https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/tags/food-memory/Recent content in Food-Memory on Bruce loves to cookHugo -- gohugo.ioen© 2026 Bruce AldersonSat, 17 Oct 2026 19:39:54 -1000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/chicken-sandwich-crispy-mall-style/Thu, 08 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/chicken-sandwich-crispy-mall-style/<p>In high school I worked in a string of fast food and fast casual restaurants, often on split shifts. A split shift leaves you with a few hours in the middle of the day, not enough time to go home, and not much money to spend. I spent most of those hours at the mall, in a food court that sat next to a big arcade.</p>https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/cooking-reflections/the-impossible-quest-for-the-perfect-chicken-burger/Mon, 28 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/cooking-reflections/the-impossible-quest-for-the-perfect-chicken-burger/<p>According to r/burgers, most chicken burgers are not burgers:</p> <blockquote><p>A chicken sandwich contains an entire piece of chicken or filet, rather [sic] a ground and blended patty. A pulled chicken sandwich is also not a burger.</p>https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/cooking-reflections/the-quest-for-the-perfect-burger/Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/cooking-reflections/the-quest-for-the-perfect-burger/<p>My first restaurant job was flipping burgers, and I loved it. Not just the job, the food. Standing at a griddle all shift taught me what I actually wanted from a burger: crunchy, fresh veg, a thin patty, and flavours that didn&rsquo;t hide.</p>https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/camp-cooking/Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/camp-cooking/<p>I remember learning to make [[Foil packets|foil camp packets]] at a kids&rsquo; camp. The recipe was simple: a handful of cut-up veg, a potato cut into cubes, ¼ pound of beef, half a bouillon cube, and a pat of butter in a foil pouch (with some ground pepper). We cooked it over a fire until it smelled lovely.</p>https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/garbage-plates/Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/garbage-plates/<p>My dad only knew how to cook a few dishes, but he was proud of each one. He loved making boxed mac and cheese. It was usually the blue generic box, and not brand-name KD (Kraft Dinner for anyone not from Canada).</p>https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/slick-spaghetti-with-a-hint-of-oregano/Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/slick-spaghetti-with-a-hint-of-oregano/<p>I remember an old cast aluminum pot, handed down from my grandparents. It was pockmarked, with a patina of polymerized oils in the depressions. It once served as a pressure cooker that exploded in my grandmother’s kitchen, so it no longer had a lid. The handle was loose and the bolt seized, making it a death trap when loaded with a hot sauce. This pot was mostly used for my mom’s frugal spaghetti sauce, which was a simple combination of beef, puréed tomatoes, and just a hint of oregano, salt, and pepper.</p>https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/the-dutch-deli/Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/the-dutch-deli/<p>I grew up in a small town of immigrants mostly from various parts of central, eastern, and northern Europe. Many of our neighbours were second- and third-generation Mennonites, with a few Dutch families sprinkled here and there. We were the outsiders, which was honestly a great way to grow up.</p>https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/the-smells-of-india/Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://bruce-loves-to-cook.ca/essays/food-memories/the-smells-of-india/<p>As our small town evolved, more families moved in from all over the world.</p> <p>I remember one family bought my best friend’s house. It was something like 15 acres of fallow land, with a large house that was built at the pinnacle of their grandparents’ careers. The house was grand, with 10 bedrooms, two kitchens, a library, conservatory, and countless other amenities that I found fascinating as a kid who lived in a tiny two-bedroom turn-of-the-century home.</p>