Birthdays. Always my favorite time of year. And it's not just because I get a ridiculous amount of attention from everyone I see, not to mention the presents and money; no it's mostly because it's the one time of year where my mom will make delicious food just for me. This year was no different. What was the menu you might ask? I'll tell you. This year, I had a delicious spinach salad with tomatoes, sunflower seeds, an olive oil and vinegar dressing, and little bits of feta cheese. Mmm... so much better than the DUC. The spinach was crisp and a beautiful green. The tomatoes were juicy and sweet. The sunflower seeds added a perfect, salt hint of nutty flavor.
Then there was the chicken. A nice lean cut chicken cooked on
a frying pan with a white-wine vinegar and salty green capers. Now I'm not a big meat-eater, but this chicken wasn't too chewy or dry; it was deliciously flavorful and together with the salad? Absolutely heavenly.
Then came my favorite part of the menu. My mom's special rice salad. It's a delicious blend of brown rice, garbanzo beans, onions, feta cheese, and garlic. This is a specialty of my mom's, and I always take the opportunity to suggest it. My mom adds extra garlic to make it especially yummy. The brown rice balances out the strong cheese flavor and the oniony twist. The beans give it a bit of a chew, and the onions add a nice crunch.
For dessert, we had my mom's famous Coca-Cola cake; the cake the shows up at every family birthday. It's not quite chocolate, although the appearance gives the viewer that false impression. The icing and cake batter have Coca-Cola mixed in them to change it from just your ordinary chocolate taste. The icing is sweet and melts in your mouth, and it complements the soft, rich flavor of the cake. My mom added some sprinkles to the top, too, to make the cake look a bit more festive.
Oh birthday... I can't wait for to come around again next year. Not for the presents or the happy birthday wishes; simply for the mouthwatering food that's made just for me.
