For as far back as I can remember, my grandmother has always made noodles for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or both holidays, if we're lucky). The noodles are made completely from scratch, hand-rolled, and hand-cut. (No fancy-pants pasta machine HERE.) The recipe isn't something that can be written down... it's a dash of this and a pinch of that... something that has to be eyeballed and felt to get it just right. For years, we've all been saying one of us "kids" should learn the secret of the noodles so that we can keep the tradition going. But each year our schedules get more hectic, the cooking lesson gets put off, and another chance slips away. And I'm afraid that one day it will be too late to learn.
This year it finally hit home. My grandma has macular degeneration, and her eyesight is quickly failing. Among other things that have been lost, she also can't really cook much anymore. So I was incredibly happy (and proud) when I learned that my brother had taken it upon himself to learn the secret of her noodles. He and his wife headed to my grandmother's house and, under her careful supervision, they were the ones to create this dish for our Thanksgiving dinner this year. My brother was incredibly nervous.
But the noodles were perfect.
And my grandmother couldn't stop smiling.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you all get the chance to celebrate with family and friends, enjoy your traditions and make some new memories. Just don't forget to take a few pictures along the way...