The Gift of Food

About a week or so ago I received a gift. It wasn’t the kind of gift that one can put a price tag on, but rather, the kind that one cherishes for its symbolism. To many people it might look like a bunch of old papers. Each day I have been sifting through a good size stack of recipes that my mom had collected over her lifetime. The beauty of this kind thing is in the memories that it conjures up.

Some recipes were given to her from friends, teachers, and relatives. I found a yellow folded up paper of my mom’s original meatball recipe, which had been a gift from my grandmother. My grandmother had received it from her mother in law, who had emigrated from Naples Italy.

Other recipes were cut out from local papers and places like Yankee Magazine. These too are special recipes in that they are often accompanied by a story. I found clippings of Christmas cookie recipes, chocolate truffles, and a very yellow tiny piece of paper with a marinara sauce recipe on it.
Ultimately, I have here a bag of American recipes. Some, of Italian origin, some French and, well, some from everywhere- and I cant wait to share them with you.