To say that Steve likes food is an understatement. In fact, his very existence is all based on food. You will see him doing two things: It’s either he is eating or he’s thinking of when next he will eat. Its not really his fault though. He grew up with his grandmother, and we all know the meal treatments one experiences with the older folks. Grandma is a chubby woman of average height. She looks good for her age, and when others compliments her about it she will say it’s because she’s eating good food.
Grandma loved cooking so much; Steve l loves eating, tell me what better combination could there be?
When it comes to food, there is enough of it for Steve at the appropriate time.
Granny had not always been like that though. She used to be a picky eater because she gains weight easily. She rarely ate outside and she did not know how to cook. That is due to the fact that she always eats vegetables.
But then she met my grandpa, who is late now and things changed. Grandpa would have none of it.
“How would you not eat what you desire?” He would always complain.
“What if you add a few weight here at there? Besides, you’re not fat you’re just chubby, which is perfect for you. I like you just the way you are…
You should count the memories, not the calories.”
And so it turns out that grandpa would completely turn around Granny’s life, and for good. Gradually she started learning how to cook, but not without constant teasing from grandpa. Sometimes before settling down to eat he will say:
“Hope there is not much salt in the beans? The way you use salt ehn, I should nickname you salt of the earth”.
It was just playful banter and she knows it. Sometimes she will play along:
“Test the soup first honey, I think I added too much sugar in the vegetable soup.”
“You put sugar in the soup??” He would reply looking horrified.
Whenever Granny relates this experience to Steve she ends up crying.
You should count the memories, not the calories.
According to grandpa, if you don’t eat well then you’ll have little life memories to reminisce on. You will have little to share. To grandpa, life almost revolves around food. Learning about the experiences they have makes me believe him to a certain extent though. They have lots of experiences together in cooking and eating out.
Once they went to a restaurant, they saw that the name of their waiter is Pepper. They looked at each other and giggled. After they have ordered their meals, they had a mischievous idea. They planned to surprise their waiter, but not in a good way. They were served their meal of rice and grilled chicken. They both took the first spoon and they acted like they choked on the meal. Then they started coughing and gulping down water.
The waiter was confused. “Is everything alright sir and ma?”
“Mr Pepper, do you want to kill us with pepper? Did you add your own spices to the meal to highlight your name?”
“I’m sorry. There must have been a mistake, will check with the kitchen.”
The two burst out laughing at the same time. They told him that the meal is okay, but his name gave them the idea to make that joke. They gave him a good tip afterwards.
The little time I spent with grandpa, he will always emphasize the importance of good meal. Not surprising he has a lot of quotes on food, which grandma always make use of till date. Some of them are:
- If no one sees you eating it, it does not contain any calories.
- Those who eat well are the best people.
- The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach (an African proverb).
The funniest one is the fact that he named his stomach Budapest.
“This chicken and chips looks yummy, Budapest will love this!” Why Budapest, you might think.
Well, it’s the capital of Hungary! I stole that one already, it’s witty.
Now back to granny. Her idea is to eat well and enjoy, upholding grandpa’s legacy. It turns out that Steve will be a beneficiary of that legacy, and perhaps for a long time to come.