After putting one of grandma’s first recipes out in the world, I started day dreaming about making it with flavors that spoke to my Indian heritage. Cashews, ginger and coconut came to mind. I combined these flavors and below is that recipe. Yields Approximately 32 cookies Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit Ingredients 1…
My Favorite Pizza All Grown Up
It is a very nerve racking thing for me to make a pizza. I have an Italian sister in-law and I want to do right by her. Growing up my mother wanted to experience American things and eat American food. Pizza, pancakes, round cookies, all felt American to her as a child. To please her…
Tea ň Coffee Conversations: An Ode to Small Cozy Kitchens and Big Delicious Meals
Every time I sit down to write the opening paragraph for this essay it sounds snarky. I sound like I hate fancy kitchens. I’ve just never had a need for “Chef’s/Cook’s Home Kitchens”, even though I went to Culinary School and even though I worked as a chef in my twenties. I love cozy small…
Creamy Brnydza and Sour Cream Cucumber Salad
There are many different variations to this dish. After publishing my Cold Cucumber and Sour Cream Salad, I had many discussions with friends and family on the recollections of this dish. One ingredient that I have access to now is Bryndza, a creamy sheep’s milk cheese that adds a wonderful texture to the simple dressing….
Midwestern Style Creamy Potato Salad
At a family reunion earlier this summer we discussed different variations of potato salad. While I enjoy a chunky larger cut potato salad there are people in my family that prefer a creamier version with hard boiled eggs. Some of you might think of this as grocery or picnic style potato salad, I call it…
Blood Orange Sponge Cake with Orange Marmalade Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting
My recipe inheritance has a bounty of sponge cake recipes. This one jumped out, because of its use of egg whites. I made some adjustments to modernize it for my birthday celebration. Recipe testing is even more fun with a purpose. By celebration, I mean my husband and I ate all of this cake, P-A-R-T-Y….
Knedle Peach Potato Dumplings
It has to be said, fruit dumplings are okay to have for dinner. I grew up with this dish. You can probably imagine that dinnertime was not really that stressful in my family, when you’re serving fruit for dinner to kids. My grandma made cooking look easy and fun, so eating and clean-up became fun…
Cold Cucumber and Sour Cream Salad
With just three ingredients this is one of the easiest recipes and one of the first recipes I was allowed to make for dinner. Happy to help when Grandma would ask, I took the preparation of this recipe very seriously. It’s a dish that taught me the value of tasting my food while preparing it…
Tea ň Coffee Conversations: Not an Open Book, Incomplete Recipes from Grandma
On my morning dog walk, a grandfather confessed to me that his young grandkids won’t have clear memories of him when he’s gone. Heavy thoughts to get hit with while walking three dogs. Since I’m that person that says hello instead of wearing headphones, these types of conversations happen. I told him he was wrong…
Grandma’s Slightly Sweet, Perfect Nut-Roll Recipe
This is one of the recipes Grandma Anna was known for all over Gary, Indiana. Which I know doesn’t sound like much, but that was her community and it mattered to her. Because of that she kept it close to the apron. If pressed, grandma might have given up some loose notes for the dough…