Food & Drink connects us in so many great ways. Recipes handed down or family favorite foods, dishes that must always be served at certain holidays or gatherings, family picnics, these all fill our memories with aromas and tastes immediately connected to someone. With my Mom being half Italian, you would think that we had many great family recipes, but sadly we don't. The only Italian recipe I have that I can call a family recipe is the one my grandfather taught me just after I was married. One day he visited and brought a large pot, and his ingredients for his spaghetti sauce and meatballs recipe. We made it together and have had it countless times since. Almost 50 years later, I still have the pot and still make his recipe in it. My grandfather was a widower most of his life and working full time would not have had the time to be in the kitchen alot. His recipe uses canned tomato products, but only takes about 2 hours of simmering to be ready to eat. My daughter now makes it also.
Some of the comfort foods that I cook came from my mother in law. Things like Creamed Dried Beef and Creamed Turkey. They don't look like much but they are delicious on toast!
My mother in law was great for ways to use leftovers. One we like uses the leftover gravy and meat from a beef roast, adds some onion and that goes on toast as well. She also shared her mother's cookie recipes that we use at Christmas. Michigan Rocks and Molasses cookies.
My dad's mom was a good cook also. But I think the recipes that I connect to her the most were her Jello based salads and Sandtart cookies. Sandtart cookies at Christmas that I still can't get just right. And a different Jello salad every time we visited.
I use my Mom's Mac & Cheese recipe which some of my grandkids request over that famous box product.
One last recipe that is now a family tradition is Date Nut Bread. I'm not sure exactly how it came to be but I think my grandmother got it from one of her daughters. Grandma made it and then my Mom made it and I make it as well as my daughter. It is also a Christmas recipe. It has also become a favorite among some of my husband's family. The recipe has walnuts in it which had to be eliminated due to some food allergies among a few family members inn recent years but it is still a requested food among us. Slice it up and some eat it plain or some like it with cream cheese spread on it. Not the greatest photo but here it is.
I am fortunate to have copies of many of our family's recipes and some cookbooks and recipe pamphlets that we all used to save. It's more of a collection for me as I am not known for my cooking! But these recipes provide a continuity and familiarity that we all need from time to time.
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