Recipes Information

My Grandmothers Heritage Recipe


The whole thing started when my sister-in-law called to say that she needed a special dessert for her Mother's 75th birthday party. "Don't you have a family recipe that would be meaningful as well as delicious."

"No, not really," I said as my mind went blank because my Mother and my Grandmothers weren't great cooks. Then I remembered the Ice Cream for Special Occasions, as Gran used to call it. It had been handed down to her from her mother and we all loved it.

As I began to think about family recipes, I realized that I actually had a story to go with the recipe. Then I remembered the box of old photos. I had a recipe and a story and a photo of my great grandmother.

Over the next few days I began to count up the family recipes - it seemed we had a whole book full of memories because each recipe had a person and their story attached to it.

Here is the recipe that started it all. You can savor a big bowl of it while you are searching out your own family's memories.

BROWN BREAD ICE CREAM

1 1/4 cups of bread crumbs,
1 tbsp of very good vanilla,
1/2 cup of whipping cream,
4 egg yolks,
1/8 cup of brandy,
2 tbsp of sugar,
1 1/2 cups of whole milk.

Beat together the egg yolks and sugar and cook gently in a double boiler, stirring all the time until it thickens slightly. Then add the brandy. Let it cool. Whip the cream and fold it into the cooled mixture. Chill.

Crisp the bread crumbs, sprinkled with sugar, in the oven for 15 minutes. Mix together with the custard and put into an ice cream maker or freeze in the freezer,taking out every 1/2 hour to stir to break up the cristals until totally frozen.

Put the mixture into a pretty dish and serve.
Servings: 4

THE STORY

This is an Victorian recipe that my grandmother used to make. She was originally from Cape Town, South Africa where her father was the owner of a bookstore. She was the oldest of six children who went to England every summer and played cards all the way up and back on the ship. When she was 15 her father died.

Her mother emigrated to Canada with the children where they settled in Vancouver. In her early 20's my grandmother eloped to marry a tall handsome Irishman who joined the Western Irish and who was later was wounded at Vimy (WW1). Not believing that anyone could take proper care of her husband she got herself across Canada and on to a troop ship (which was practically unheard of) and arrived in England where he was in hospital. She brought him home where he died of his wound two years later.

This tiny determined woman brought up her son (my dad) trying to keep him "in line" all the while adoring him and watching him proudly move ahead in life. When he went to Toronto and married she reluctantly "came East" to be with her grandchildren, leaving behind the mountains of Vancouver for the flat landscape of Ontario.

When I was in grade school she and I had lunch together twice a week and as I remember those lunches - she loved to play cards and didn't much like to cook, but she did have a few special recipes: curry from The Cape, Jell-o in contrasting colours and this ice cream recipe.

Susan Love, a former teacher and fundraiser, wanted to create something that would help people reconnect. Her new website, http://www.HeritageCookbook.com provides a tool for making a family cookbook with pictures and stories and recipes.

The site is recommended by Oprah Magazine.

Love feels that 21st century life connects us in all sorts of quick and easy ways, but nothing is left once you put down the cell phone or turn off the computer. Generations from now, there won't be stacks of letters in old boxes. There won't be anything to remind us how we cared about each other.

By creating a family cookbook with stories and recipes and especially with pictures to tie the memories all together, we actually have something meaningful to pass on to future generations.


MORE RESOURCES:

New York Times

Recipes for Health Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup
New York Times, United States - 19 hours ago
This series offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. Produce, seasonal and locally grown when possible, ...
The Diet Detective Gobble up a healthier Thanksgiving feast Seattle Times
all 4 news articles


Crispy Gamer

Cooking Mama Responds to PETA by Highlighting Vegetarian Offerings ...
MarketWatch - Nov 19, 2008
Mama wants people to know that World Kitchen includes 51 recipes from around the world, ranging from vegetarian fare like miso soup and rice cakes to ...
Majesco Responds to PETA's Cooking Mama Parody Wired News
Majesco Responds To PETA On Cooking Mama Criticism Gamasutra
Majesco reponds to PETA Cooking Mama criticism gamesdog.co.uk
DailyTech - CVG Online
all 106 news articles


Food families share their holiday recipes
Arizona Republic, AZ - 4 hours ago
Not to be left out, Amy, the baker in the family, has spent summers at the company, developing recipes for Guittard products. Amy has great faith that her ...


Garten likes her recipes to be simply well-made
Kentucky.com, KY - 21 hours ago
"What I need from a recipe is pretty simple: I want an easy recipe that I can hopefully make in advance, and when friends arrive, I want the house to smell ...
'I love cooking for people I love' Minneapolis Star Tribune
Barefoot Contessa, with cookbook No. 6 out, champions the basics Philadelphia Daily News
Just Another Day at The (Gorgeous) Office Washington Post
all 7 news articles


Friends & Neighbors: Burson cooking up winning recipes
The Daily Citizen, GA - 14 hours ago
Burson concocted a recipe that night and cooked it the next day, proclaiming it great. However, the event proved not to be without its share of scares. ...


RECIPES: Wendy's Thanksgiving meal recipes
Kentucky.com, KY - 15 hours ago
Recipes for the food that contributing columnist Wendy Miller will serve at her Thanksgiving meal. Place nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake about 10 ...


Stuffing or Dressing? By Either Name, 48% of Survey Respondents ...
MarketWatch - 14 hours ago
To help prepare either stuffing or dressing, Allrecipes.com, the world's Number One food site, offers this year's most popular recipes based on page views ...


Nashville City Paper

City’s top chefs give inspired recipes, you give thanks
Nashville City Paper, TN - 6 hours ago
To salute their ingenuity this holiday season, The City Paper peaked into the home kitchens of some of the these top chefs to discover the recipes that you ...


Harrisonburg Daily News Record

Recipes for Health Sweet Potato Puree With Apples
New York Times, United States - Nov 19, 2008
This series offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. Produce, seasonal and locally grown when possible, ...
Slow And Easy Turkey Day Harrisonburg Daily News Record
Fix it and forget it St. Joseph News-Press
all 5 news articles


The Spokesman Review

Try these Thanksgiving recipes
Hartford Courant, United States - Nov 19, 2008
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, making sure to arrange oven racks so the turkey will fit into the oven. Place a sauce pan of water on the stove and bring ...
Need help? Hot lines offer answers, tips 2TheAdvocate
Hot lines to holiday help Chicago Tribune
Turkey hotlines awaiting your call The Spokesman Review
MarketWatch
all 12 news articles

Recipes - Google News

home | site map
© 2006