Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women

September 6, 2019 - Comment

A gorgeous, full-color illustrated cookbook and personal cultural history, filled with 100 mouthwatering recipes from around the world, that celebrates the culinary traditions of strong, empowering immigrant women and the remarkable diversity that is American food. Born in Italy, Anna Francese Gass came to the United States as a young child and grew up eating

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(as of 20 April 2020 12:48 AM EDT - Details)

A gorgeous, full-color illustrated cookbook and personal cultural history, filled with 100 mouthwatering recipes from around the world, that celebrates the culinary traditions of strong, empowering immigrant women and the remarkable diversity that is American food.

Born in Italy, Anna Francese Gass came to the United States as a young child and grew up eating her mother’s Italian cooking. But when this professional cook realized she did not know how to make her family’s beloved meatballs—a recipe that existed only in her mother’s memory—Anna embarked on a project to record and preserve her mother’s recipes for generations to come.

In addition to her recipes, Anna’s mother shared stories from her life in Italy that her daughter had never heard before, fascinating tales that whetted Anna’s appetite to learn more. So, Anna began reaching out to her friends whose mothers were also immigrants, and soon she was cooking with dozens of women who were eager to share their unique memories and the foods of their homelands.

In Heirloom Kitchen, Anna brings together the stories and dishes of forty strong, exceptional women, all immigrants to the United States, whose heirloom recipes have helped shape the landscape of American food. Organized by region, the 100 tantalizing recipes include:

Magda’s Pork Adobo from the PhillippinesShari’s Fesenjoon, a walnut and pomegranate stew, from IranTina’s dumplings from Northern ChinaAnna’s mother’s meatballs from Southern Italy

In addition to the dishes, these women share their recollections of coming to America—stories of hardship and happiness—that illuminate the power of food, and how cooking became a comfort and a respite in a new land for these women, as well as a tether to their native cultural identities.

Accented with 175 photographs, including food shots, old family photographs, and ephemera of the cooks’ first years in America—such as Soon’s recipe book pristinely handwritten in Korean or the measuring cup Anke tucked into her suitcase before leaving Germany—Heirloom Kitchen is a testament to female empowerment and strength, perseverance, diversity, and inclusivity. It is a warm and inspiring reminder that the story of immigrant food is, at its core, a story of America.

Profiled women and countries:

Gina (Calabria, Italy)

Maria (Calabria, Italy)

Lisetta (Sardinia, Italy)

Kanella (Greece)

Stacey (Scotland)

Emilia (Ukraine)

Tsilia (Ukraine)

Marina (Moscow)

Bea (Serbia)

Monika (Poland)

Susanne (Hamburg, Germany)

Anke (Berlin, Germany)

Tina (North China)

Daisy (South China)

Chizuko (Japan)

Soon (Korea)

Magda (Philippines)

Lydia (Philippines)

Khurshed (India)

Shobhana (India)

Shari (Iran)

Cheri (Iraq)

Lucy (Armenia)

Irene (Lebanon)

Shekaiba (Afghanistan)

Fethie (Palestine)

Nikita (Haiti)

Janet (Mexico)

Haydee (Puerto Rico)

Rocio (Peru)

Angela (Cuba)

Maria (Dominican Republic)

Morgana (Brazil)

Sheila (Panama)

Jennipher (Ghana)

Safoi (Morocco)

Amina (Egypt)

Comments

Anonymous says:

Cookbook to be shared for generations I have many cookbooks and was excited to order Heirloom by Anna Gass because it promised to be authentic and easy to follow unique recipes and ingredients you have in your kitchen. The illustrations are magnificent and directions easy. A LOT of time, talent and energy went into this beautifully crafted book. I’ve known Anna for years and she is not just a cook but a chef, creates tasty dishes and easy to make meals for her family. It’s a must have. So much so that I bought one for my…

Anonymous says:

Not your average cookbook… I received my hardcover copy of Heirloom Kitchen yesterday and I must say that I am thoroughly impressed with not only the recipes and stories within the book but also the quality of the book itself. The photography is absolutely stunning, the print is sharp, and paper quality and cover seems to be of a high grade (helpful for all of the spilling of ingredients which will no doubt make its way on to this lovely book while i am following the recipes :)What I also like about this…

Anonymous says:

Love , Culture and Good Food! 😍 Anna captures the heart of readers with the amazing stories of these wonderful women in a way that’s truly heart warming. The recipes are great and I can’t wait to try each one. In such a time as this in America , it’s great to have a book like this that celebrates love , food and different cultures! Food definitely brings people together !This book is a must have in every home !

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