I saw a Facebook post tonight that reminded me of my childhood. It’s funny how certain foods take me right back to our kitchen on Batchelder Street, sitting around the table in a room surrounded by shiny wallpaper which was covered floor to ceiling with huge orange and yellow flowers. (I know my mother did not come up with that décor on her own. How many of you will share your stories of similar themed decorations?)

But I digress. Back to the food. The Facebook post was a photo of a plate of pasta with a load of ketchup right in the middle. An absolute delicacy growing up, only enhanced by mixing in some soft cream cheese. I have to admit that looking back now, the combination does kind of turn my stomach but it was a household staple at the time.

Another household staple was my mother’s famous (or infamous) spaghetti soup. Here is the recipe. Don’t worry, it's easy. Make a pot of pasta, throw out the pasta and save the water. Add butter, salt and pepper and Voila! Spaghetti Soup! For extra interest, leave in just a few strands of spaghetti Again, I have to admit that looking back now, it does seem a little odd, but we loved it.

On a less weird note, I can still taste a Charlotte Russe from my grandparents favorite bakery, Shlukers, across the street from their Brooklyn apartment building. If you don’t know this particular delicacy, it was sort of like a cake popsicle (remember popsicles?). Think thin slice of pound cake topped with whipped cream that would magically appear as you slowly pushed up on the cardboard from the bottom. Sleeping at my grandparents apartment for a weekend always included a walk to Shlukers.

Sometimes I wonder what delicacies my children will tell theirs about a few years from now.

What foods brings you back to your childhood?