Who thought of that-food memories

As I am cooking tonight I thought about how in the world do some people come up with some of these classic recipes we know and love. I mean, seriously, have you ever stopped and thought about what the person was like that said I think I will boil eggs, mix some mayo into the yolk and the stuff the egg white, let's call it deviled eggs. REALLY! Was she thinking, ok I have a family BBQ to go to, and I don't feel like going to the  store, what could I slap together? Or was it more like a bachelor looking in his nearly empty fridge and thinking, boy I want something and putting together the last of what he had. I know some recipes come from times when if you had a family of 6 you stretched the meal with whatever you could find to make it feed everyone. I'm sure in my mind that's where chicken and dumplings and meatloaf came from, some mother struggling to make sure everyone was fed and fed well.  Today I cooked chicken gumbo with sausage. It was probably one of the first things that were more complicated that I was determined to learn how to cook. It wasn't just any old way though. It had to be just like Mama made it. Some folks make gumbo that you can read a newspaper through. That was not the case of Granny's which she passed down to Mama whom I am so thankful passed to me. It's hard work standing over a hot stove stirring that parched flour. Can't tell you how many I've scorched trying to rush the process or not paying close enough attention. But all that hard work pays off with that rich brown gravy. I could eat just that in a bowl with the rice or even over potato salad and not even need the chicken and sausage. Speaking of potato salad it's one of those classics that when I'm putting it together I'm like seriously who thought of this! My Daddy I'm sure is glad someone thought of it. When you make gumbo or stew it's like Eddie Hariel law you have to make potato salad to go with it. If Mama's making it like he loves it the potatoes will just about be mashed taters, blue plate brand mayo, eggs of course and he eats a bowl right after it's mixed and still warm to "make sure she got it right." Maybe that's what makes food so comforting. Not the taste, or the smell, not how if done right some can soothe you to the soul, instead it's the memories we have all made over food. That's what makes the food so comforting. I hope that my children can one day have a bite of gumbo, and think boy that's some good memories!