|
 In
1913, a young Polish couple crossed the ocean aboard a ship and
arrived in America in search of a better life. Since that time,
four generations of Lyczak, Pilck and Grywalsky offspring have
grown and thrived in the United States, and although many miles
separate the family members today, they still make an effort
to remain close. One such effort is evident in their recently
published family cookbook called "Flavors of the Generations."
Sandy Broom is one of the "baby
boomers" from the family. She initiated the cookbook and
coordinated the project with G&R Publishing in Waverly, Iowa.
Broom hopes it will preserve a piece of her family's history
in a permanent way.
"All the cousins in my generation
of our family developed a special bond as we grew up together
and heard the family stories," she says. "We want our
children and grandchildren to share those bonds too."
 Across
the melting pot of America, families are self-publishing cookbooks
that celebrate their family's unique culinary heritage. Generations
come together to contribute recipes for favorite dishes rich
in tradition, sentiment and cultural significance.
For this family, like many others,
holidays and family gatherings have often centered around meals
and traditional ethnic foods. As the generations spent time together,
crowded around a huge table at grandma's house, the older members
told stories and shared important family traditions. Laughter
and a warm sense of belonging mingled with the delicious aromas
of home cooking wafting from the kitchen.
Flipping through the pages of
the family cookbook offers a touching glimpse into that kitchen
and brings back fond memories for the whole family.
"Some of the traditional
Polish foods were only prepared and eaten at Christmas or Easter
and they were truly comfort foods," Broom says. The cookbook
preserves in print these old traditional recipes that had been
handed down verbally from mother to daughter through the years,
such as Christmas Eve Hubi Soup and Paska (Easter bread).
But the cookbook also includes
modern, easy-to-use recipes for today's busy families. Family
members shared all their favorite recipes so the dishes in the
book truly span the generations and keep up with today's changing
lifestyles.
With the help of G&R Publishing,
the book is also a historical scrapbook. At the front of the
book, Broom included a family tree covering eight generations
and important highlights of the family's history, written in
story form.
"We dedicated the cookbook
to the memory of our matriarch, Apolonia Lyczak Pilck Grywalsky
and all of the other relatives who helped create our family traditions,"
she says. The back pages feature memorials with photos to pay
tribute to loved ones who were the backbone of the family through
the years. Broom hopes these extra features will help the younger
children and grandchildren learn about and hold onto their family
roots.
The group considered compiling
the family history and recipes in a simple pamphlet to share
at their triennial family reunion, but they decided a professional
cookbook would be a more lasting and meaningful tribute to their
heritage. Broom sees the book as a practical keepsake that will
be used regularly for everyday meal preparation. Each time family
members look at the photos or create each other's favorite dishes
in their own kitchens, their sense of family connections is reinforced.
G&R Publishing has helped
customers create custom cookbooks for families, churches, schools,
nonprofit groups, businesses and fundraisers for 35 years. "I
had checked out other companies," says Broom, "but
G&R was the most affordable and they were the only ones willing
to put together the book we really wanted. They were so helpful
and willing to make it work for our family."
Broom says that the cookbooks
will be circulated at their upcoming family reunion and she's
sure they'll be a big hit. The proceeds from the sale of the
book will be used to cover the costs of this reunion and future
ones, ensuring that family bonds can continue to grow strong.
Besides using the book for everyday cooking, she envisions youngsters
even using it as a resource for school projects on their family
history.
Recipe: Polish
Meatballs (Submitted by Janet Prymas for the "Flavors
of the Generations" cookbook)
"I am confident that 'Flavors
of the Generations' will help preserve our humble beginnings
and keep our family connected as we reminisce and cook together
across the miles," she says.
For more information on custom
cookbooks for families, visit www.gandrpublishing.com , or call (800) 383-1679.
Courtesy of ARAcontent.
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