My medical school has a tradition, where a first-year student (the “little”) is paired with a second-year student (the “big”). Last year, I had my little and grand-little over for dinner. I made The King’s Butter Chicken, The King’s Garlic Naan, and a coconut cream pie (stay tuned for this recipe). We had such a…
Category: Family Recipes
Nani’s Oatmeal Cake
When I was home for Christmas, I was able to visit Nani a handful of times. The visits get harder and harder, as her memory goes little by little. For those who haven’t experienced the slow loss of a loved one to Alzheimer’s disease, I’ve found it helps to reflect on the parts of them that…
Christmas Cookies
‘Tis the season for baking! One of my favorite traditions during the holidays was baking with my mom and Nani. Every Christmas we would break out the cookie cutters for our sugar cookies and the kitchen was constantly churning out various types of cookies. As a kid in our family, it was imperative that we…
Nani’s Chinese Casserole
Another one of Nani’s standard casseroles from my childhood. Nani’s Chinese Hamburger Casserole was always a staple during our deer and elk hunting trips. Like any good casserole from the ’60’s, it gets its flavor from Campbell’s soup, specifically the Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup. It also works well, because it can easily be prepared ahead…
Reading Cheesesteaks
I learned a great deal of my cooking from my mom’s side of the family. However, we have learned a few things from my dad’s side as well. When I was younger, we didn’t get to see my paternal grandmother, Mom Mom, too often. She lived in Reading, PA, so travel was usually limited to…
Nani’s Mouthwatering Meatloaf
Meatloaf always reminds me of childhood dinners at Nani and Papa’s house. Mom was never a big fan of meatloaf, so if she ever worked late at the hospital or was out of town, Nani would usually have us over for meatloaf. This is a quick and easy dinner to make that is also delicious…
Mom’s Quiche Lorraine
Happy Birthday, Mom! Since today is her birthday, I thought I’d share one of her recipes. When I was younger, I was never really a big fan of quiche. Don’t ask me why, because I’m not really sure. I mean, one of my favorite breakfasts was scrambled eggs with bacon, and this recipe isn’t much…
French Dip Sandwiches
You’re on your way home from a busy day and realize that you don’t have any idea what you’re going to make for dinner. A quick stop at the grocery store for four items (the rest you should have on hand in your pantry or fridge) can ensure that you have a rather quick yet…
Mom’s German Pancake
It always amazes me how some of my family’s simplest recipes are usually the most revered. This was one of my favorite breakfast’s growing up, and when I started cooking, it was one of the first recipes that I mastered. The recipe is so simple, it’s hard not to commit to memory. My senior year…
Mom’s No-Bake Cookies
Contrary to popular belief, not all cookies are baked; some can be made on the stove-top. My mom always made these with coconut, but my aunt usually omitted it, because my cousins aren’t the biggest fans of coconut. However, I just don’t think they’re the same without it. Nevertheless, these were a great treat to…
Nani’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Whenever we stopped by our grandparents’ house for a visit, we could always count on there being some kind of cookie to munch on. These peanut butter cookies were a staple in Nani’s arsenal of baked goods. Not to mention, they are so easy to prepare everyone will think you spent an entire afternoon baking!…
Nani’s Ginger Cake
To round off the week, I’m sharing one of my grandma’s many cake recipes. This was probably one of my favorite cakes growing up and oft requested as my birthday cake. I have neglected to make it until recently, when I was browsing recipes and realized that I hadn’t tasted this moist and flavorful cake…