Todd Erickson with his mom, Julie Erickson, and grandmother, Lois Wallman.

Chefs must be strong enough to do back-breaking on-your-feet labor for upwards of 12 hours a day. They play with knives and fire. And yet, they must also tap into their sensitive and creative side, working with the most delicate ingredients, using all their senses to perfect a dish.

What, on earth, would set a person on course for such a challenging career when they could do something easy like brain surgery or nuclear engineering? We asked several chefs and most agreed that the impetus for their obsession with creating beautiful food was watching (and helping) their mothers, aunts, and grandmothers in the kitchen.

In honor of Mother's Day, we asked some of Miami's most-loved chefs to share with us their favorite memory of their moms in the kitchen. We hope you enjoy them.

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Via Cao Chocolates on Facebook

If there's anyone you're indebted to (besides Sallie Mae), it's the woman who brought you into this world - the naked, gasping, screaming little seven-pound thing you once were. And birthing was the easy part. After that came the terrible twos, the schoolyard fights, puberty.

Mother's Day is payback time. Instead of scoring her some cheesy flowers or a musical Hallmark card, surprise her with a thoughtful, locally-made edible goodie. We've rounded up a selection of products from local purveyors - one of which is sure to make your mom happy she endured pregnancy-induced heartburn and 3 a.m. karate kicks for nine months to give you life.

See also:
- Best Mother's Day Brunch Deals in Miami
- Mother's Day 2012: The Ten Worst Moms in the History of Ever

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Courtesy Serendipity 3

You owe mom a cocktail and a nice meal.

Your mother birthed you, fed you, clothed you, and defended you from the bully down the street. She put Bactine on your skinned knees and nursed you through your first heartbreak. Her thankless job included getting up early to wake your lazy butt for school, loaning you money when you spent your rent on videogames and beer, and pretending to be happy when you turned down the medical school scholarship to work as a production intern on an all-nude comedic version of The Towering Inferno.

Sunday is payback time. So go buy the roses, spring for a nice gift, and take Mom out for a killer brunch complete with lots of mimosas. Here are the best options in Miami. Please note most prices exclude tax and gratuity, and reservations are strongly recommended.

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Every edible item has its day of celebration: popcorn, burritos, even Fig Newtons (January 16, in case you were wondering). But some foods are so special, so memorable, so irresistible they get a whole month of commemoration. Grilled cheese is one such food. And April is its month.

After all, who doesn't love cheese paired with bread? It's an eternally irresistible combination with almost endless incarnations. And luckily for the grilled-cheese lovers of Miami, there are plenty of good ones to choose from. Here are five that are worthy of your rapt attention.

See also:
- Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Angelina's Coffee & Yogurt

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Serendipity3

Drink in the festivities.

Easter. For some, the day means waking up before dawn to attend sunrise church services with family.

For others, it means an egg hunt with the kids, a parade with silly hats, or the celebration of spring.

Whatever the day means, it usually also comes with brunch, a large midday meal filled with buffets, food, and sweets. Some of the best restaurants in Miami are offering feasts featuring treats for everyone -- and lots of mimosas.

Prices listed generally do not include gratuity and taxes, and reservations are strongly suggested.

Read also:
- Zombie Peeps for Easter: Make Bloom's Walking Peep Cocktail
- What to Put in an Adult Easter Basket

From cocktail brunches for the grownups to waffles made by the Easter Bunny, here are our favorite Easter brunches in Miami:

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While the excitement of an early morning Easter basket hunt is generally considered kid's domain, Easter Sunday is actually much more momentous for adults. After all, it marks the end of 40 painful days and nights of Lenten sacrifice.

And hell, even if you leave all the religious jazz out of the equation, who wouldn't want a swag-stuffed Easter basket awaiting them on Sunday morning? So, for the adults in your life, here's what you can stuff into a plastic carryall in place of Cadbury eggs, stuffed bunnies and neon grass.

See also:
- Zombie Peeps For Easter: Make Bloom's Walking Peep Cocktail

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All photos by Laine Doss

The Walking Peep -- zombies for Easter.

When we issued a challenge to Bloom's mixologist to make us a cocktail using Peeps for Easter, we thought about a sweet martini -- maybe in candy colors to represent jellybeans or something.

What we got was nothing short of brilliant (and more than a little disturbing). Here's how it played out:

See also:
- Make Your Own Peeps: A How-To Demo by Tudor House's Jamie DeRosa
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Chibeer.Wkilia.com

Try a different beer for St. Paddy's Day.

St. Patrick's Day revelers are taking advantage of the holiday falling on a Sunday by celebrating early at "St. Practice Day" parties throughout Miami.

That means most well-meaning bars will serve that St. Paddy's trifecta: Guinness, Harp, and green beer, beginning today. But there are so many other fantastic brews to drink. Some are made in Ireland; some are special editions in honor of the occasion.

Either way, when you've graduated from the green beer (and seriously, no one outside of a frat house should be drinking that) and want a change from Guinness, here are five solid choices. Plus you can drink them at home for a lot less money.

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Wikimedia Commons

The sign says it all!

Though St. Patrick's Day is not a legal holiday in the United States, it might as well be. After all, everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day, and there are few professions that allow for drinking a beer and working at the same time.

Luckily, the holiday, celebrated March 17 in honor of Saint Patrick, the most recognized patron saint of Ireland, falls on a Sunday this year, which means there are a host of celebrations all weekend.

Whether you like green pancakes, corned-beef tacos, or boatloads of Guinness, break out the green and celebrate! 'Sláinte!'

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steakandblowjob.com

It's OK to skip main course and go straight to dessert.

OK, men -- you earned your gold star on Valentine's Day by taking us to a surf-and-turf dinner that cost five times what you would have paid the day before or after.

Now, just a measly month later, it's time for us to, apparently, return the favor on Steak and BJ Day.

Yes, Steak and BJ Day.

True, Hallmark hasn't acknowledged it (yet), and you still have to go to work (which is probably why they call it a "job"), but this is a real holiday.

Not one but two websites plus a Facebook page celebrate the occasion, and it's in Urban Dictionary.

That makes the holiday legit. You have to believe everything you read on the Internet. Plus, Steak and BJ Day has its own merchandise, just in case the steak and BJ aren't enough and you want to give a souvenir T-shirt or a mug to take to the office.

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