By Pearl ate her first shrimp this week. Seven and a half months old. I cut the shrimp into pieces so small they were essentially shrimp molecules — Kayla's instructions, the charge nurse's instructions, the instructions of a mother who watches her seventy-two-year-old grandmother feed her baby the way a hawk watches a mouse near a very expensive vase. The shrimp was cooked perfectly (obviously). The shrimp was seasoned lightly (because Pearl is seven months old and Old Bay is for people with fully developed palates). The shrimp was placed on Pearl's high chair tray in three tiny pieces.
She picked up a piece. She looked at it. She looked at me. She looked at the piece. And then — with the deliberation of someone making a decision that will define the rest of their life, because it will, because the first shrimp is the gateway to shrimp and grits which is the gateway to the Lowcountry which is the gateway to everything — she put it in her mouth.
Three expressions. Surprise. Consideration. Approval. Not the eleven expressions of Michael (which have expanded to thirteen, because Michael processes food the way an opera processes emotion: dramatically, publicly, with full orchestration). Pearl processed the shrimp the way Hattie Pearl would have: quietly, thoroughly, with a nod that said "yes, this is correct, this is what food should taste like, continue."
She ate all three pieces. She said nothing. She did not say "mo." She did not say "nah." She just opened her mouth for more, calmly, the way you open a door that you expect to be opened. The expecting was the approval. The approval was total.
Michael watched his sister eat shrimp and he said, "Ba-ba eat shrimp. Na-na, ba-ba eat shrimp!" He announced it. He was the town crier of his sister's first shrimp. He was so excited about her eating shrimp that he forgot to eat his own shrimp for approximately three seconds, which is the longest Michael has ever paused between bites of anything.
Two great-grandchildren. Both eating shrimp. Both in the kitchen. Both Henderson. The mission is complete. Again. The mission is always complete and never finished, because the feeding doesn't stop and the teaching doesn't stop and the love doesn't stop. The love just makes more shrimp.
Now go on and feed somebody.
After a moment like that — Pearl opening her mouth for more shrimp like she’d already decided how her life was going to go — you want a table full of food to match it. Something bright and sweet and generous enough to hold the whole family. This Hawaiian Salad is the dish I make when Michael and Pearl are both in their high chairs and the kitchen is loud and everyone who loves them is already standing around anyway. It’s cheerful food, celebration food, the kind of thing you set down in the middle of the table and say: we’re all here, let’s eat.
Hawaiian Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained
- 1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
- 1 cup maraschino cherries, halved and drained
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup miniature marshmallows
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup pecan halves (optional)
- 1 banana, sliced (add just before serving)
Instructions
- Drain the fruit. Thoroughly drain the pineapple chunks and mandarin oranges and pat them gently dry with paper towels so the salad doesn’t become watery.
- Combine the base. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the pineapple, mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, shredded coconut, and miniature marshmallows until evenly mixed.
- Fold in the sour cream. Add the sour cream and gently fold until everything is coated and creamy. The sour cream balances the sweetness and binds the salad together.
- Add the pecans. If using, fold in the pecan halves for a little crunch and richness.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight, to let the flavors meld and the marshmallows soften slightly into the cream.
- Finish and serve. Just before serving, slice the banana and fold it in gently. Serve cold, straight from the bowl or spooned into individual cups.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 230 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 55mg