Smaller Sundays

 Sundays used to be a big deal pre-pandemic. There were after church dinners with the extended family or brunches with friends. Now that's all changed . However we can still get together  - in smaller groups - with the same good food as before. We're just not going to go as crazy cooking and baking.

Most families celebrated the Sabbath with a good old fashioned roast. This could be roast beef or London Broil for beef lovers , turkey and chicken for fans of poultry and ham for cured meat aficionadoes. Some ethnic groups like the Germans had a good pork roast while the Greeks served a whole shoulder of lamb or the entire animal if celebrating a big event like a baptism or engagement. Now we have to think of less grandiose quantities for the immediate family. The best idea is to go small.Think eye round steaks which are perfect for individual portions or a 1.5 pound roast beef. You could go up to two pounds if you want leftovers for the week.As for turkey, try a six pound one which should give a small group ample servings and then some. Chicken can also be smaller in size or you can try Cornish hens. One Cornish hen comes in at one and a quarter pounds which can feed two adults. Two are perfect for a family of four.As for ham get a half one weighing in at five to ten pounds, enough for a table of five people. As for pork and lamb, consider chops. It's the same flavor but without all the extra meat. Chops are well loved and will go quickly. With these dinners come sides. Forget the big bowls of mashed potatoes and gravy along with three or four dishes of other  veggies. Serve baked potatoes with gravy instead and maybe have one green side like string beans almondine or tomatoes Provencale.

Brunches have always been big boozy affairs on Sunday. They were always a fun way of catching up and trying other's recipes if they were pot luck themed ones. Now brunches have been scaled down considerably with maybe three - four at the most gathering at someone's house. This means smaller dishes and maybe less variety. Quiche has always been a mainstay and at times the backbone of many a weekend brunch.  Downsize the recipe with individual ones in ramekins. You can also use your muffin pan to create mini quiches in different flavors, from the original quiche Lorraine to broccoli and onion flavored. Another idea is serving individual shrimp cocktails  with jumbo shrimp. Four each should satisfy hungry guests. Have them with a crisp green salad bursting with broccoli and cauliflower along with avocado slices. Already arranged charcuterie plates are another alternative idea. Instead of everyone grabbing from one platter, have various cold cuts, from prosciutto to mortadella and salami arranged on separate plates. Add cut slices of Italian or French bread and individual ramekins of the pickled Italian salad, giadineria for color and crunch. Dessert could be cups of freshly cut fruit or cupcakes, dusted with confectioners' sugar for a more sophisticated take. Of course have the mimosas and Bloody Mary's. It still is a brunch after all.

Sunday dinners and brunches are going to be smaller now. Yet that doesn't mean skimping on delicious dishes. You can still downsize and produce a meal that's a delicious way of celebrate friends and family.

Respect and Recipes

Today is All Soul's Day, a day when Catholics commemorate their departed loved ones. One of the best ways is to follow the Mexican tradition and making their favorite recipes. it could be a sweet. It could be a savory. It could be a recipe that's over a century old or some out a magazine.

One of the best way to honor one's ancestors and close family members is to continue with their heirloom dishes. If you're lucky some great-great-great grandmother wrote down recipes that were adapted through the centuries for modern cooking.Most families, including mine, relied on the oral tradition of passing down dishes. Memory helps too. Did any of my generation write the recipes down. I did - but only for the posts. Luckily such dishes as my great -grandmother's and great aunt's pumpkin soup recipe were made often. They were also explained step by step, which helps in memorizing them.The family felt that i would make these centuries old Piedmontese dishes when I was ready. Of course there was a bit of nervousness - actually a lot of it , recreating such dishes as risotto and tomatoes provencale in front of the masters. Heaven forbid you mess up a step or accidentally forget a certain spice or herb. Don't ever think of tweaking the recipe.

When I cook these recipes, I think of relatives long gone. It's a connection that everyone should have. This is a gift to the younger generations, especially those who love to cook. Keep in mind that  all recipes should now be stored on the computer. Google Docs has a recipe template where you can plug in ingredients and directions. For those that haven't compiled family recipes this template allows you to do so. Another plus with Google Docs is that you can send the recipes to family members who also have it and they can tweak or edit the recipes. Every branch of a family has several recipes. Combine these to create a cookbook that can be given out at family picnics or to welcome a new spouse to the family.If you do this , make sure to include a few blank pages in the back for the newcomer to add his or her family dishes. A nice idea  - and to continue a loved one's memory is to make the heirloom dishes for the holidays and important events like engagements and baptisms. There's bound to be a flood of memories as well as great stories too.

Today we remember those we have lost. Another way is through honoring the recipes they left us. We will make favorite and family dishes to make sure they are never forgotten.