Food tips I learned from my grandfathers

(post, Kim Carlson)
primary-image, l
I was lucky to grow up with four grandfathers (such is the modern family). 

The Italian one moved to our town when I was 13; he once he taught me to make meatballs in sauce, like his mother did, and they were delicious.

Another I rarely saw, but he had a fancy car. 

The third and fourth were ever-present, and I have many memories of sitting in their kitchens, eating, my grandmothers fussing over our lunch. 

And each of these grandfathers taught me one thing about food, which can be summarized thusly: Sugar on fruit.

My Grandpa L. loved grapefruit, and ate half of one every day whenever it was available at the market (which, due to the transportation-food system, was just about always). And he never failed to sprinkle each half with sugar. Which, of course, I did until I was an adult and realized that I liked the sour juice, sans sweetener.

Grandpa C., on the other hand, had to be coaxed to eat a tomato. The only way he would do it, was by first sprinkling the fat slices with sugar. Which I also did for at least several years.

What about you: What do, or did you, sprinkle sugar on? Toast? Rice? Cooked carrots?