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The paring knife glides easily over the ripe peach, its orange and yellow skin spiraling down like autumn ribbons onto the counter. A soothing Mozart piano concerto plays in the background, the music seasoned with the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. Dipping my fingers into the pastry batter, there's a sense of continuity as I shape the soft dough into crumbles for my peach crisp.
This recipe, like so many others in my mother's tin box, is steeped in family tradition. As a child, I stood beside her at the farmer's market while she gently weighed the peaches like precious gems in her hands, checking for their ripeness. Once home, she'd peel and slice the fruit, tossing the velvety skins to me so I could snack on their sweet juiciness.
Listening to my mother hum to classical music on the radio as she cooked was the moment I felt most loved and secure, embraced by the predictability of her process.
I strive to recreate these same feelings in my own kitchen where I am the composer and director of a symphony of flavors created for my family. It's my happy place.
Cooking is a form of self-care that boosts my confidence and fulfills my need to please others.
Although my mother loved laboring over complicated recipes like Beef Wellington with Bordelaise, my palate has mellowed over time, deepening my appreciation for humble meals that feed the soul. Whether it's a simple casserole or a warm slice of pie, I feed on the satisfaction of preparing food and sharing it with others.
For this reason, dinner is my favorite hour; it's a time to gather with the family and discuss the day's events. I always feel so much love for them as they enjoy a meal I have prepared for them, that seems to comfort them, like one big hug.
The older recipes from my mother's tin box — some dating as far back as the early 1900s — confirm that my love of cooking has been passed down from generations of women in my family. Like my mother and all the mothers before her, we each found joy in the creative process and in serving appreciative families our creations.
I hope that the legacy of cooking ancestral recipes will follow with my adult children and their children. One day, a great-grandchild will take a first bite of peach crisp and taste the generations of love that went into the below recipe — the same way I did in my own mother's kitchen.
Our Family Peach Crisp
Serves 4-6
4 cups sliced peaches
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
Dash of salt
Preheat oven to 375. Pour peaches (or apples) into a deep dish pie pan. Sprinkle with orange juice. Combine dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. Scatter dough over the fruit. Bake for 45 minutes.
Mom's Beef Burgundy
Serves 6
2 pounds round steak
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons cooking sherry
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup burgundy wine
1 cup beef stock
2 sprigs parsley chopped
1 bay leaf
Dash of dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
*1 (12-ounce) package of egg noodles, cooked, to serve with the meat
Add the butter to a pot and brown the meat over medium-high heat until it's done. Take the meat out of the pot and set aside. Add onions, mushrooms, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté until tender (adding more butter if needed). Remove vegetables from the pan and set aside. Add sherry to the pan with the flour, tomato paste, and 2-3 Tbls. water. Whisk until blended, then return meat and veggies to the pan. Add burgundy wine with the beef stock and mix well. Stir in all seasonings. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hours before serving over warm noodles.
Grandma's Chicken Fricassee
Serves 4-6
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken
2-3 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chicken broth (plus enough water to cover the chicken in a deep pot)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 of a lemon (seeds removed)
Dash of dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons flour
*Cooked rice to serve with the chicken
*Optional: cranberry sauce for the side
Brown chicken in olive oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add broth and enough water to cover the chicken, then add all other ingredients except for the flour. Simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours or until onions are tender. Discard the lemon and remove the chicken from the pot. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. In a small bowl, mix flour with a little bit of water. Pour this into the pot, increase the temperature to medium, and stir until the sauce thickens. Serve over cooked rice with a side of cranberry sauce.
May this story of my family’s generational joy of cooking fire up your own memories and cause you to dig up some of your mom’s or grandma’s old recipes!
What one recipe do you love that was passed down to you by your mother and/or grandmother? Let us know in the comments below.
