And even though I didn't agree with her then, I knew she understood how much I had suffered during the evening's dinner. It wasn't until many years later - long after I had gotten over my crush on Robert - that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the true purpose behind our particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen all my favorite foods. —“Fish Cheeks,” Amy Tan Why does Amy’s mother cook all her favorite foods even though she knows it will embarrass Amy? She wants Amy to remember who she is and her culture. She wants to keep Amy away from Robert. She wants Robert’s family to come back more often. She wants Amy to pretend that she does not like all her favorite foods.