I’m pretty sure these women knew what they were doing when it came to cooking. They fed large families three meals a day. They wrote and shared recipes on the backs of whatever scrap of paper they could find. But not always. Sometimes they just memorized them. They did things from feel, and what would stretch ingredients a long way to make sure everyone had something in their bellies.
I miss those days of being fed food prepared with such devotion. The simple act of feeding people good food was the sole purpose of meal time. Not a mention of nutrients, or “omega 6 “ or “locally raised”. Because it didn’t need to be said. It almost always was grown locally. That’s how communities were built and families thrived.
I grew up fed by ladies who always had cookies in the cookie jar, always had stock or stew bubbling on the stove, pies cooling on the counters and Sunday dinners were almost always a huge chunk of meat that would feed us for the week.
I know how much work that must have been now. I appreciate it so much more. But I also realize how amazing, talented and skilled these women were. Something that our culture doesn’t really value, even though we eat three times a day.
In the world of digital recipes, I think the spirit of that sharing sometimes is one dimensional. I love the in-person community of people gathering and sharing food, and hearing “oh you made the mustard pickles Edith? they are so good! Can I have that recipe ?”
And the next day, Edith would go for a cup of tea and Emma would write down the instructions on the back of a church envelope as Edith recited them from memory.
I love going through old recipes.
And every once in a while when I’m lucky enough to come across one stained, food splattered and marked “Good”, I bet my boots it will be.
Because these women weren’t scrolling for hours, or making tik toks. They wouldn’t even know what self care time or “me time” looked like.
So I know if she took the time to write “Good” on a recipe, I’d better hold onto that one.
She wanted someone to keep it.
Love Jenn xx