Mother's Day is Special @Bistro Colorado-Live Action Chef Stations Brunch Buffet

Moms are the best!

Let's face it, without your mom you and I wouldn’t even be here today. Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my mom tucking me into bed. We used to say goodnight like this: “good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite, see you in the morning with coffee.” Growing up in Denver and the surrounding areas, my mom dealt gracefully with a lot of things I did. I must have been about three or four years old when my best friend Richie and I found a big bucket of tar to paint with. We ended up painting each other. Mom took a picture for the family photo album.

At the time of the tar painting exploration we lived on Decatur street just off of Alameda and Federal and not too far from one of the original McDonald's restaurants that had the original golden arches that reached from the ground to the back of the building roof. Valverde Elementary School was just up the road and that’s where my sister went while I got into mischief during the day with my dog Toby and my best friend Richie.

One day Toby and I went for a walk. We kept walking for a while and eventually the patrol car picked us up and dropped us off back at home where Mom was waiting in the yard. Mom reminded me that Richie and I thought we were making stars one day when we threw rocks at a car windshield parked out front. That must have met with some discipline, which Mom also administered.

In those days, smoking cigarettes went hand in hand with drinking coffee in the morning. Mom smoked Benson and Hedges Menthols. The smell and the sting of the smoke going into my nose is still fresh in my mind. We moved to Elizabeth, which is a pretty little town east of Castle Rock where Dad built Mom and us kids a dream home in the pine trees. I think that’s where Mom took the first picture of me at the stove. I was actually climbing on the stove and trying to help with breakfast. That picture is in a small frame now and somewhere at Bistro Colorado I believe. Mom was great at documenting our childhood experiences on film.

Gourmet food at our house was cream gravy on white bread. Have you ever had anything so good? The other day we decided to add an item to the menu known as “BICO SOS, cream gravy and biscuits.” I made the first version of the recipe more like the biscuits and gravy I came to know in the Army, but then quickly made a change to more of a Mom version with the plain cream gravy. We added some cheddar cheese to the biscuits and made them big and really fluffy. Now the flavors and textures are reminiscent of my Tennessee born Mamma’s version of our favorite food growing up. I like to refer to them now as “The Tennessee.” There are various versions of “The Tennessee” like the “Southwest Tennessee” with chorizo sausage. You can pick and choose your own ingredients to create your own “Tennessee” if you want to. Just ask!

Pork chops with mushroom gravy were always a hit at home when Mom was cooking. We loved bacon and eggs and French toast too. Black Eyed Peas and Ham Hocks with Corn Bread for New Years. Corned Beef and Cabbage on St Patrick’s Day. On Easter we had Ham and Scalloped Potatoes. Roast Turkey and all the fixins on Thanksgiving. Cherry pie with lemony curd type filling. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes. The best chocolate fudge you can even imagine. All of this great food was made special by Mom. She shared all her recipes with us kids and we took part in preparing the holiday meals. The grandkids did the same. There’s a cheesy pineapple and J-ello salad that all of Mom’s kids and grandkids learned to make. She started making that one when her and Dad were newly weds and Dad’s mom taught her the secret family recipe.

Mom was always a coach when it came to cooking, even as I turned pro and started winning culinary competitions. She always had good advice and most of the time she was right about her teachings. Mom cooked with love for the family and guests at the dinner table. Meals at Mom’s in Kittredge, CO were a time to bring our family back together after everyone had left home. It was great being able to come home on leave during the holidays for Mom’s cooking and to see everyone.

Now days we share a family meal from time to time but not like when Mom was around. She joined Dad on the 10th anniversary of his St Patrick’s Day passing. We still have our memories of the food and the gatherings and occasionally the extended family gets together and there is always plenty of food and many of Mom’s favorites.

This year at Bistro Colorado, our Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet will include a variety of live action chef stations and a bounty of flavorful, healthy and delicious options. We are offering complimentary champagne and kids under 12 eat for free with a paying adult. Adults may enjoy the brunch buffet for $45 plus tax and gratuity.

Don’t be surprised if you find some of Mom’s favorites at Bistro Colorado on Mother's Day; Sunday, May 14th. I’ll be cooking with the love for family; mine as well as yours! Won’t you join us?

Happy Mother’s Day!

P.S.
Are you interested in taking a cooking class at Bistro Colorado? I’ll be teaching some classes for beginners and food enthusiasts as well as experienced home chefs. Look for kids classes too. You can sign up for classes on line by going to our website www.bistrocolorado.com Wine tasting, pairing, and the creation of food with some nice tunes playing. Then we’ll eat! Will you join me for a class? Sign a “Mom” up for the June class!