Maybe it’s just me but a lot of my memories involve food. This time of year, this almost-autumn-not-quite-summer, always takes me back to Michigan where I grew up. Michigan flip-flops with New York as the #2 apple-producing state in the country. Meaning that cider mills across my home state are springing into action right about now.
We had a cider mill near the town where I grew up. On sunny autumn days we’d dangle our feet in the stream and watch the giant mill wheel go around and around until the bees clamoring for squashed apples chased us away. This year the mill celebrates it’s 176th year in business. That’s a long time to be making cider. My father used to live down the street from this very same cider mill and he’d ride his bike over almost every day during the fall.
I like cider just fine but my favorite thing about the mill was the fresh donuts, dripping and hot from the fryer and handed out in paper bags. I’m quite partial to anything deep-fried but I’m telling you, those donuts were out of this world. Each year I try to recreate the recipe, partially because they tasted so good, but also hoping to harness a little sliver of my past. So far my recipe re-creations have been one big FAIL. I’ve even resorted to calling the cider mill and saying ridiculous things like, “I’m planning on stopping by the cider mill this afternoon, but I’m allergic to cinnamon, so I just wanted to know if your donuts have any.” (I am not allergic to cinnamon, I’m just trying to narrow down the list of ingredients.) The cider mill employees are annoyingly tight-lipped.
It appears, sadly, that the cider mill donuts will stay in my memories, along with dozens of others foods, some delicious, some not (like the time we were at a fancy dinner and I tasted a pickled artichoke heart for the first time. It was a bit overwhelming for my unsophisticated palate and I threw up at the table.)
So is it just me or do you have favorite food memories too?
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