Nourish the Budding Lotus

In memory of Grammie

I know I have been away for a bit.  I have so many recipes that I want to share, and a few food discoveries as well, but those will have to wait.  Today I want to honor the woman who has had the greatest influence on my kitchen adventures. Last week my grandmother passed away, and although I will miss her greatly, I treasure every lesson that she taught me and all of the love that she gave me.

My grandmother loved food.  She loved eating food, she loved talking about food, and she loved sharing food with others.  Her love for food was contagious, and we all knew that the dishes she created in the kitchen were filled with love.  Whenever we went to Grammie and Papa’s we knew that we were going to eat well and eat a lot!

You could not enter her house without being offered something to eat or drink, and she remembered everyone’s favorite food.  Even my favorites, which changed rapidly over the years as I became vegetarian, lessened my sugar intake, and eventually gave up gluten.  She would always have the pantries filled so that everyone was fed, and would make our favorite meal when we returned from a time away.

For Easter she would make a traditional Italian torte for everyone in the family (7 children and eventually 8 grandchildren!).  And for each holiday my grandparents would be in the kitchen together making homemade ravioli or lasagne, bracciola, zuppa inglese, tiramisu, ciamelle, and many other traditional holiday treats.

She loved teaching the grandchildren her secret recipes, and sharing time with her in the kitchen was a joy.  Even this past summer, when Alzheimer’s was becoming more predominant in her daily life, we still baked benzone (a blueberry coffee cake) and giant chocolate chip cookie cakes.  She still sampled the ingredients before we made the batter, and was not against licking the bowl while the treats were transforming in the oven.

I am grateful for all of the time that I was able to spend with her over the years, and the time she took to teach me how to bake and cook with her.  I am grateful for everything you taught me Grammie.  I love you!