I received a text from my mom recently, after she sat down for the first time to read my new book. It said, “I am enjoying this book very much! You are a fabulous writer. Bek, I think you have found your niche. You are a writer, and a good one.” She may be a little biased, but she’s always been in my corner to build me up and support my endeavors. One day when I was in culinary school, I began to not feel well. What I thought was a stomach bug turned out to be the need for an emergency gallbladder surgery. When I was released from the hospital, my mom came to our home and cooked for hours, stocking our refrigerator with delicious homemade meals like chicken pot pie and pot roast, so we would be nourished and taken care of during a stressful time. I can’t begin to count the number of times she has shared her love through food and cooking— it is how she learned to care for others from her own mother, my Grandma Dot, who raised my mom in the same way.
Likewise, I have a precious mother-in-law, Ms.Lesley, who was a great cook and baker in her own right. My husband, Kurt, loves her broccoli-cheese casserole, especially around the holidays, and the first time I ever tasted one of her homemade cakes, I knew she knew what she was doing the moment I tasted a hint of salt in the frosting.
We shared a gratifying, knowing look – an understanding of two cooks in the kitchen who had learned a few things along the way, and liked each other even more because of it. In recent years, Ms.
Lesley has been diagnosed with dementia, and though she doesn’t cook anymore, she still enjoys her sweets with a good cup of coffee.
We visit her often and take her a few of her favorite pralines.
These strong and independent women of faith – my mom, Debbie, my grandmothers, Dot and Betty (who has gone home to be with the Lord), and my sweet mother-in-law, Ms. Lesley, have all shaped who I am today and taught me so much, just by being who they are.
On this upcoming Mother’s Day, I am so grateful for their influence in my life and send them all my love. To them I say, thank you for modeling a beautiful example to respect and admire. How blessed am I that God gave me you?
Book launch
In other news, we celebrated the official launch of my new nationally released book, “Unique Eats and Eateries of Savannah,” on the last Saturday in April. The book highlights more than 80 local restaurants in the Hostess City of the South, showcasing the people and stories behind the food.
Paired with a good bottle of wine and a gift card to one of the restaurants featured, it would make a fantastic gift basket for the mom in your life. The book is available wherever books are sold.
Order yours by visiting RebekahLingenfelser.com, and I hope to see you at an upcoming book signing this summer.
Rebekah Faulk Lingenfelser is a private chef and the author of the bestselling memoir “Some Kinda Good.” Featured in Forbes, on Food Network and ABC, she writes about Southern, coastal cuisine, locally sourced and in season. Connect with her on social media by liking Some Kinda Good on Facebook, or follow @SKGFoodBlog on Instagram and Twitter.