Recently someone on Facebook asked people to talk about the words of wisdom passed down in the family. And I couldn't think of a single thing. You see, I come from a family that really hasn't passed much down - no family heirlooms, few family stories, no words of wisdom, and definitely no cooking in the kitchen.
I didn't learn how to cook until I got married. One of my wedding or shower gifts was the ubiquitous orange-red Betty Crocker cookbook. I followed those recipes faithfully and eventually branched out to other cookbooks, even attempting various ethnic recipes. But one thing I realized early on - while I was a good cook, I enjoyed the cookbooks more than the cooking. Even today, I have a whole bookcase (and several boxes) of cookbooks - and I rarely cook.
My grandmothers were very different cooks. My maternal grandmother tended to cook things very well done. She nonchalantly scraped off the burnt toast, cut off the very brown ends of a piece of meat. Yet I don't remember that her food tasted bad. I can't even remember much of what she cooked except that it seemed to be mostly chicken dishes. I still have a couple of her dessert recipes that were quite tasty. My grandmother was a working mother -- on the farm where there was always more than enough work to go around - and then as a single mother when my grandfather was killed in a mining accident. She was left to support two young children, and I never knew her not to work. Cooking may not have been a priority in her life.
We visited my paternal grandparents in southern Illinois three or four times a year and I usually spent some time with them each summer. Each time we came to visit, my grandmother would make roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, which I still love today. She was a great pie baker. I especially remember her peach pie as being amazing. The peaches would have been fresh peaches from nearby Cobden, a town known for growing peaches. We were always well-fed whenever we visited.
I didn't inherit my maternal grandmother's burnt edges or the great pie baking ability from my paternal grandmother. Still, those meals were definitely a big part of my childhood.
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MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER
Stella Mae (Edwards) Butzek, born 23 July 1912, Corinth, Williamson County, Illinois, daughter of George Elmus and Olive Isabel (Pogue) Edwards. Died January 1, 1989, Blue Island, Cook County, Illinois. Married 9 May 1931, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois to Anthony Butzek (Martinek). Had two children, both living, including my mother.
PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER
Florence (Halliday) Martin, born 15 February 1897, What Cheer, Keokuk County, Iowa, daughter of Robert and Margaret (Clark) Halliday, died 10 July 1967, West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois. Married 1) 25 January 1916, Albia, Monroe County, Iowa to Harold R. Edwards. Divorced. Married 2) 12 September 1925, Albia, Monroe County, Iowa to George Michael Martin.
Children:
- Richard Eugene Edward, 1916-1934
- June Lorraine Martin 1926-1978
- George Robert Martin 1929-2015
