Reunions Can Pass on Food Traditions
I was speaking to a group of Reunion Planners this past weekend and telling them how important it is to create a family cookbook. Most of our foods for celebrations are ethnic in origin and that means they have been passed down in our families from generation from the old country, no matter where the old country is. Some of us may be from Africa, Asia, South America or yes, Europe and all those cultures come with recipes that specific to that region. If we do not record our own families recipes those traditions will be lost. But, more importantly, the stories of our ancestors can be lost just as easily.
When I get on my soap box and talk about eating locally, I think in some ways I am channeling my ancestors that only ate locally. They did not have the grocery stores that we have today with the selections of foods from all the corners of the world. They canned what was in their summer garden and cooked those things all winter long. They had beans and potatoes stored in the cellar. They had chickens in the yard that were used sparingly. Since my family were butchers they ate more beef than most city people. The foods were local and fresh. They knew who grew the foods that they did not. They lived less complicated lives and they were green before anyone was thinking the planet was using all it resources and warming the planet. They ate green since that was the way life was then.
My family recipes have been lost over the last generation since know one asked. So whether you are planning a reunion or planning to create a cookbook for gifts that have real meaning this year, make sure that you ask the elders in your family for the recipes that they grew up on. Those family traditions can be saved for one more generation just by asking.
When I get on my soap box and talk about eating locally, I think in some ways I am channeling my ancestors that only ate locally. They did not have the grocery stores that we have today with the selections of foods from all the corners of the world. They canned what was in their summer garden and cooked those things all winter long. They had beans and potatoes stored in the cellar. They had chickens in the yard that were used sparingly. Since my family were butchers they ate more beef than most city people. The foods were local and fresh. They knew who grew the foods that they did not. They lived less complicated lives and they were green before anyone was thinking the planet was using all it resources and warming the planet. They ate green since that was the way life was then.
My family recipes have been lost over the last generation since know one asked. So whether you are planning a reunion or planning to create a cookbook for gifts that have real meaning this year, make sure that you ask the elders in your family for the recipes that they grew up on. Those family traditions can be saved for one more generation just by asking.
Posted by Hella at 10/13/2010 11:12 AM 
Categories: Holiday Gifts, Create a Family Recipe Cookbook, family traditions, writing your family cookbook
Tags: cooking traditions Holiday Gifts family recipes family reunions cookbook writing Create a Family Cookbook eat locally
Categories: Holiday Gifts, Create a Family Recipe Cookbook, family traditions, writing your family cookbook
Tags: cooking traditions Holiday Gifts family recipes family reunions cookbook writing Create a Family Cookbook eat locally
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