This morning, I’m headed over to my mother-in-law’s house to learn how to make a couple of Dave’s family’s recipes. I’m pretty sure the Chestnut & Sausage Stuffing is New England fare, but the kale made with onion, kielbasa, oatmeal dish is Northern German.

My family isn’t much of what I might call “food traditionalists”. No real secret family recipes or food traditions except for maybe Christmas. My parent’s use to order half-cooked pizzas from our favorite pizza place (which has since closed) on Christmas Eve so we could cook them “fresh” for dinner Christmas Day. Thanksgiving has frequently meant anything but turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pies. From what I remember neither of my Grandmother’s are (or ever were) much for special family recipes either. I suppose that isn’t entirely strange though. Spending all that time cooking probably doesn’t appeal to a lot of families these days.

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY desire to get into to all those food traditions. I want there to be special HOMEMADE recipes that only get fixed maybe twice a year and everyone loves. None of this stuffing from a box, mashed potatoes from a box, pie from a box and pre-prepared turkeys. Now I just need to master these culinary art forms! I already make a pretty yummy mashed potato and I’ve made one or two decent turkeys. Oh, and I’m getting the hang of homemade gravy too. So I’m looking forward to learning a couple of new (to me) traditional family recipes today.

One thing I wish one of my Grandmother’s had been good at and shown me how to make is a biscuit. Biscuits and I mean great biscuits are rare and I certainly can’t make them. Bisquick just doesn’t cut it. A nice buttery, flakey melt in your mouth biscuit is what I want to learn to make. I need to find a nice old Southern grandma to teach me biscuit making!