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My mother was a fantastic cook. Raised during the Depression, she honed her cooking skills from her mother, a Swiss immigrant in a small mining town in Virginia. Her Swiss cooking was superior. What she excelled in was Hungarian cooking. She married my father, a first generation Hungarian American. They lived in a close-knit Hungarian neighborhood where the flavors of Hungary were reflected in their garden and kitchen. My grandmother took my mother under her wing and taught her to cook the Hungarian way. My most memorable dinner was her Chicken Paprika served over Hungarian spoon dumplings and accompanied by a simple cucumber and onion salad. The perfect ending for the meal was a slice of Dobes Torte, a rich Hungarian nut torte. This meal was reserved for special occasions. I worked in the kitchen with my mother to make sure that I could recreate these dishes. I am pretty good at preparing this meal. Of course, it pales in comparison to my mother's and grandmother's versions of these dishes.

The list would not be complete without the Key Lime Pie from the Blonde Giraffe in Key West. They have won their local contest for many years. A visit to the Florida Keys would not be complete without a piece of their pie!