I know we've talked about my tendencies to get nostalgic about food. We talk about it a lot.

My relationships with food have been up, down, and all around throughout my life, but for me it always comes down to how it makes me feel. What it makes me remember.

When I think buffalo wings, I think about my dad in the kitchen trying to make them as hot as he can (at my request). I think about climbing up to sit on the stools at the island and chat while and watching him frying the wings and mixing the sauce. It reminds me of cool summer nights and time spent with just me and my dad. I've always loved watching him cook. As I've gotten older and think about the state of my family, I've found these are the moments I miss. Cooking was what I shared with my dad, it's where we were closest.

My brother reminds me of salt & vinegar chips, boston crème pie, and peanut butter and jelly sandwich picnics out on our lawn during the summer. oh and those kool-aid squeeze bottles that he used to call beer when he was little. and mac and cheese. ew. OH and my chicken nuggets. they were his favorite thing I made. until the pumpkin cake this year.

My mom is probably reading this thinking WHAT ABOUT ME? THIS IS MY RECIPE.

I was lucky enough to have two parents that LOVED being in the kitchen. they both had their strengths and they both did their fair-share of feeding our family.

When I think about my mom in the kitchen, I think about steak, hamburgers in a frying pan, my favorite garlic chicken, and baking. We used to bake together all. the. time. She was the dessert queen. It's what she would bring to all the cook-outs or parties we went to. Always a dessert.

We've talked about how my time living in Italy shaped who I was as a person and as a cook. But, I don't think I've ever told you that while I was there I emailed and asked my mom to send me one recipe: this banana bread.

THAT STEAM THO. I can't even.

When I'm not having my love affairs with garlic and bacon, I'm totally cheating on them both with my mom's banana bread. (um. and her zucchini bread too. maybe if we're nice she'll let me post that also)

It's one of those homey recipes. Simple and classic. Super easy and no substitutions necessary. When I made it the other day I tried to lighten it up by switching vegetable oil for canola oil, which you can totally do, but it just doesn't come out as moist. The only thing I might change going forward, would be using four bananas instead of three. But that's just because I love the fruit flavor up in there.

fyi it tastes better served nice and warm with a scoop of chocolate ice cream on the sideeeeeeee.