Seattle Cooking Club

About seven years ago, Mark and I went to Italy.  Ever since, we have wanted to return.  One of our favorite places was Vernazza in Cinque Terre.  The area is known for its Pesto, and I still remember having gnocchi and sitting out on the main square while our waiter poked fun at Mark for his attempt at speaking Italian.  (Still a sore subject)

At any rate, I am thrilled with my new cookbook and can’t wait to try it out.  I obviously needed to attempt Grandma Daria’s Pesto Lasagna.

First the pesto… oh delicious basil and parmesan goodness…

Then for the béchamel sauce.

Combine those two to make the filling.

Next I’m making my own pasta.  Nothing makes you feel authentic like getting specialty ingredients.

Now, I’ll admit, I’ve run into some issues in the past making my own pasta.  When I was at this point I wasn’t feeling too confident.

But, after ten minutes of kneading it actually changed into a soft ball.  Who would have guessed?  It cranked through the machine quite nicely!

When the lasagna was assembled it gets layered with more parmesan and fresh mozzarella cheese.  Noodles are not cooked in advance.  I was a bit nervous about the proportions.  I should have known that Daria would not lead me astray.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit- this dish is not meant to be photographed.  I’m sure a professional food stylist could work wonders.  My pictures just come out looking like green blobs.  But they were delicious green blobs.

I took this to my parents’ house where we were short on time for a side so we paired it with a caesar salad.  It would have been nicer with something with a touch more acid.  The lasagna was met with somewhat mixed reviews.  Mason wouldn’t touch it.  My Dad said that it was “OK” but he preferred red sauce.  My Mom and I both thought they were nutters and that it was delicious.  (We were right in case you were wondering.)

If I just had a little Lemon Cello I might feel transported back to Vernazza.

Recipe was in Cooking with Italian Grandmothers.

Submitted by Bev:

My recipe for Grandma’s Day will be my grandmother’s famous potato salad.  In the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s my grandmother sold her potato salad commercially.  It was so popular that people came from other towns to get it.  Each year she had many private orders for this salad.  She sold it by the pound and some orders were 40 pounds or more.  Her secret was in the simplicity.  And, of course, the dressing.

The picture below is of one of the smaller bowls that my grandma used for her salads.  The large bowls are way too big for me to keep around my tiny kitchen, but my cousin still has them.  She lives in my grandma’s house.  For family reunions we gather in her kitchen and all the cousins peel onions, boil eggs and potatoes and pull together a family rendition of grandma’s salad.

It isn’t a fancy recipe, but it is one with many fond memories.

Since her time, several companies have developed a similar recipe; Reser’s is the most common.  My grandmother did not write down her recipe.  She had it in her head.  When she did try to tell us how to make it, she said things like, “Take the big yellow bowl and put enough potatoes in it to come up to here.”  And “Then add 6 seconds of sugar to the mix.”  Needless to say, we helped her enough to get the idea.  This is a smaller version of her concoction.

– About 10 potatoes, boiled, peeled and cut into cubes

– About 12-14 eggs, hard boiled, shelled and cut into cubes

– Several dollops of sweet relish (eyeball it)

– Put everything in a large bowl.

– Add dressing and mix and mix and mix.

– Top with paprika and sliced egg for ambiance.

Dressing recipe:  Equal parts mayo and Miracle Whip mixed together.  Add a little sugar to taste.

Side note- The original recipe had chopped onions in it.  I don’t do that.

I already posted about my apprehension on cooking my Grandmas’ recipes here.

My Mom unearthed the recipe boxes inherited from my Grandparents.

They almost scream of the promise of processed deliciousness.

If you’re not sure this is the same Tomato Aspic that was served at lunch last week- don’t worry, there were four versions with minor variations of canned meats.

Here is another goodie.  Please be careful to read the top line for optimal enjoyment.

I liked the name of this one:

But the recipe looks oddly like it might be the same thing as this:

I’m not sure which has the more snappy title.

Please note, these were just four out of numerous recipes I would love to share.  Yes- three boxes full.  It seemed like there was a general rule.  If it was dessert- it might be OK.  If it was savory, watch out.  One did show promise labeled, “very good Chi-Chi”  May be I’ll bring that to our next meeting.

All joking aside though, if this is our past- is it worth passing down?  Or is it better to do away with traditions that include cream of chicken soup or undrained mushrooms?  Do we relish our memories enough to subject our children to these delicacies?  Or do we forge ahead and hope we can create new comfort foods.

I can tell you one thing for certain.  I might not be cooking what was passed down to me, but I’m holding onto these at least for a hearty chuckle from time to time… and incase I ever need a good recipe for Tomato Aspic.

My usual Sous Chef is not known to be tidy.  He’s not known to be quick.  What he lacks in experience he makes up for in enthusiasm.

Mason’s favorite task in the kitchen is cracking eggs.

until… oops.

the shells made it in the bowl…

Egg… on the floor.

Good news is a little clean up…

And you can try again.

Ahhh… Success.

If it weren’t for trying again- we wouldn’t get to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Success never tasted so sweet!