Butternut Squash Made by Humble Hands
As a little girl, I remember walking into my grandmother’s house every Thanksgiving and Christmas with great hunger and happiness as I would make my rounds hugging my relatives. They would comment on how much I have grown since last year. My nose was very pleased with the assortment of scents being smelled. I inhaled the scent of the tender turkey with a touch of pineapple squirted onto the dish waiting in the kitchen for me to later on consume. I could smell the sweet aroma of cranberry sauce mixed with the rich scent of stuffing my aunt would prepare every holiday season. These foods, however, were not the dishes that I was most excited to eat. The scents led me to reach my grandmother as I would look into her bright-blue, squinted-from- grinning-eyes and make sure to fit one question into our conversation: “you made the squash this year right?” She would always reply with “of course, sweetie”, and return to preparing the ginormous meal for the entire family. My grandmother is as humble a woman as her homemade butternut squash is delicious a dish.
The ingredients to prepare the dish of my grandmother’s famous butternut squash consist of squash, butter, brown sugar, salt, and a touch of honey. All of these ingredients together total to about five dollars, which is very inexpensive for such a delicious dish. My grandmother would cut the squash on a cutting board into little squares while waiting for the water in a pot on the stove to come to come to a boil. She boils the squash until it is soft and ready to be mashed. This usually takes about 10-20 minutes. She would then go on to removing the squash squares from the pot and put them into a large bowl. Mixing the squash squares with butter, brown sugar, honey, and salt came next. The amounts of these products my grandmother would add really depended on how the consumer of the dish enjoys it. Once the squash was mashed to it’s full potential, she spooned it into a serving dish and watched the eyes of the consumers light up once they take their first bite.
The moist, orange, dish tastes and smells like a dream. The texture feels as though you are biting into something that’s not there, and then you taste it’s excellence and the flavor shoots through your tastebuds instantly. The brown sugar really adds a lot to the recipe. Adding something sweet to a vegetable is something people don’t usually think of doing, but it opens up a new dimension of flavor. Sweet and salty flavors together are like peanut butter and jelly; they are meant to be. The smell is definitely something pleasurable. It’s very inviting. The smell reminds me of being warm by the fire in the cooler winter months. This smell makes me feel safe.
My grandmother’s relationship with the dish is heartfelt. Her mother used to make it for her and her family every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone in our family has always loved the taste of mashed squash. Adding the brown sugar has been a new edition to the recipe for my grandmother. She started doing this within the last decade or so. When asked to explain her relationship with the dish, my grandmother said, “I love making squash for the family because I feel this closeness with my mother, and I know she would be proud I’m spreading along the tradition to my children and grandchildren.” This quote definitely meant a lot when I heard it being said by my grandmother. It also has an affect on the way I view and value my family. It made me feel a closeness to my grandmother, kind of like she was explaining how she felt a connection with her mother, even though she is passed away. This dish will continue to be a hit in my family, and every time I consume it’s deliciousness, I will smile and think of my grandmother, even when she is gone.
When asked to explain why she thinks I like the dish so much when being interviewed, my grandmother replied with: “She always has seconds… and sometimes even thirds.” This is very true. I have honestly probably even taken fourths. A lot of people might think it’s strange for a little child to love the taste of squash, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love it. That is not unusual in my family, however. Everyone loves squash and there certainly are never any complaints. “I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite dish, however, it’s definitely up there.” Although it’s not her favorite dish in general, she continues to make it every Thanksgiving and Christmas because she is a very humble woman and cares for her whole family more than she cares for herself. I admire to be like this and look up to her very much. “I always loved how you girls would always ask for more, it made me feel like a good cook,” referencing my sister and I. I’m glad I could make her feel good since she provides for her whole family and makes everyone around her feel good.
As my sister and I entered adolescence, we became more quiet and less appreciative of a beautifully prepared dinner. This was very unfortunate and if I could go back I would change my typical teenage hostile-attitude and become more vocal about how much I really did appreciate all the effort put into Thanksgiving dinner. Although my attitude had changed during my early teenage years, I would continue to take seconds of this squash dish. Sometimes it would be the only dish I would take seconds of. That’s how you know I really loved the dish, despite my typical “I don’t care” adolescent attitude.
During every Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, the seating arrangements are identical. My grandfather always has the furthest head of the table when walking into the kitchen from the living room. My uncle has the other head of the table. My grandmother, mother and sister sit in between my uncle and grandmother on one side, while my aunt, my other uncle and her husband, and I fill up the other side of the table. When the food is finally prepared, everyone sits in their seats except for one person: my grandmother. She tends to everyone’s needs like a mother bird feeds her children. She prepares and sets all the dishes on the table, all while fake-laughing at my grandfathers “hilarious” jokes. This is a very impressive and worthy task to accomplish, especially since my grandfather’s jokes are as corny as it gets.
I will never understand how this woman does it all. She has always been an amazing artist and musician. She raised all three of her children to be highly-respected people. She has maintained a marriage for over fifty years and loves my grandfather very deeply. She was the main reason how my mother got through her divorce with my father. She was there for all my sister’s and I’s sporting events, recitals, and after-school activities. She was there for us when my mother was at work and when we needed her most. She was there for me when I simply just needed someone to talk to. As you can see, there is a much deeper meaning to why I enjoy her homemade butternut squash so very much. The dish allows me to be close to her. And when her time comes to pass away, I will always have her homemade butternut squash as something of her to hold on to.
