Do you have a yummy dish that your mom, aunt, grandma or mother-in-law makes that you only get when your at their house? Maybe one from your grandpa, uncle or dad? You know, that special dish they make that you love? 

My Aunt Rosie used to make a lemon meringue pie when I was a kid that I absolutely adored. I remember walking into her kitchen while it was baking – the smell filling my nostrils, and my tummy feeling happy at the thought of eating it.  Patiently, I’d wait for it to come out of the oven and cool – it felt like an eternity. The long-awaited moment would come that I’d take my first bite.  The creamy lemony taste with just the right balance of sweetness and tartness would bring the taste buds alive on my tongue.  And then there was the buttery crust with the right amount of crispness that transported those amazing flavors.  Mmmm…. Even as I describe those sensations it makes me smile.

Sadly, my Aunt Rosie passed before I ever got the opportunity to cook that pie with her, but thankfully, my mom got the recipe from her before that sad day. I encourage you to take the time to capture those recipes in writing, and better yet, cook them with the person who created those delicious dishes you love!  An important thing I learned about family recipes while writing the cookbook is that how someone describes a recipe to you and how they make it are often two different things.  What we think is a teaspoon can actually be a half a teaspoon.  Watch them, when they throw a pinch of this or a handful of that into the pot, ask them to let you measure it first.  It will help you be able to recreate it just the way they made it.  Trust me – you’ll be glad you did.

Here is my Aunt Sally’s Lemon Meringue Pie recipe for you to enjoy.

Maybe there are even recipes YOU have that your kids and grand kids would really love to have?  It is a great gift to share the legacy of the foods we love.

Happy cooking, eating, laughing and loving in the kitchen!

Vicki