of 7 children and spends most of her free time with family. She moved from California to South Carolina in December of 2002. Although most of her family lives in Carolina, she has been able to remain extremely close with them. She plans on finding an internship during the summer in order to gain experience in the business world. Her family gets together once a year for an eggroll dinner. This meal is not only satisfying to the stomach but brings family together with love and laughter.

Each year my family gets together for an eggroll dinner, my father's recipe. Egg rolls were originally served as appetizers in in East Asia, but my father puts his own spin on it. I live in South Carolina whereas most of my family lives California so this meal is close to my heart. I love each of the small things that contribute to making this dinner. My father and I stand side by side cooking, laughing, and watching our family bicker.

As the water boils, my father takes a knife and chops the cabbage while I peel and shred the carrots. As I peel the carrots, I notice a more vibrant orange come through. My dad and I stand side by side in the kitchen smiling at the sounds of our families laughing and bickering. I put the shredded carrots next to the chopped cabbage and wait until the water boils.

When the water is boiling, I lightly place the carrots and cabbage in the pot. My dad gets a pan and puts the ground beef in it. As I stir the vegetables, I can hear the sizzle of the meat as it cooks. My dad gets out a handful of spices out and seasons the meat. He uses no measuring devices. The smell of garlic and onion fill the house as the meat begins to brown. My mouth waters from the smell. During this time, I can bet on hearing the words "I'm starving" from one of my 9 cousins.

Dad takes the meat to the sink and drains it. I can see the colors purple, red, and green reflecting off of the oil as it goes down the drain. He gets a bowl and puts the meat in it. He rinses the strainer for me so I can drain the water from the cabbage and carrots. At this point, my father and I are already bickering about who is going to do the dishes. I drain the vegetables and add them to the bowl of meet. My dad mixes the meat and vegetables together while using his body to block off the little hands from reaching into the bowl as my scavenger cousins fill the kitchen.

Next, my father and I get a handful of flour and use our hands to spread it all over the counter top. I like to poke my dad's cheek so it leaves a print of white powder; my cousins find it funny too. He always fusses at me but can never do so with a straight face. I get out a small bowl and crack two eggs into it. I add a little milk and scramble the ingredients together. This is the "glue" that holds our egg rolls together.

We get the egg roll wrappers out of the refrigerator and put the stack in the middle of us. I stand on one side of the island while my fathers in the middle. Next to the stack of wrappers is the bowl filled with the meat and vegetables. My dad adds some garlic and gives it one last mix. I put the bowl of raw scrambled egg mixture next to the wrappers so he and I can get started.

I take a spoonful of the meat and vegetable mixture and place it in the middle of the egg roll wrapper. The way I wrap it is much the same as swaddling a baby in a blanket.  I set the finished product on a baking sheet where I see a completed eggroll. I look up and see my dad smiling at the fact that he is winning. I glance into the living room and see a familiar sight. My aunts are sitting around the dining room table laughing over their glass of wine while my mother tries to set out the placemats and silverware. My cousins are scattered around the living room rolling around on the floor. My nana is sitting on the sofa shaking her head as she watches the boys on the floor. She looks back at me and smiles. I feel special being the only granddaughter. My uncles are standing outside on the porch arguing about who will go to the super bowl.

I get another egg roll wrapper to wipe one some "glue".  My dad looks at me and says, "One day we will be doing this at your house". The thought of it makes me laugh. I feel very blessed and lucky to have my family together under one roof. My father and I fill up an entire baking sheet with eggrolls. I know that my uncles alone can eat that much.

We finally get all four baking sheets filled with egg rolls. My dad fills a pot with oil and puts it over the stove. He carefully places 5-6 egg rolls in at a time and waits until the yellow shell turns into a golden brown. I can see the little blisters of oil that have popped in the skin of the shell. The smell of cabbage and meat makes my mouth water. I get the serving tray and line it with paper towels. This helps absorb the excess oil. When all the egg rolls have been fried, dad and I bring the two serving trays to the dining room.

My cousins are already sitting at the table. My nana tells my uncles that the food is ready. I peek around the corner to watch them elbow each other as they all try to get through the door at same time. My aunts go to the kitchen to fill up their glasses of wine before coming to the table. When we are all seated, everyone is staring at the two piles of eggrolls.

Everyone's hand seems to go in at the same time. I can hear my cousins taking deep breaths as they burn their tongues from anticipation. My uncles fill their plates with egg rolls and sauce leaving no room for the salad. My aunts are looking at their sons saying "quit eating like a bunch of animals."

Cooking egg rolls is a family tradition that I am going to carry on for the rest of my life. I love cooking next to my father and the jokes that we have during the process. I also love the sounds of laughter and conversation that come from my family. The joy that this meal brings to my family not only feeds their appetite but brings us closer as a whole. I think that everyone should have their own "egg roll dinner". I love seeing the smiles on my families' faces as well as feeling the love that comes from my families' presence.