Cranberry Legacy

As small children some of us might dream that we are descendants of royalty, perhaps others, famous artists, and still others, inventors or writers. Like the caste system in India, my legacy was pretty clear...I come from a long line of women (and a few men) who feed people. Like Captain Dan, there is no escaping our destiny. I've tried, believe me.

My immediate predecessor, while fairly surly and a  perfectionist (as all good cooks tend to be), loves to feed others. As far back as I can remember Mom has been feeding the collective flock. Where most people give words of encouragement, condolence, or congratulations, she gives food. Without speaking a word, she has shared what is in her heart. Her food epitomizes comfort, home, and caring (and just a little bit of spice to keep you on edge!).

To my grandmother Pearl, giving food was simply what you did. She had very humble beginnings, grew up during the Great Depression, and worked hard her whole life, but her gift to the world was food. She could turn utterly "nothing" into a fantastic meal. She was way ahead of her time, using spices and ingredients that are mainstays today. Her killer Mac and cheese, Welsh Rarebit on toast points, Spaghetti Sauce, and roasts were to die for. But, she wasn't a baker. My grandfather would always strongly suggest, with a wink, that we eat her cookies "quick, before they had a chance to set-up"!

One of my favorite childhood memories occurred when I was about eight. After a heavy Thanksgiving dinner my grandmother and I were the only ones left to clean up. I don't know who lobbed the first shot, but before I knew it, we were firing handfuls of cranberry jelly at each other across the dining table and giggling like two year old girls. She had the quality of being able to find happiness and joy from nearly anything.

Every neighborhood child knew stopping by "Pearls" would produce a full meal of some sort. They always came by under the premise of wanting to do yard work or run to the store for her, but I'm pretty sure the underlying motive was something good to eat. When she passed away a few years back at the ripe old age of ninety-something, we got a call from one of those "youngsters" she had fed so many years before, and he said how wonderful she had always been to him and that he had never forgotten. Maybe she knew back then that by feeding someone you give them more than mere food for the belly.

Inevitably even today, when we all get together, we browse cookbooks, talk food, recipes, parties, holidays, celebrations, and the rare, memorable hangover! We relive the special moments when we've gathered around the table together in joy and sorrow, and shared the love that we can't always put into words, but instead put into our gift of food. I'm blessed to have a huge-hearted, loving, extraordinarily witty, and kind family to have learned from, and to keep learning from.

Cooking As Of Late

Friday night, after a long week of work, we had friends coming for dinner, and the list grew as my husband invited more. It's all good.

Being short on time, energy, creativity and ingredients, I dug back into the cooking archive of my gray matter and unearthed an old favorite...Burger, Bean Bake...a recipe from my cousin when she was first married (tweaked a little because I lost the recipe somewhere along the line). I served it with cornbread and a huge salad:

Burger Bean Bake

1 # Lean Ground Beef
1 Can Baked Beans, any seasoning combo
1 Can Green Beans, drained
1 Can Dark Red Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Large Onion, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Green Pepper, diced

Sauce:

1 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Spicy Brown Mustard
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 T Italian Seasoning
1 T Dried Parsley
1 t Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large frying pan, brown ground beef. Add onion, celery, gr pepper, garlic - saute five minutes.

Add baked beans, green beans and kidney beans to beef mixture and combine.

Combine all ingredients for sauce and pour over bean/beef mixture, combining well. Pour into large, buttered casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.

Salad

Lettuce (any kind you prefer)
tomatoes
green onion
celery
carrot
Kalamata olives
sliced goat cheese
freshly cracked pepper

As it turned out, the dinner guests were all men and the hearty burger bean bake was a great hit. As I looked down the 13' bar in my kitchen and watched them all with heads bent over their plates, grunting noises of appreciation, I realized once again what I am called to do in this world...feed people.