May 9 - Mother's day special

Mother's day dinner is something I look forward to, a day when I invariably know at the back of my head that I will have dinner made for me, even if it is just a one pot bowl of rice, served up with a dollop of Labneh, and its precisely the simplicity and uncomplicated nature of the meal that I love. Some of my most precious culinary memories involve a dish called 'Barilla rice' Store bought generic Pasta sauce, primped up with Indian spices and folded into cooked rice. a dish that my 'G' used to survive on in Grad school.
This years rice was fresh shredded seasonal  mangoes sauteed with curry leaves and a generous addition of canned garbanzos & frozen peas. To some it may seem bland, but you have to sample the inherent flavors that emanate from the dish to truly appreciate it, and yes the unspoken component, the affection, care and love that went into making it by someone who practically lives out of a suitcase for months at a time thanks to his job.
 Happy Mother's day.