Food Memories

Flavor and smell are so closely tied to memories. It only takes one bite of a specific dish, and I’m transported back in time.

Sometimes food memories suddenly come to you.

Like the wafting smell of BBQ chargrill reminding me of summer at Saratoga Lake growing up.

And sometimes food memories are intentional.

I’ll remember a meal from a trip or a time in my life and I’ll recreate it to take me back there.

Earlier this month I went on a vacation jumping from Vegas, to Yosemite National Park, Napa Valley, and San Francisco. There were A LOT of memorable meals, but surprisingly the one I was craving when I returned home was from a simple breakfast at a B&B in Napa Valley.

The Maison Fleurie B&B is nestled in the hills of Yountville, CA, and it’s bursting with charm and homey comforts. Each morning breakfast is served in a French Country Kitchen. I got hooked on plain greek yogurt, sprinkled with brown sugar and topped with homemade granola.

This food memory was certainly easy to recreate. But when I took my first bite back at home, the creaminess of the yogurt, the hint of sweetness from the sugar, and the satisfying crunch of the granola took me right back to Napa. The memory churning in my mind as I scraped the last bit of yogurt out of the bowl was what really took some simple flavors to a whole new level.