A passion for food surrounded me throughout my childhood. Cooking, canning, freezing, planning meals, and inviting family and friends to share a meal were central activities.
Our backyard was filled with fruit trees (apple. cherry, and plum) with grape vines along one fence. Even as a child, I understood that those trees were our treasure. For many years, my father grew tomatoes, and at least one summer my younger brother grew giant sunflowers.
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| 5th Bday; cake from Minka's bakery |
Each fall, my father would go to the local farms and bring back bushels of corn, peaches, and bell peppers, and then we would set to work canning and freezing it all along with dozens of jars of applesauce. It was work, but it mostly felt like fun working together on a common goal. In high school, my parent built a new home and once again planted fruit trees in the backyard. This time, my father added a pear tree to the collection.
Later, my parents made kosher pickles, pasta, ravioli, and peanut butter. My father made all our bread. The freezer was loaded with corn, peppers, and homemade borscht and zucchini soup. I'm sure I'm forgetting something but this gives you an idea of the level of activity in my parents' kitchen. Food was plentiful and good. Sharing and experimenting was part of the fun.
This blog has some of my favorite recipes. When I have time, I add to the collection. I hope you find something that you enjoy. If you find a mistake in any of my recipes, please leave me a comment so I can fix it. Thanks!
PS. To learn about my love of paper, color, textiles, fiber, and Japanese minkas, visit Minka's Studio.