We all know cooks who have a secret recipe that they will just not reveal to their doting fans. Kentucky Fried Chicken is perhaps the most famous for its secret “11 herbs and spice” recipe. Some recipes are kept secret for commercial reasons: professional chefs who have signature dishes, corporations who will not reveal all the ingredients in their marketed product, family recipes that want to be kept in the family as part of their traditions and legacy.
Whatever the reason, many cooks go to the grave with their secret recipe still unrevealed. Until now. Author Rosie Grant has released a new cookbook “To Die For — A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes” with 40 recipes that have been carved into headstones after the passing of the loved one.
Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson’s “Spritz Cookies”, Dr. Death’s “Ranch” dressing, Kinette Lee DeCota’s “Kim’s Carrot Cake” and “Cream Cheese Frosting” are some of the featured recipes along with stories and photos of their culinary creations, all made with love for their family and friends.
I know myself that my grandmothers died before revealing their recipes that often were not recorded but were passed down traditionally through oral stories, observation and practice. It was one of the reasons I wanted to write my own cookbook “For the Love of Food: Family Edition” so that our favourite dishes through five generations would continue to be passed down through the years. Food was and is a language of love in my family and there is much joy and celebration in the making and eating of our treasured creations. Now I am happy to say that, with my book, we do have a written record of recipes and meals to pass on through the family line.
Check out Rosie Grant’s newly released cookbook as well as my book “For the Love of Food: Family Edition.” They both are a tribute to those who use food as a language of love.