Recipes from the Heart

JUDITH ELLISON SHENOUDA

The idea for the family and friends cookbook I wrote came about during a phone call to move the conversation from stories of woe to a topic of joy⎯ favorite childhood recipes. I’m not much of a cook or baker, but I can put a book together if others provide the recipes. They did so and provided tidbits along the way⎯tips when preparing or serving the dish, the occasion when the dish was served, those gathered to enjoy the treat, and more. Here’s a taste of the contents of A Bisl of This, A Bisl of That: Eating Our Way. It starts with this recipe for happiness provided by my cousin, Maxine Paikin Skurk, who since has passed away. Here are the recipe and story as they appear in the cookbook

A Recipe for Happiness

2 heaping cups of patience

1 heart full of love

2 handfuls of generosity

Sprinkle with kindness. Add plenty of faith. Mix well, spread over a period of a lifetime, and serve to everyone you meet.

—Author unknown

“I love this. I place it on my Thanksgiving table every year.”

Another fun recipe in the cookbook came from my cousin, Rhoda Pierce, who graciously has provided permission to share her recipe and the story as they appear in the cookbook.

Banana Split

Make sure you have

- one cook, fleet of feet

- money to purchase bananas

In a suitable ice cream dish, add in the sequence listed

- 3 scoops of ice cream, any flavor

- 1 banana, thinly sliced

- syrup of your choosing, such as chocolate, with sprinkles

- various fruits, such as pineapples and cherries (particularly delicious)

- heaps of whip cream

Serve with a smile.

Write a slip and accept the money at the cash register. (This is not necessary if one creates this dish at home.)

“I spent so much time in the drugstore with my dad that some of my best recollections of childhood have to do with working behind the soda fountain. There was always ice cream, syrup, and toppings, but occasionally we would run out of bananas. Often I would run out the back door of the drugstore, race across the back parking lot to the supermarket to quickly purchase a dozen bananas, and dash back to the store without the customers knowing I had gone.

Oh, the good old days—how sweet they were, serving ice cream and a smile to the customers at Card’s Drug Store in Hornell, NY.”

- Rhoda Pierce

More About the Book

In A Bisl of This, A Bisl of That: Eating Our Way, you’ll discover ways to take a bisl (little) of this and that, make a mishmash, cook, bake, eat, kibbitz (chat), and enjoy. You’ll find snippets of family lore — recollections of cooks and kitchens that continue to nourish and sustain— along with recipes from Eastern European and other traditions in these categories: Meat, Seafood, Chicken, More Poultry, Carbs and Cheeses, Veggies, Fruits, Cakes and Loaves, Cookies and Pastries, and Pies. You can easily adapt the recipes to suit your dietary habits and culinary preferences. For a delicious sense of Eating Our Way, follow the recipes, tweak them as you like, and please any crowd gathered around your table. When your fans rave about your very tasty treats, simply tell them that they, too, can delight others. All they need are the recipes for eating well and the stories for living well found within these jam-packed, food-filled pages.

Judith Ellison Shenouda is owner of Shenouda Associates Inc., where she assists with the book publishing process and researches, writes, and edits publications that streamline processes, launch products, and promote each client’s brand. She is the author of four books, including A Bisl of This, A Bisl of That: Eating Our Way. For more information, see https://easescommunication.com.