I believe that my cultural background has a lot to do with the way that I am today. You probably don't believe that I have much of a cultural background, but it is true. The most important influence on my childhood and even my adult life has been from the paternal side of my family. My great-grandfather first arrived into the United States of America in the early 1900's on a ship from Greece. The first place that he stopped was in Savannah, Georgia and that is where he made his home. He came from a large family, as most Greeks do, and he quickly started a bakery on River Street in Savannah with several of his brothers. Greeks can make the best pastries in the world, if you have had Baklava you know, and his business began to take off. He met my great-grandmother, neither of which could speak more than a few words of broken English, and the rest history.
My grandmother is the fourth child of six, and food was never taken lightly in her household, nor is it in mine. Greeks hold food in a very dear place in their heart, and this, I think, has been the most obvious influence that has been "brought to the table" from my family. Sunday dinner is an important meal with all Greek families, and my grandmother always told me that the best times of her childhood were spent at the dinner table. Her father used to sit down on Sunday afternoon and proclaim, "There is nothing that makes me happier than to sit at the dinner table on Sunday with my children". .
My grandmother learned all of her cooking methods from her mother, all of which she has passed on to me. The Greeks like to use a lot of oregano, kind of similar to the Italians, and lots of olive oil. Olive oil was one of the biggest sources of income for most families in Greece, and it was always good to support your family back home. The Greeks also use a lot of cabbage, cheese and pretty much another other green leafy vegetable under the sun.
