Home Cooked Meals: Lessons in Family History
“The art of cooking and perfecting coveted family recipes is under appreciated in these days. Decades ago, families used to cook meals together. Centuries ago, the preparation of the main meal was a daylong custom with many participants to remember the steps and ingredients, it was part of their legacy. Today, in a time of fast food and even faster lives, family recipes and key meal preparation have been pushed to the side.”*
I come from a long line of fantastic cooks. Many of my childhood memories of my grandmothers, mother and aunts are centered around food. Today, almost everyone in my family is an excellent cook (including the men). We all use family recipes that have been passed down over the generations. My family continues to savor memories through recreating our favorite family dishes at home.
To capture these treasured recipes and to document our family history, my sister and I created a family cookbook. The book contains family recipes, a family tree with pictures and a short bio of family members. It was truly a team effort with input by both the men and women across several generations. Family members submitted recipes, pictures and backstories. Our cookbook is digital and is both searchable and printable. It was so much fun to create this family recipe book. It is a gift our family continues to treasure.
Here is a sample from the cookbook. This is my Nana’s Cream Cheese and Olive recipe that we make for almost every family gathering. It brings back many wonderful memories and starts the family stories rolling.
Cooking at home is not only healthier than eating out, it is also a great way to pass along history. Creating our family cookbook was a fantastic way for us to share this history with this current generation and with generations to come.
