Happy Mother’s Day!

It is time to spoil your Mom! She, who stirred the love into your comfort food, will be treated to breakfast in bed, brunch, surprise bling, a picnic in the park and maybe a few moments of peace, a thoughtful card or a phone call today. Many of us associate comfort food with “Mom’s cooking”. Some great Chefs say they were inspired to cook by their Mother’s cooking because she was either a great cook or not a cook at all — either way, love was in the pot.

Paul Prudomme said, “… Food was probably our greatest entertainment—the most fun thing that we could do was food.” Chef Bill Beck shared, “My Mom was influenced by Julia Child and Graham Kerr, The Galloping Gourmet. She would make Coq au Vin, Quiche, Potatoes au Gratin. And, usually, but not always, on Mother’s Day we would go out to dinner, which was a real treat. The first time I had Lobster Newburg at the Milltown Inn on Long Island — it was like a bowl of heaven!”

But, how did Mother’s Day start? Mother’s Day started as an anti-war movement in 1870 by Mother’s who had lost their sons in the Civil War. Julia Ward Howe, author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, organized the Boston gathering and wrote the Mother’s Day Proclamation. (https://www.plough.com/en/topics/culture/holidays/mothers-day/the-original-mother-s-day-proclamation)

From 1870 onward Mother’s Day evolved:

• In 1907, Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, fought to have the day recognized as a National Holiday.

• President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the 2nd Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, in 1914.

• Anna Jarvis fought for the integrity of the Mother’s Day Celebration to honor our Mother’s and not to be the Holiday for fund raising or commercial profit.

• President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a stamp commemorating the holiday in 1934.

• The white Carnation was recognized as the official flower
of Mother’s Day in honor of Anna Jarvis’ mother. It was noted
that when the Carnation fades, its petals do not drop, they fold
into the center.