I started a new project yesterday, a family cookbook! This will include as many of my grandmother’s, my great-grandmother’s, my mom’s and the rest of my whole families recipes or at least as many of them as I can get!
I really wanted to pay tribute to the amazing legacy of cooking that has been passed down in my family over the generations. Since my mom passed away this has become increasingly important. Especially since the first holiday hit after my mother’s sudden passing and I had to figure out how to make the things she’s always made. I panicked at Thanksgiving when I had to make “The Dressing”! This was a closely guarded secret that always just showed up and made its entrance at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I never, ever saw it made; whether it was my grandmother making it, or my mom. Funny thing is, my cousins all say the same thing, they’ve never seen it made either!
After my grandmother passed away a few years ago, my mom spent a lot of time trying to recreate recipes that her mom made. Now I’m doing the same thing. But, I’ve managed to find a good bit of them handwritten and stuffed in cookbooks or already printed in church cookbooks. But some will have to be trial and error.
My hope for this is that we’ll have something to capture those memories with and that can be passed down for generations. We’re including stories and memories with the recipes that will become a treasure trove. Also, the fun part will be making the dishes, taking pics and taste testing! Yum!
It’s bitter-sweet and I’m sure there will be lots of tears and laughs as we go through it all, but I can’t imagine a better legacy to pass down.
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