Do big life changes ever make you think about the past? My parents recently sold the house that my brother and I grew up in and while the decision and the move definitely make sense and needed to 
happen, I can’t help but sit here and remember what it was like to grow up in the farmhouse on the lake in Holmes. Not surprisingly, as I think it’s common for many favorite memories to revolve around food or a specific meal, I am constantly brought back to the kitchen.
This is also probably not surprising but, we enjoyed a LOT of truly amazing home cooked meals growing up. Obviously, my father is a chef and a baker so that’s a given but what you may not know is that my mom also really knows her way around the stove. She is responsible for many of my all time favorite recipes and today, I’m going to share one with you.
But first, back to that kitchen. I started helping out in the kitchen at a really young age. It started with the usual suspects – cookies and other sweet treats – before I begged for the responsibility of cooking dinner for the family once a week. Man, I hope when I have kids that one of them asks to do the same one day. Or maybe I don’t because right now, the only thing I can remember is forgetting to turn the oven on while trying to cook chicken and us having to order pizza instead so we could eat before midnight. Anyway, the point is, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen growing up.
I always sat in the same spot on the counter, I always made a mess, I always taste tested everything enough to fill myself up and ruin my appetite for the finished product and I always asked for feedback. During my last visit to the house back in May, I still gravitated toward that same spot on the counter to sit (though this time it was to chat with a glass of wine in my hand and not in an effort to reach the range). And what’s really cool, is that I have photos of my nephew helping to cook the recipe that I’m about to share from that same spot too.
I know there are many more meals & recipes that I helped my parents make but this one is extra special and truly speaks to my childhood. To this day, my brother and I (and now my nephew) call this “Hot In The Middle,” but the proper name is Arena. It’s a Spanish dish that goes back more than five generations in my mom’s family. It’s essentially a sweet custard that we used to have for breakfast on a regular basis.
Ingredients:
2 cups of milk (NOT skim milk or nut milk – MILK)
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
Directions:
Mix all of the above together in a saucepan until combined and the cornstarch is dissolved. Cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly until it starts to bubble. Continue mixing until thickened. Pour onto a plate and sprinkle ground cinnamon on top.
We called it hot in the middle because you have to eat from the outside edges inward to avoid burning your tongue. Waiting for it to cool down is for chumps.
This recipe and this meal is definitely not part of the healthy meal plan that I’m currently following as a fitness coach but … it’s memory is calling my name so I just might have to make an exception. I wonder if Matt would be cool with this for dinner tonight …
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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