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What is it about mom’s cooking that makes it undeniably better? For starters, it means that someone else is doing the cooking. At the heart of it, the best mom food comes from perfected recipes that they’ve served over and again, conjuring memories and nurtured comfort. But mom cooking more than just a good recipe.

When I would visit my parents, after the hugs and kisses, I went straight to the refrigerator. Sure I was hungry, because duh I was awake and always hungry, but I wanted to see what my mom had for our visit. Was it seafood and cheese spread from the local deli, cut up vegetables and dip, salami? Why did her ketchup even taste better? The clean white cap might have helped. Of course it was simply that I was being taken care of and even as an adult, that felt awfully good and awfully necessary. With every grocery selection and every stir of the pot, she added a special mom ingredient that you can’t find at Penzeys or your farmers market.

Love.

I’m lucky to have a mother-in-law who offers the same comforting cooking. This is her recipe and even as I type, I can hear her reciting the directions with a final step “and no peek.” Much like a slow cooker recipe, this one is handsfree cooking, leaving arms available for long-lasting hugs.

Happy Mother’s Day!