Multi-Generational Cooking

When I was a teenager/younger woman, my mom tried.  She really did.  She sat me down and showed me how to make all of my favorite dishes, the family classics, recipes that had been passed down from relatives long since cooking in the Big Kitchen in the Sky (and these days, feeding my dad well, no doubt).

She demonstrated how to make a well in the flour mixture for the eggs, for her Pizza Rustica recipe (a Carnivore favorite) and others. She took me step-by-step through her homemade tomato sauce, guaranteed to fill the home with its earthy aroma as it simmered.  She showed me how to make meatballs, rice balls, and the fried dough we call crispelle.  I sat, I listened, I watched.  Sometimes she commanded me to perform one of the steps and I dutifully obeyed. Or, I observed, a third wheel, as my mom and dad teamed up to make lasagna (he was really good at mixing up the ricotta filling).

But today, I still cannot get these recipes right, even if I follow them word for word or call my mom for guidance.  Have you heard of Howard Gardner's theory about multiple intelligences?  Cooking is not one of my intelligences.  It doesn't come naturally to me, as it has for so many of my relatives, including my mom.  I love cooking, especially when something comes out GREAT and when my boys really, really like it. Even if it doesn't turn out perfectly or everyone rejects it, I enjoy the means to the end.  But I am fairly certain I'll never attain the level of comfort in my kitchen experienced by countless other chefs in my family (seriously, these people can COOK).

But all is not lost.  We had two sons.  And as they grow and become more interested in helping out in the kitchen,  there's still the chance that our family recipes will live on, recreated by their hands.

They love making pizza with Nana.

Nana tosses it up...

So the Littler One tries too...

I know my mom will teach the boys how to make the Italian food I grew up on and they're lucky to have a grammy who will show them how to make the foods that the Carnivore has always loved.  On a recent trip to Massachusetts, my mom even tested out a new recipe with the Bigger One.  She wanted to make Rachel Ray's Calzone Rolls with Salami, Tomato, and Basil.  The Bigger One was more than willing to serve as sous chef.

Scooping out the insides of the rolls...practicing fine motor skills without even knowing it!

Eating salami while he stirs the ricotta mixture

Eating salami while Nana stirs the ricotta mixture

Filling the scooped-out rolls with ricotta mixture

Putting the caps back on

The finished product...next to a box of Dunkin' donuts munchkins from my cousin!

For me, adventures in eating with my family are all about fun and learning and time spent together.  Meanwhile, I'll rely on the talented chefs in the family to ensure our favorite recipes are passed on correctly to my Little Ones!

What are your favorite family recipes and will you pass them onto your little ones?  

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