My mother-in-law has never been fond of cooking. Nobody starved as she raised four healthy sons, and one of her resources remains the frozen food aisle along with that old stand-by, deli sandwiches. She hails from a multi-generational line of semi-cooks. Her mother, still the life of the party at 95, can entertain like few others – pampering loved ones with platters that overflow, and offering to-go plates of leftovers for everyone. But here’s the little family secret: Many of Gramma’s recipes all sound alike:
Get in the car and drive to the deli. Thank catering department for lovely platters.
When the time arrives to provide a feast, Publix often comes to the rescue.
But despite family tradition, my mother-in-law knows the gift of sharing cooking inspiration, and among my collection of cookbooks, I maintain several recipe collections that she has given me as gifts. She knows I love these resources.
If you discover one or two recipes that work for you, cookbooks earn their keep. If the numbers rise to three or four, you’re approaching a nice return. There’s a time and place for Gramma’s recipes, but I’ll continue to challenge those cookbooks to maintain their keep on the kitchen counter.