Food To Keep In The Family

Family recipes are the stuff of dinner table legend. Close-guarded secrets passed down on food spattered cards and culinary customs that bring extra pleasure to mealtimes.

If you think your family recipe binder could do with a boost, try these tricks to add more meals to your household’s food traditions.

Recipes passed on from family or friends are the foundation of food traditions. Great dishes that become part of our repertoire like grandma’s beautifully moist Christmas cake or a lemon drizzle recipe so good you’re happy to share it.

Next time you’re tucking into that beloved apple tart, don’t forget to ask for the recipe. All the better if you can get it hand-written.

Of course, what you thought was great aunt Lucy’s famous gingerbread may turn out to be a Good Housekeeping recipe (Friends episode ‘The one with Phoebe’s cookies’ springs to mind here). But who cares? It’s who it reminds you of that counts.

Standout meals from younger years are a great source for family food traditions. Cast your mind back to dishes you loved growing up, the ones that spark happy memories and still make your mouth water.

Maybe it’s a secret recipe bolognaise or super comforting mac ’n’ cheese with your family’s special twist (pancetta in the sauce, sliced tomatoes layered on top).

Or perhaps it’s a Sunday lunch ritual that you’d like to start up again. The crispiest roasties you still dream about (like these), plate-sized Yorkshire puds, unbeatable parsnips – there’ll be plenty to choose from!

Tap into heritage for delicious recipes to add to your kitchen customs. A little search of the family tree could lead you to new favourites you’d never thought to try before.

Find regional dishes that fit the bill, or look further afield for Mediterranean flavours and global meals that mean something to you.

Lastly, if there are meals that get everyone running to the table at dinner time then these should definitely become part of your family’s food traditions. Taco Tuesdays, grilled chicken with a special barbeque sauce – pick recipes you’ve tried and love but make them your own by swapping a few ingredients to make them unique.

As for those cookies, don’t do like the above-mentioned Phoebe’s grandmother, have a truly great recipe up your sleeve to bake now and pass on. This one for everything cookies is just the job as it encourages you to vary the additions so you can create your very own secret recipe.

Why take the time? Because food with memories tastes all the better and future generations will thank you for it. Enjoy!