A Culinary Genealogy

1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (have also used almonds) 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tsp. dried oregano garlic powder, to taste 4 chicken breasts 4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil salt and black pepper Stir together pecans, Parmesan, oregano, and garlic in a wide, shallow dish. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides in the nut mixture, pressing to adhere. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add chicken and cook until coating is golden brown and juices run clear. If nuts brown too quickly, reduce heat. -- Jennifer Dawn Friedman Farley, 1975-

1 lb. of ground beef 1 onion 3 potatoes 1 bag of peas Cook the ground beef in a frying pan, breaking it apart with a fork while frying so that it is, as Grandma Sproul would say, "Fried loose in the pan." Chop onion and add to beef. Cook until beef is thoroughly cooked and onion is tender. Prepare peas as to package instructions. Peel and boil potatoes until tender and mash. Serve beef, potatoes, and peas, each in their own dish. When serving, place potatoes on plate and spread to cover plate, top with beef mixture, and top with peas. Mix all of it together and dot with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. YUM!!! -- Jane Craig Wright Sproul, 1879-1948

Take a 2-3 lb. round steak and place in the center of a piece of aluminum foil large enough in which to wrap the steak. Cover the top of the steak with ketchup or prepared barbecue sauce. Sprinkle dry onion soup on top of the ketchup. Close the foil securely. Place the foil packages in a baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, "Grandma Sproul," 1914-2004

1 lb. boneless round steak 2 tbsp. butter 1 can mushroom soup 1/4 cup milk 1 tbsp. tomato paste 1 medium clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion 1/2 cup sour cream 1 tbsp. dry sherry cooked noodles Freeze meat for 1 hour to firm (makes slicing easier). Slice into thin strips. In 2 quart round casserole, combine garlic and butter. Microwave on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes. Add meat and onion. Cover. Microwave on HIGH 3 to 4 minutes or until meat just looses its pink color. Stir in soup, sour cream, milk, sherry and tomato paste. Re-cover. Microwave on HIGH 7 to 9 minutes or until hot, stirring constantly. Let stand covered for 2 minutes. To serve: spoon over noodles. Makes about 3 1/2 cups or 4 servings. It is also tasty without the sherry. -- Meredith Joy Sproul Friedman, 1948-

2 to 3 tsp. curry powder 1 1/4 tsp. salt (optional) 1/4 tsp. pepper 4-6 chicken breast cutlets, boned and skinned 1 1/2 cups orange juice 1 cup Uncle Ben's brand Converted Rice 3/4 cups water 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 tbsp. brown sugar Lightly brown chicken in butter--both sides--5 minutes Combine curry powder, 1/2 tsp. salt & pepper. Sprinkle over chicken and rub into each piece of chicken. Set aside. In 10-inch skillet, combine orange juice, rice, water, brown sugar, mustard, and remaining 3/4 tsp. salt--mix well. Arrange chicken pieces over rice. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered until liquid is absorbed--about five minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. -- Jane Siddons Nelson

3 lbs. ground round--add one beaten egg 5 slices crustless bread soaked in milk--squeezed dry to make crumbs Mix together--add some salt and pepper, then shape into tiny meatballs. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Sauce: Small can crushed pineapple 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1/2 clove garlic--minced 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup water 2 tbsp. soy sauce 10 drops tobasco 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (Heinz with onions) 1 tsp. ginger Cook for 20 minutes. Make a roux with corn starch (small amount) and add gradually to sauce to thicken. Then add cooked meatballs. Can be cooked in double boiler so sauce doesn't burn. Same in a chafing dish. Have plates and forks or tooth picks handy for easy serving. -- Jane Siddons Nelson

Brown loin pork chops (both sides) in small amount of oil in fry pan. Slice onions to line bottom of roasting pan. After pork chops are browned, place them on top of onions. Put some apple sauce or sliced apples on top of pork chops and roast at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (or longer, depending upon thickness). Do not overcook. -- Jane Siddons Jane and Lawrence Siddons (pictured) "Mom and Dad. The two most precious people in the world." -- Jane Siddons Nelson

1 dozen eggs 1 lb. chicken fat celery and onions--diced 5 lbs chicken liver Boil eggs until hard boiled. Sautee diced celery and onions in 1/2 of the chicken fat. Place chicken livers in a pot, cover with water and boil 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Skim off debris on top of water. Let the liver cool, chop the liver. Peel and chop the eggs. Combine eggs, celery and onion mixture, chopped liver and the rest of the chicken fat until they are a smooth paste. Add salt to taste. -- Samuel Friedman, 1923-1990 Kahn's Deli was a magical place of beautiful food, wonderful aromas and lots of love. Everything was delicious but one of the best things in the store was Dad's home made Chopped Chicken Liver. One thing that made his chicken liver so good was that he always used real chicken fat, or "smaltz." He would purchase the smaltz from the same supermarket down the street where he got the livers. He prepared everything fresh. Dad was an artist with food. One time h...

