My Grandmothers Heritage Recipe

The whole thing started when my sister-in-law called to say that she needed a special dessert for her Mother's 75th birthday party. "Don't you have a family recipe that would be meaningful as well as delicious."

"No, not really," I said as my mind went blank because my Mother and my Grandmothers weren't great cooks. Then I remembered the Ice Cream for Special Occasions, as Gran used to call it. It had been handed down to her from her mother and we all loved it.

As I began to think about family recipes, I realized that I actually had a story to go with the recipe. Then I remembered the box of old photos. I had a recipe and a story and a photo of my great grandmother.

Over the next few days I began to count up the family recipes - it seemed we had a whole book full of memories because each recipe had a person and their story attached to it.

Here is the recipe that started it all. You can savor a big bowl of it while you are searching out your own family's memories.

BROWN BREAD ICE CREAM

1 1/4 cups of bread crumbs,
1 tbsp of very good vanilla,
1/2 cup of whipping cream,
4 egg yolks,
1/8 cup of brandy,
2 tbsp of sugar,
1 1/2 cups of whole milk.

Beat together the egg yolks and sugar and cook gently in a double boiler, stirring all the time until it thickens slightly. Then add the brandy. Let it cool. Whip the cream and fold it into the cooled mixture. Chill.

Crisp the bread crumbs, sprinkled with sugar, in the oven for 15 minutes. Mix together with the custard and put into an ice cream maker or freeze in the freezer,taking out every 1/2 hour to stir to break up the cristals until totally frozen.

Put the mixture into a pretty dish and serve.
Servings: 4

THE STORY

This is an Victorian recipe that my grandmother used to make. She was originally from Cape Town, South Africa where her father was the owner of a bookstore. She was the oldest of six children who went to England every summer and played cards all the way up and back on the ship. When she was 15 her father died.

Her mother emigrated to Canada with the children where they settled in Vancouver. In her early 20's my grandmother eloped to marry a tall handsome Irishman who joined the Western Irish and who was later was wounded at Vimy (WW1). Not believing that anyone could take proper care of her husband she got herself across Canada and on to a troop ship (which was practically unheard of) and arrived in England where he was in hospital. She brought him home where he died of his wound two years later.

This tiny determined woman brought up her son (my dad) trying to keep him "in line" all the while adoring him and watching him proudly move ahead in life. When he went to Toronto and married she reluctantly "came East" to be with her grandchildren, leaving behind the mountains of Vancouver for the flat landscape of Ontario.

When I was in grade school she and I had lunch together twice a week and as I remember those lunches - she loved to play cards and didn't much like to cook, but she did have a few special recipes: curry from The Cape, Jell-o in contrasting colours and this ice cream recipe.

Susan Love, a former teacher and fundraiser, wanted to create something that would help people reconnect. Her new website, http://www.HeritageCookbook.com provides a tool for making a family cookbook with pictures and stories and recipes.

The site is recommended by Oprah Magazine.

Love feels that 21st century life connects us in all sorts of quick and easy ways, but nothing is left once you put down the cell phone or turn off the computer. Generations from now, there won't be stacks of letters in old boxes. There won't be anything to remind us how we cared about each other.

By creating a family cookbook with stories and recipes and especially with pictures to tie the memories all together, we actually have something meaningful to pass on to future generations.

---

Swordfish, a Nutritious and Healthy Addition to Any Diet

Swordfish belongs to the group of fish that have recently become more appreciated for their contribution of omega-3 essential oils to the diet. These fats, which have... Read More

Best Recipes: Chicken with Apples

Ingredients1½ cups quick-cooking rice 2 large onions, thinly sliced 250g snow peas, trimmed 1 large red cooking apple, cored and coarsely chopped, not peeled 2 tbsp curry... Read More

Burmese Shrimp Cake Recipe

Little pounded shrimp balls seasoned and fried till lightly brown. This dish is quite popular as a finger food and is also a good accompaniment to a... Read More

Noodles

Different cultures have their own way of taking some water and mixing it with an all-purpose flour, a rice flour, a wheat flour and adding either barley,... Read More

