Keeping family culinary traditions alive
What better memories than a warm kitchen belonging to a bustling grandmother holding a cookie sheet in her hand, filled with doughy blobs and melted chocolate? Or perhaps frying fish, fresh caught that afternoon and filleted by the skilled hands of a grandfather? Or those special holidays where a tattered cookbook or recipe card saw the light of day once more, only to receive another splash of oil or dash of flour over the handwriting ... but no matter, because the tradition had become so ingrained?
Who are you? Where do your people come from? How long have you been keeping traditions alive? Interestingly, America has become a place to preserve historic cooking methods and recipes.
The immigrant ancestors of today’s citizens come from a variety of homelands, having packed cherished belongings and cooking traditions in trunks and suitcases for the journey. They proceeded to teach us how to cook, one generation at a time, and we didn’t substantially alter the recipes. But those who remained in the homeland sure did.
According to “Food Timeline” by Lynne Olver, “every group of people who settled in America contributed something special from their traditional cuisine to our national ‘melting pot.’” She goes on to explain the impact of culture on American food is really a study in the original location, immigration patterns, economics and labor, adaptation and business.
Recipe for Velveeta fudge. (Photo courtesy of the Anoka County Historical Society)
In 1913 Ellis Island claimed to be the world’s largest restaurant, serving detained immigrants a variety of foods, some familiar and some more surprising, including stews, white bread and bananas. According to “Ellis Island Immigrant Cook Book,” by Tom Bernadin, these individuals could also purchase a box lunch of sausages, sandwiches and fruit to take with them on the next leg of their journey.
Some recipes, like Schupfnudel, or Fingernudel, in German culture, tell a story even before they crossed the ocean to America. This “finger noodle” or thick dumpling, originates in the southern portion of the country, as well as Austria. It’s internationally known as Italian gnocchi, yet takes on a few additional twists when it reaches the Scandinavian countries. Comprised mainly of flour and egg, finger noodles can also contain potatoes, if the vegetable had come to be grown in the region. The dough is rolled between the palms to form a snake-like shape, then fried in saltwater or oil. Again, depending on the region, these noodles may be served as part of the main course with sauerkraut or sage and butter, or as a dessert dish with poppy seeds, sugar and cinnamon. As this recipe traveled Europe, it even became part of festivals, served with fruits like apples and pears.
The collection of cookbooks held at Anoka County Historical Society preserve the type of comfort foods held dear by Anoka County residents.
Mostly comprised of church publications, other organizations like 4-H and Anoka Halloween have also published their own books. What to do with common home garden plantings like rhubarb (or pie plant) and zucchini that grow abundantly fill many pages, as do potato dishes and a variety of meat-based meals.
After WWII, when convenience foods became more available on grocery store shelves, the recipes changed to include these items. Here, suggestions for Jell-O fruit salads, Campbell’s Soup bakes, Rice Krispy bars, and even Velveeta fudge, became common.
What food traditions still live on in Anoka County? What new traditions have arrived and are making their imprint? What makes your family special? What legacy comes to you through your cookbooks and recipe cards?
This information comes from the Anoka County Historical Society’s workshop, Living Legacy: Memories that Stick to Your Ribs. You can find it and other workshops offered by Anoka County Historical Society on AnokaCountyHistory.org.
