TDG: The Cookbook

[davebr]

That's awesome Brooks! My mom hates to cook. I hope I can do something like that for my kids one day. That's hilarious about the Monjuni's jar. My business partner created Monjuni's how ever many years ago. I'll show him the article and he will be flattered for sure.

[Melic]

Thank you!

I'm very new to the forums - and since my Mom was from Farmerville (Monroe was a childhood let's-get-dressed-up-and-go-shopping-at-the-Palace treat when we Yankees would venture south for a visit) I will now proceed to read everything you've ever posted here

In my possession: not a family cookbook, alas, but "Favorite Recipes from Historic Farmeville - Home of Lake D'Arbonne" published in 1966 by Farmerville Chapter No. 207 Order of the Eastern Star. Hardback bound, but all the pages were typed on typewriters ... and illustrated with contributors' drawings.

Gift from my grandmother in 1974.

Interspersed among the recipes are bits on the history of Farmerville. Not a sophisticated recipe in the mix , but I recognize the names of so many of the contributors ...

[hwilson41]

Brooks; What a great story, and what an incredible gift from your Mom. I would kill for something like that from my paternal grandmother who was a superb country cook, but alas, she's been gone for many years. A treasure - and a story - to be remembered. And if you'd like to share the recipes with some of us, I know several who would be most grateful .

THW

[Jake]

What a wonderful essay, thank you so much for sharing. (Yeah, I know everyone keeps saying that, but we all mean it.)

Family recipes are so precious. Various ancestors of mine put together a church cookbook with Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery that was recently republished for all us young'uns. It's wonderful to look back at the 80 to 100 year old recipes, even though you'd never want to make most of these!!!

I really think you should get your mother's permission to publish a special eGullet edition!

[Anna N]

Wonderful, Brooks! A tribute to your Mom, your family and a revelation of your own humanity. Loved every word.

[reesek]

Not me. I wish I had such a book of BROOKS' grandma's recipes.  A book of MY grandma's recipes would have sections like "Ten Things to do With that Leftover Half-Cup of Cottage Cheese" and "Why You Should Save All Plastic Containers" and "Tips for Making Brisket Really Dry and Unappealing."

mags - you took the words right out of my mouth (except i'd substitute cornish hen for brisket)

brooks - congratulations on your treasure - you told the story beautifully.

[Mayhaw Man]

Thank you!

I'm very new to the forums - and since my Mom was from Farmerville (Monroe was a childhood let's-get-dressed-up-and-go-shopping-at-the-Palace treat when we Yankees would venture south for a visit).

.

Welcome to eGullet Melic. I am more than familiar with Farmerville and even more familiar with the Palace (long closed). One of my mother's big stories is about riding the train from Bastrop to Monroe (gloves and hats of course) to go downtown and shop. They did it all of the time My wife's family has a house on D'Arbonne where we spend a good amount of time in the summertime. I am old enough to remember when the lake was new and was a big forest instead of the reservoir it is today.

Dave-The Monjuni jars have to do with two things 1) mama likes their products 2) She saves jars like crazy

Redfox-I don't mean to sound evasive, but it kinda depends on how full the jars are volume wise with cucumbers. It goes a pretty long way. We just keep it handy and make it as we go when we need more.

Thanks everyone for all of the kind words about the piece. They mean alot and I appreciate it. One thing I like about this type of forum for writing is response-I have been writing for various publications (including a weekly newspaper column) for a long time and sometimes weeks go by before you get any response from readers (and generally that is because you pissed one of them off somehow) and there is a level of instant gratification available with this type of publication that is not available anywhere else (not to mention all of the delicious yogurt ).

It has been a pretty harrowing week for my mom (and, by extension, for all of us). She went in on Tuesday for a "few tests" and ended up with a triple bypass on Wednesday Morning. She is seventy and looks about 55, I woulda never guessed and she certainly didn't. She is doing fine and seems to be recovering well at this point and the predictions are for many more years of Mayhaw Jelly, Peach Pound Cake, and Seafood Gumbo. My mother is nothing if not tough. I look forward to being able to show her all of the kind things that you guys have said about her when she is able to see them. While she will not be happy about having her laundry hung out in public (believe me-I did some serious thinking about this situation before I submitted the story. Writing about family, no matter the context, can be damn nervewracking and touchy-to say the least), I think that she will secretly be pleased about people's responses to the piece.

Thanks again,

Brooks

[dlc]

MM,

Your Mom and her family are in our thoughts and prayers.

[Mayhaw Man]

She's home. She's fine. She has been told to eat anything she wants (within reason, clearly, and heart healthy to a point) and do not, under any circumstances, diet. She is remarkably happy about this order. Robin, my wife, has gone to spend the week helping out and reports all seems o.k.

Thanks to everyone for the notes and stuff. They were greatly appreciated. It has been a long week.

Brooks

[hathor]

What a lovely article, and I'm glad to see that it looks like your Mom is ok and the wife and kids should be home be now. You are a lucky guy to have the memories and the recipes in that cookbook..but, you know that.

For whatever reason, my mother-in-law gave me a Sephardic cookbook that was compiled by the New Lots Brooklyn Sephardic community, there are lots of penciled in, barely legible notes by my husband's grandmother who was a legendary cook. As the token 'shiksa' in the family, its an awesome responsibilty to have this cookbook in my possession. I have literally felt this woman's hand on my shoulder as I learned how to make walnut matza ball soup, although she long ago passed away.

We just watched the movie Big Fish, and after some debate, decided the movie was about, if the stories live on, the person lives on. Obviously we are all expressing that people live on in their recipes. Thanks for saying it so well.

Best wishes for a speedy and full recovery for your Mom!!