We mourn the passing of Mama D, and continue her tradition of showing love through food.

Last Tuesday Mama D, a local restaurant legend, died. In the 70’s she was famous in the local and national food scene because of her personality and her generosity. Every year on St. Joeseph’s Day, she opened her restaurants in town to the needy and hungry, so they could enjoy a free meal. One of her restaurants was located in Dinkytown, adjacent to the University of MN campus. While I never attended on St Joseph’s day, I did go there occasionally while in school to enjoy some home made Italian food. If Mama D was there, you could feel the love throughout the room.

I have no ambitions of opening a restaurant, but I am drawn to expressing my affection and admiration for those I care about through food. If someone calls and says they are feeling down, I invite them for dinner. If I come across a friend who was just promoted, I offer a celebratory meal. The first time Scott and I spent any time together at his house, we had a competition over who could make the best omelet for the other! We extended that competition to a close group of friends in the great “alfredo-off” of 1998!

My 14 year old boys are regular players in the kitchen, it’s amazing what they are interested in doing if you just invite them in. My 23 year old stepdaughter spends many of her limited hours in MN in this kitchen, experimenting. My husband is a master in his own right. In fact, when we remodeled the house a few years ago, the first thing we focused on was the kitchen, everything else was secondary to it. My few vices are centered around food and the preparation of it – from gardening to spending way too much money on a toaster and tea kettle!

Holidays and vacation days are spent with my feet firmly planted in the kitchen, and I couldn’t be happier when I’m in that zone. It’s not a chore for me, rather a joy to share something of my own creation with those I care about. While I don’t imagine myself as a Mama D, I hope to pass the legacy on to my children – to teach them the craft, so that they may one day pass it on to their families, and bring the joy of food to their dining room table.