Preheat oven to 550 degrees. Take one whole Top Sirloin and place it in a roasting pan. Add 1 can (medium size, 10 oz.) tomato juice, 3 cans of water (20-25 oz), and 1 large or 3 small onions. Place roast in oven and cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, cut off a small piece in the front. If it is red, baste again and turn it around (not over). Reduce temperature to 475 degrees. Cook for another hour. Cut off a small piece. If red, baste again and cook for 1/2 hour. It should be done by then. (Note: This creates the typical deli roast beef with the very red center.) --Samuel Friedman, 1923-1990 "When entering Kahn's Deli, my Dad's store, the aromas were overwhelming. His kitchen was in the back of the store next to the walk-in refrigerator. In the oven would be the large roast beef that he would remove and baste every so often. It always came out perfectly and was a favorite with his customers. They would often ask for a roast beef sandwich on rye (delivered daily by...

1 1/2 cups navy beans 3/4 cup medium white pearl barley 2 medium onions 2 cloves garlic 3 medium potatoes pepper paprika salk flanken (short ribs) Soak the beans overnight. When ready to use, wash them well. Place barley and beans in a large ovenproof pot (earthenware is the real thing). Cover them with water. Dice onions and garlic and add to above. Add potatoes, spices and salt to taste; start with 3/4 tablespoon and adjust later. Set to boiling. Then lower flame, continue to cook. As the water is absorbed, keep adding more so that there is plenty in the pot at all times. Add the meat about half an hour before Shabbot. The entire cholent should be just covered with water when you place it in the oven for Shabbot. Make sure it doesn't dry out by morning, but don't fall into the trap of making soggy cholent. By the morning, there should be a nice crust on top. Leave it in the oven at 200 degrees or if your oven is slow, leave it at 250 degrees. Serves 10. -- Regina ...

1 cup white flour 1 cup corn meal 4 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 1/2 cup milk 2 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. butter (again) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put 2 tbsp. of butter in a cast iron skillet or 8" or 9" square pan. Place in oven until hot and the butter melts. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients. Combine milk and egg, lightly beat together. Add egg and milk mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until smooth. Add 2 tbsp. of melted butter to the batter. Pour batter into the pre-heated skillet or pan. Bake 20-25 minutes. You can use muffin pans or corn stick pans. Put 1/2 tsp. of butter in each muffin cup or corn stick slot, add batter. Bake 15-20 minutes. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004 Grandma Sproul made this in the winter. She refined the ingredients over the years until it was just the way she liked it. Meredith continues to use this regularly. Jennifer's Japanese college roommate, Nahoko, loved this cornbread. For so...

2 cakes or 2 dry pkgs. of yeast 1/4 cup warm water 3/4 cup lukewarm milk 1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 2 eggs 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix together milk and salt. Add yeast mixture. Stir in shortening and eggs. Add about half of flour and beat well. Add enough remaining flour to handle easily. Turn onto floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in lightly greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover with damp cloth, but leave a small space for air to reach dough (you can also cover with Saran wrap, but be sure to allow some air to reach dough). Let rise in warm place (85 degrees) until double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down and let rise again until almost double, about 30 minutes. Roll into one rectangle 8x14 or two rectangles 6x10 each. Place on greased cookie sheet. Spread filling down center of dough, about 2 to 3 inches long. Take a strip on each side (opposite each other) and cross them a...

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained 1/3 cup tahini 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, halved 1 tbsp. olive oil Place everything in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add water, "garbanzo bean juice" (in general, I've found that the store brand beans have just the right amount of water in them to use all of the juice, but fancy beans like Bush have waaay too much water) or olive oil. Drizzle olive oil on top. -- Adam David Friedman, 1983- -- Michelle Lea McCoy Friedman, 1983-

Prepare basic crepes (see recipe on this blog) Prepare vegetables: Saute 4 sliced zucchini, 1 large sliced onion, 4 oz. mushrooms sliced. Salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp. parsley and a touch of Italian seasoning. Prepare sauce: 2 tbsp. butter 3 tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cups milk 2 eggs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Melt butter in saucepan; stir in flour and salt. Gradually add milk. Cook, stirring constantly until sauce thickens and bubbles, about 1 minute. Beat eggs in medium bowl, gradually beat in 1/2 of the hot sauce, pour back in saucepan, stir in cheese. Final prep: Place crepe in the bottom of a deep pie pan. Spoon on some of the vegetable mix. Spoon on some sauce. Add another crepe, more vegetables, more sauce, etc. until all crepes and vegetables are used. Try to end with a crepe on top. Pour the remaining sauce over the top crepe, sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. -- Meredith Joy Sproul Friedman, 1948- Meredith l...

3 eggs 3/4 cups flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup milk 2 tbsp. butter, melted 2 tbsp. sugar--optional Combine eggs, flour, salt, and 1/4 cup of milk (and sugar). Beat until smooth. Beat in melted butter and remaining milk. Drop by scant 1/4 cup full in crepe pan. Makes about 10 large crepes. -- Meredith Joy Sproul Friedman, 1948- Use this recipe to make "Zucchini Crepe Stack."

