so this all began as a blog devoted to my grandmother and her efforts to cook and provide for a traditionally large Catholic family. There is, amongst the women, a cookbook of recipes – some are hers, some are from friends some are cut out and included because they were tried and tested and made someone, or everyone in the family happy. But there are many elements to cooking, and family that are not explicit in the recipes.

For one, most of them make large quantities, very large. Indicative of a large family and later of entertaining (be it family or friends). My mother has done nothing to aid in the transformation of these recipes to being family (fourish) sized. If anything, the portions are the same and the amount has actually doubled.

Entertaining is huge in my family, and I used to think that it was huge in my life; that I needed more than myself and my son and a husband to entertain. It is just no the case. Though I love my friends dearly and love having them over to eat and to cook, the acts within the confines of ones family are even more intimate and meaningful. To be fair, the act of creating memories always is.

I presently have no need to cook for more than one routinely and thus, in this situation, one turns to ones friends and shares these moments with them. Here in the comfort of our homes, neighborhoods and porches we begin the creation of our own cookbooks.