Flying Solo Without The Master

Today was my first big cooking day without my Mom's help. It was dicey to say the least and I made a vat of sauce for two simple helpings of ravioli. I have to get used to this  - cooking and life without her.

We were never one of those families who write down recipes. We figured if you've made it more than enough times, then it was engrained in your memory.It becomes a part of you. I had thought this but realized I was wrong. I do need our family recipes written down. Sadly, they all went with my Mom. I will never get the exact measurements for our Piedmontese stuffed cabbage rolls, pescoi That will have to be made from memory and what my brother can remember. As for the sauce, luckily there are recipes on the net that I can follow. The sauce was smooth, not rich however thanks to the inclusion of sugar. I use my own spin  dark honey in homemade sauces. As usual I panicked  simply because I sauteed the garlic too soon.it resulted in burnt cloves and popping oil. I also added way too much sauce which would have been perfect had I made two or three pounds of spaghetti.Instead it was only four helpings of ravioli.

For those of you who scoff at writing down family recipes, don't.. Write down everything, keep them on index cards. Staples still sells these. You can also type them up and print them out to create a family cookbook. (This is the perfect holiday and bridal shower gift). If you can include a picture of the dish do so. Write down exact measurements. A pinch of something for you is a dab for someone else  . Make sure the measurements are exact, from a 3/4 of a teaspoon to 1/8 of  a cup. Also make sure the ingredients are the exact same ones. You can't sub in cinnamon for coriander or use an oat flour for a white one. Variations can be included,especially if there are allergies running through the bloodlines.Also give credit where credit is due. My Mom's apple pie recipe was taken by a few in-laws and it became their signature dish, with their branches giving them the acclaim. If Nama made the nutmeg Snickerdoodles, add her name, with the first and last name, and possibly the date it was first made. Include any family history regarding it too,Stories get lost from generation to generation.

I'm flying solo these days. I hate it. I wish my Mom and I had written down our family recipes.I need exact measurements with exact ingredients.