1 quart pea beans 1/2 lb. piece salt pork 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup molasses 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. soda 1/2 tsp. dry mustard boiling water Wash and pick over the beans and soak them overnight in cold water. In the morning drain them and cover with fresh water. Simmer until the skins break. Put the beans in a bean pot. Score the pork and press on top of the beans where it will brown. Filling the pot three-quarters full, add the sugar, molasses, salt, soda and mustard. Cover with boiling water. Cover the pot and bake without stirring for 8 hours in a slow oven, 250 degrees. Keep beans almost covered with water. Remove the pot's cover for the last half hour of baking. -- Louise C. Siddons Greenn, "Aunt Lulu" 1885-1968 When Aunt Lulu married Uncle Al Bischoff, they were in their 70's. The newlyweds would make a pot of beans at the beginning of each week and be able to eat it throughout the week.

Boil sweet potatoes in skins until tender. Peel and mash as you would for mashed potatoes. Add as much butter and seasoning as desired. Use no milk. Cool slightly as it will measure easier. Make balls using 1/4 cup measure. Roll balls in chopped nuts and cool. Brown Sugar Glaze: Melt equal amounts of butter and brown sugar. Take one ball at a time and place in center of pan and pour glaze over ball. When glazed, remove to a muffin tin that has been lined with metal baking cups. Place in 350 degree oven until heated (no need for further cooking). Can be used immediately, put in the fridge overnight, or frozen. -- Meredith Joy Sproul Friedman, 1948-

12 oz. wide egg noodles 1 pint cottage cheese, large curd 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup grated sharp cheese 1 bunch green onions--use some of the tops 1 cup chopped parsley 1 pint sour cream dash Tabasco 1/2 tsp. paprika Boil noodles and drain. While hot, mix in all ingredients except sharp cheese. Place in baking dish, preferably shallow. Refrigerate. Before baking, top with grated cheese and paprika. Bake uncovered 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until cheese is melted. -- Florence Jessie Meredith Sproul, 1914-2004

1 1/2 cups dried limas 5 cups cold water 4 slices bacon, cut in 1" pieces 1/3 cup minced celery 1/2 cup minced onion 1/4 cup diced green pepper 1 minced clove garlic 2 tbsp. flour 1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes 2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 tbsp. granulated sugar Soak limas overnight in 3 cups of cold water. In the morning, add the remaining 2 cups of water; cover; bring to a boil and cook until tender. Drain; place in a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Cook bacon until it begins to brown; then add celery, onion, green pepper and garlic; continue to cook until vegetables are tender and bacon is crisp. Stir in flour, add next 4 ingredients then cook, stirring, until sauce thickens. Pour sauce over limas; cover and bake in a slow oven of 300 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 4. -- Laura Katherine Siddons Nieser, "Aunt Lollie," 1891-1963

Mince 1 cup of cold cooked beets. Add 3 tbsp. of grated horseradish, 2 tsp. powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. of salt, and 2 tbsp. of lemon juice. Mix well. Tasty for cold meat. -- Laura Katherine Siddons Nieser, "Aunt Lollie" 1891-1963

6 slices bacon 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. dry mustard dash of pepper 3/4 cup water 1/4 cup vinegar 4 cups sliced boiled potatoes 2 hardboiled eggs, quartered (optional) 1 whole celery root Wash celery root. Place in a pot and cover with water. Boil slowly until tender. When done, peel off the skin, slice and cube. While celery root is cooking, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove from the skillet and pour off all but 1/4 cup of fat. Add the onion and cook until lightly brown. Stir in salt, sugar, flour, mustard & pepper. Add the water and vinegar. Cook, stirring until thickened. Add potatoes, celery root, (eggs), and crumbled bacon. Gently mix all together. Let it stand over heat until warm. Can then be served hot (optimal) or cold (still very good). -- Louise C. Siddons Greenn, "Aunt Lulu," 1885-1968 "I have memories of the 4th of July at Aunt Lu's house. She would have fried chicken and German Potato Salad. W...

1 small box of orange Jell-o (add Jell-o as a powder) 1 small can crushed pineapple--undrained 1 small can mandarin oranges--drained 1 small carton cottage cheese 1 cup miniature marshmallows 1 medium carton Cool Whip Mix together and refrigerate until ready to serve. --Meredith Joy Sproul Friedman, 1948-

Welcome to "A Culinary Genealogy." In 2006, my mom and I created a family cookbook. We (well Mom, really) collected family recipes, histories, and photographs going back over 100 years. We have been having a great time gathering and compiling this information. Due to the fun we are having, the fact that this project continues to expand, and the enthusiasm people are expressing over seeing the finished project, I have been searching for a way for everyone to have access to the project. I hope that this blog will be the solution. Please let me know, by leaving comments in the blog, if this format works for you (if recipes are well indexed, easy to find, easy to read, etc.). Also, if you are a family member that would like to add a recipe, a photograph, and/or a story, please share! Enjoy!