Cooking Roast Prime Rib on the Grill

Love the taste of prime rib? Love the taste of barbecue? You can combine them together for cooking roast prime rib on the grill. It takes a... Read More

Tantalizing Turkey

You too can make a spectacular turkey dinner!TT has what you need to help you at every step. You even get carving directions with graphics, guidance about... Read More

How to Make Kaiser Rolls

Want to impress your family and friends at the next gathering? Serve sandwiches on Kaiser Rolls. They'll look so professional--like they came from the bakery. You don't... Read More

Easy Gourmet Recipes You and I can do!

So, you don't think you can find easy gourmet recipes? Yes, you can! While most people think that gourmet recipes are hard to make, time consuming, or... Read More

Do I Really Need to Follow a Recipe?

These days, its seems like everyone is looking for different recipes to add to their tried and true favorites. Many people are looking for recipes that are... Read More

Ediths Cake That Thrilled the French

Twenty-three chefs who cooked for world royalty and heads of state (The Club des Chefs des Chefs) were, during their 1987 visit to the U.S., wined and... Read More

Broccoli Rabe with Caramelized Onions and Garlic

Broccoli is a major EnergyRich ?, food and strength builder. It is also crammed high with fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll and many other micro-nutrients and phyto-chemicals.Some of... Read More

How to Bake: Easy Sourdough Bread

A customer emailed us and said that her mother loved sourdough bread but had trouble making it work right. We shared the following recipe with her, which... Read More

Rice Noodles with Tomatoes and Tuna -A Savoury Gluten-free Alternative to Pasta

Ok. I never thought that the day would come when I would sing the praises of a rice noodle. Let alone consider it a valid, gluten-free alternative... Read More

Campfire Cooking (Some Yummy Recipes)

It's almost picnic and camping time across most of North America. For that next trip into the woods or at the park, consider these treats-especially for the... Read More

Raisin Roll Delight

Ingredients: ¾ cup cold water plus 2 Tablesps (very important) 6 Tablesps butter (¾ stick) ¾ cup vital wheat gluten flour 1/3 cup unbleached, all-purpose... Read More

Grandmas Peach Canning Recipe

Grandma loved to bake peach pies or top pancakes with peaches instead of syrup. During the summer months, she would buy baskets of seconds and freeze them.... Read More

Toasted Spiced Walnuts

You can trust me that I make sure to take care to have as EnergyRich? a vacation as possible (why come back from vacation feeling bloated, a... Read More

Bourbon BBQ Sauce

If you are seeking a very unique flavored bbq sauce for your next barbeque then you must try bourbon bbq sauce. This is a very unique sauce... Read More

Do You Ever Search For Quick recipes?

In the quest for more time, searching for quick recipes online can be a big help. Cutting time out of cooking will free up time for other... Read More

Gyokuro Cheesecake Recipe

This Gyokuro cheesecake makes an elegant dessert. Perfect for any occasion, and pretty easy to make. Gyokuro Cheesecake Ingredients 10 chocolate graham crackers ... Read More

New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

New York style cheesecake recipes are made with a combination of cream cheese and Italian cheese cakes made with ricotta cheese. In the early 1920's, this particular... Read More

How to Make Beer

Making beer is easy, inexpensive, and most of all, fun. With the rise in popularity of homebrewing, there are a wide variety of top quality ingredients available.You... Read More

All About Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake may be a 200 year-old American invention. With the advent of chemical leavenings in the early 1800's, biscuits became popular. Since strawberries have always been... Read More

Spinach Salad with Mango and Papaya

This is a great summer salad, leaving you refreshed even on the hottest days. For those who like to have a little protein with there salad, both... Read More

Dining With The Romans

Numerius was a slave and ate one meal a day consisting of gruel made with cracked wheat.While Spurius a plebian purchased his meals from street vendors,food shops... Read More

Fortunate Lemon Chicken

A delicious chicken meal for you to prepare at home. The lemon sauce is fresh and tangy and somehow I always end up eating too much :-).... Read More