Leaving a Culinary Legacy

About author / Pamela Chester

Mom of two; graduate French Culinary Institute; kids cooking program instructor; Master's degree in food studies. Creates kid friendly foods and loves her slow cooker.

There are some recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation within a family, and truly stand the test of time. Grandmothers have been sharing their treasured recipes and cooking with their grandchildren since the beginning of recorded history, in the hopes of keeping their culinary traditions alive. I was recently reminded how much this practice means to future generations and it really hit home for me.

Over the past week, my family received some very sad news. Unfortunately we lost my husband’s paternal grandmother, and the last member of either of our families in that generation. Great grandmom was a one of a kind woman of sharp mind and warm wit even at 91 years old. I feel fortunate to have known her for the short time that I did.

Being a part of a large, mostly Irish Catholic family, my husband reports that desserts were the most important part of the menu at any family gathering, and were always offered in abundance. And grandmom was quite the baker. At every family function, she would bring her signature desserts, cakes like Sour Cream Pecan Cake and Carolina Pound Cake.

A few years ago, when great grandmom learned that I too had interest in baking, she shared her recipes with me without hesitation. That little gesture really made me feel like a part of the family and I am honored to be able to share with you one of her recipes for Apple Cake below. Grandmom loved to talk about her latest creations and old favorite recipes, but this is the one that I most closely associate with her.

At grandmom’s funeral several members of the family (myself included) baked some of her signature recipes. At such a sad occasion, it was nice to end the day on a bit of a sweeter note, especially as we noticed how much all the youngest and newest generation of the family (27 great grandkids in all!) enjoyed grandmom’s sweet creations.

Re-living these culinary traditions of my husband’s family, I fondly remembered that my own step-grandmother (who also passed away not too long ago) took me under her wing when she found out I was a kid who liked to cook. I must have been about eight years old when she first showed me how to make cake with boxed pudding mix. The addition of pudding really made a moist cake and wouldn’t you know a couple years later, cake mixes with pudding in them became all the rage. These simple cooking lessons I had as a kid live on in lifelong memories, so don’t underestimate the importance of sharing some of your favorites with your own children and grandchildren.

Food is part of a family’s shared history and lore. I know whenever we attend any future event with my better half’s family, his grandmom’s special cake recipes will live on, both in memory and on the plate. What recipes have passed down through the generations in your family?

Serves/Makes: 10

• 4 cups apples, peeled, seeded and chopped into small pieces
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans, walnuts or dried cranberries (reserve 1/4 the mixture)

***Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting***

• 1 package (8 ounce size) regular or light cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup golden brown sugar