Nana and I would sit and watch PBS cooking shows for hours, listening to Julia show us how to truss a chicken, flip the perfect crepe as we copied her "Bon Apetit" at the end of the show. Then we would move on to a little Yan Can Cook, The Frugal Gourmet or Jacques Pepin. All the while, Nana would be cooking something on the stove or in the oven. After our day was done we would sit down to a meal that was always dee-lish! Family dinners meant Pot Roast or a casual meal of Sloppy Joes and Bread and Butter Pickles. Whenever my uncle came for a visit Nana would bake the best Chocolate chip cookies with walnuts for him. When my aunt came for a visit we had the Roast Chicken and mashed potatoes, her favorite.
I am a professionally trained chef, who is still trying to master a home cooked meal that tastes just like Nana's.
This will be a tribute to her. I hope to use proper grammar, and always remember to spell check. (Nana was not only a fabulous home cook, but also a master typist. She won awards for her typing skills. I, on the other hand didn't earn that trait).
I this blog I will begin with the simple every night meals: Kielbasa and Potato Pancakes, Shrimp Scampi, Hamburgers with onion soup. I will use her own recipes for some and I will use my own variation for others. I will mix in the special suppers, those that give me the toughest time, Pot Roast and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I will look for the day when another family member will try my cooking and I don't hear those dreaded words........... "Well....... It's Not Quite Nana's, but, it's good"!
