Author Archives: heritagerecipebox

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About heritagerecipebox

I am named after my great-grandmother, who only prepared two dishes, according to anyone who remembers. Somehow I ended up with a cooking gene that I brought with me from Richmond, Virginia to my current home in Boston, Massachusetts. I have worked as a journalist and published three cookbooks plus a memoir and a novel. This blog gives me a chance to share family recipes and other American recipes with a past.

New Year Tradition: Tea, Cakes, Egg Nog

Posted on December 31, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

Most Americans associate champagne and caviar with the New Year, but other traditions pre-date that. The Puritans used to visit each other for tea and cookies on New Year’s Day. New Year’s receptions hosted by women became popular in the … Continue reading →

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Cranberries for Chanukah

Posted on December 22, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

This year marks one of the rare times that the first night of Chanukah coincides with Christmas Eve. Interfaith families might be lighting candles while waiting for Santa. My favorite latke recipe never changes but this year I decided to … Continue reading →

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Follow Me to Tennessee Cookies

Posted on December 19, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

I’ve been waiting to try recipes from The Pear Tree, a cookbook from the Junior League of Knoxville, Tennessee (1977), ever since my daughter and I sped out of Nashville just ahead of a major storm in 2015. The book’s … Continue reading →

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German Gingerbread from the Family

Posted on December 15, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

It’s been more than 100 years since my German ancestors arrived in the United States but traces of the Old Country remain in our recipe boxes. This recipe for lebkuchen, a German gingerbread, appears on two different cards in two … Continue reading →

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Cranberry Cheer

Posted on November 22, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

The cranberry, a fruit native to America, brings a welcome splash of color to the Thanksgiving table each year. My berries usually come from eastern Massachusetts, even though Wisconsin is the nation’s leading cranberry producer. Americans everywhere crave cranberries at … Continue reading →

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Sweet Potatoes for Presidents

Posted on November 20, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1863 during Abraham Lincoln’s administration, and most U.S. Presidents have put sweet potatoes on their holiday tables ever since.

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More Comfort Food: Hamburger Stew

Posted on October 30, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

My sister recently passed away, a loss like no other. It will take a lot more than a casserole to comfort me, but I craved something easy that could be easily refrigerated and reheated.

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Comfort Food: Bread for Brides

Posted on October 12, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

After the loss of our two beloved family pets within a month, I barely wanted to grocery shop, let alone cook. I’m slowly regaining the kitchen by making comfort food – familiar dishes that demand little creativity and deliver the … Continue reading →

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A Well-Traveled White Lady Cocktail

Posted on September 11, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

Whenever my son arrives for a visit from Germany, where he now lives, he brings recipes for us to try together – always an adventure!

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A Musical Feast

Posted on August 17, 2016 by heritagerecipebox

Concertgoers at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts outside Washington, D.C. have taken their picnics seriously ever since the park officially opened in 1971. The Wolf Trap Picnic Cookbook (1976) details all the sumptuous dishes that people brought … Continue reading →

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