Appreciation post for my grandma's handwritten recipe cards

Everyone raves about cooking apps and blogs but I found her stained index cards from 1982 in a shoebox last week and her banana bread recipe actually works without all the extra steps. Has anyone else found that old family recipes just hit different than modern versions?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_torres4424d ago

her banana bread recipe actually works without all the extra steps" - that's exactly it. My grandma's cornbread recipe is basically cornmeal, flour, egg, buttermilk, and a pinch of salt. No sugar, no honey, no weird ingredients. Modern recipes want you to add jalapeno and cheddar and whatnot. Her version tastes like Sunday dinners and it comes together in ten minutes flat. The old index cards cut out all the marketing garbage.

david_jones3824d ago

Man that cornbread thing is a good example but I gotta say... my grandma's cornbread always had a little sugar in it, just a tablespoon or two. Not enough to make it sweet cakey stuff but enough to bring out the corn flavor. She said it was the secret her own mother taught her back in the 40s. Everybody's grandma had their own little twist on things I guess, that's what makes those cards so special.

ruby_jones24d ago

No sugar?! Wait, hold on. You're telling me your grandma's recipe has absolutely zero sugar in it? That blows my mind a little bit, because I've never had cornbread that wasn't at least a tiny bit sweet. I mean, my own mom puts a whole quarter cup of sugar in hers, and she'd probably faint if she saw that bare bones list of ingredients. It's amazing how different families can be with the exact same basic dish, you know? Your grandma's version sounds like it would be super savory and perfect for sopping up beans or chili, though. I might have to try it that way just to see what all the fuss is about (and maybe not tell my mom I'm cheating on her recipe).