Sunday, November 9, 2008

old and new

first, the new.

the stars aligned in such a way that this weekend i got a brand spankin new kitchenaid pro 500.  it's magnificent.  all i thought it would be and more.  it doesn't "walk" across the counter when i bake bread.  the motor isn't half dead.  it's not oozing unidentified greases and oils.  i'm a very happy girl.


i do feel a little sad for my old mixer.  it's been on it's last leg for a while, though it does still work.  it's just old and tired.  but i love it still.  i haven't moved it to the basement with the other seldom-used appliances yet.  i feel too bad for it.


now, for the old.  

it has become my goal to preserve the recipes most loved by my maternal grandmother, great-grandmother and aunts.  as well as those favorites of my mother's.  my mother has a well-worn copy of my grandmother's 1937 household searchlight cookbook.  almost every blank page is filled with handwritten recipes and comments.  

part of the challenge will be recreating some of my great grandmother's recipes.  from what i'm told and what i remember she was a stout and happy scottish woman who could bake anything.  she ran a boarding house for coal miners for several years.  her breads, rolls and treats were famous.  so where's the problem?  she didn't use recipes and she never wrote anything down.  

my mother and i have determined that if we can figure out her basic white bread recipe we will have the key to several other goodies.  i looked around online for some traditional white bread recipes and gave one a whirl this afternoon.  will have my mom taste test it tomorrow to see how it compares.  


it was also a fine excuse to try out the new mixer.

1 comment:

Sarah said...

Awesome mixer! That is so cool you found those recipes. My mom made this great beef brisket last night. I will have to share the recipe. I was dreaming about it all night. I keep telling you, I think you need to open your own place. You would do great!