This is "The Book"
This is a book that my Mother kept in her pantry, rubber band included even though this is a new one. I remember looking through it once or twice as a kid. She tucked in recipes cut out of the paper and it even has two cuttings of her hair from when she was 24 and 25; a very pretty reddish auburn color.
"The Book" has no spine, hence the rubber band. It originally was a Warne's Calendar of Medical History, 1934-35. My birthday was on a Wednesday in 1935. It has pictures of different medical facilities around the world as well as famous doctors from days gone by. So what made "The Book" so intriguing to me as a child? I'm not sure. I remember seeing it in the pantry and wondering what was in it, but don't remember looking THROUGH it.
I became it's new owner, keeper of the recipes, after my Mother passed. I've looked through it a couple of times since then. But, recently I was wanting to look through it again and couldn't remember where I had stored it. Then BAM I open a box and there it was. I sat down with it one night and looked through it again. With all the recipes that are written, mostly using a cartridge pen, in the book - I don't recall my Mother making many of them. A few are there that gave light on to where the recipe came from. Many were from family members (Aunt Rita, Joe's Mother (my Nonna) and my sisters), neighbors (Mrs. O, Mrs. C and Mrs. S), the Dinah Shore Show and an old classmate of mine (Susan B) . I was quite surprised when I read a recipe for Onion Ring Batter, which I use a lot, actually originated from my oldest sister. I have been passing it off as my Mom's all these years. This is the recipe I pass on when they ask to give the bride a family recipe. I think I will type up these recipes on some Christmas paper and send them with a Christmas card to the family and friends respectively.
So I have a question for "The Book". Where are the recipes that my Mother made that were special to us? Where is the Lemon-Lime Jello Salad (shredded carrot and chopped celery - maybe even shredded cabbage)? Where is nut roll recipe that she made at Easter and Christmas, mostly Christmas?
By looking through "The Book" I've found that I have a characteristic of my Mother's. She recorded the ingredients for the Spaghetti Sauce for Christmas 1974 and the cost for each item. She listed the information for sauce made for Chris, Sept 12, 1977, Mother's Day 1976, Easter 1975, 1976, Christmas 1975 and "Ravioli filling & sauce for when Rita and Wadie come, June 16, 1975". I learned what makes "The Trinity" - celery, onions, green peppers. She kept a picture of the Bunny Cake that I made for many Easters.
Does "The Book" hold any secrets? I think it has opened more questions than giving answers. But, I did find one strange entry on the back cover of the book. It has an address for Carlo C..... in San Francisco, CA. What I need to find out is if Carlo was a brother to my Nonno or another family member. Ancestry.com here I come.
"The Book" is literally falling apart almost as soon as air hits it. I'm glad I'm the new keeper of "The Book". I will have to try making the White Fruit Cake, Prince of Wales Cake or even the Lemon Coconut Cream Cake. I never had any of these cakes and wonder why they are in "The Book". Oh wait a minute - it just dawned on me that I have "A Shoebox" full of recipes I've cut out and have never tried. ha And so it continues........
Love and Peace
