The comfort of home cooking

What is home cooking, exactly? It seems fairly self-explanatory: cooking done at home. However upon closer analysis, all sorts of other connotations arise. When someone thinks of home cooking, they might think of their mom and grandma, or these days, their dad! Home cooking brings up fond memories of holidays, birthdays, summer barbeques and blustery November evenings. It means so many things, because the term itself is loaded with emotion. Likely this is because of its connection to the home and subsequently our childhood (hopefully simpler times). Memories of the way grandma's house always smelled of baking (or sauerkraut!) and of gathering for Christmas dinner are all inextricably connected to the term home cooking. Home cooking is comfort, security and simpler times. Home cooking heals us when we are sick, comforts us in times of sorrow and brings us together in times of celebration. The great chefs of the world have their place to be sure, but even they began in their mom's kitchen, in simpler times, with the comfort and joy of home cooking.