Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I have a note on our kitchen bulletin board.

The note is the last one my mother wrote to my daughter before she died.

Mom secretly stuffed it in her lunch box on the way to day camp.  My daughter, then 6, thought enough of the note to save it and to not throw it away like any 6 year old would in the fury of scavenging for their lunch food.

So, you can imagine how my heart raced when a childhood friend posted a handwritten recipe card of Mom’s in a Facebook message to me.

The Roasted Red Pepper Dip recipe!  I remember eating it as a kid, but I couldn’t find it in the massive pile of recipes when we were cleaning out Mom’s kitchen.  Sadly, I know there are quite a few recipes I can’t find. But, seeing this for the first time in over thirty years was like excavating a long lost treasure.  Yes, it’s only a Roasted Red Pepper Dip but there are soo many memories blended within it.

I love that the recipe is written in red marker and it’s a Red Pepper Dip.  I know that wasn’t planned but sometimes I try to imagine Mom quickly jotting down the ingredients and instructions in her kitchen, as if she’s working on a new science experiment.

When I created her dip (which takes all of 4 minutes) Mom’s comforting handwriting was guiding me through the process as if she were in the kitchen right next to me, holding my hand.   I remember she served this dip with cold mini carrots and raw broccoli florets.  I also remember refusing to eat this as a child but, when I was a older, I finally gave it a try and loved it.

While I miss her desperately, and Thanksgiving is always a sharp reminder of our loss, I love knowing that Mom’s spirit lives on through her recipes that are staples in kitchens all over the country.

Yes, she will undoubtedly be celebrating with everyone this holiday season.