04 Nov Recipes: A Memorial in the Mundane

Often times, photographs are the medium in which family history is discussed and reminisced. Faded photographs with corners curling like ribbon are pulled from musty boxes and laid lovingly on the table. Though photographs are cherished, another story-telling keepsake are recipes.

What can better transport you to Grandma’s house that the wafting aroma of her biscuits? The spice of an apple pie? What about Great Grandma’s passed down recipe for preserves or jelly?

Just as photographs, recipes can be a family heirloom

– an important part of history and a spur to memories.

I remember entering my great grand-mothers house as a child with my olfactory senses romanced by fresh bread. The rough table, her gentle yet roughened voice talking to Mom, the knitted afghan, the simple house – these faded and warped memories come back with a vengeance with the smell of that recipe. Photographs spur a flat image – Recipes round it out in 3-D.

Even pulling out recipes and making dishes keep family history alive. Seeing fluid handwriting, the curve of a ‘p’, the gentle swoop of an ‘l’, revive memories of generations gone by. Mixing the ingredients, formed with love, serve as a memorial etched in a mundane day. Once the recipe comes out of the oven, igniting olfactory senses, a feeling of calm and nostalgia sets in.

Are you ready? Let’s go down Recipe Lane.