Darci Hannah, Creamy Potato and Sausage Soup Recipe, Giveaway

DARCI HANNAH: A couple of weeks ago John and I had all our kids home for a lovely October weekend visit. This was a very special event indeed, since our oldest son, daughter-in-law, and grandson live outside of Seattle, WA, and our middle son and his fiancé live outside of Charlotte, NC. We feel especially blessed to have our youngest son and his girlfriend in the area, but like us, he misses his older brothers. So, when everyone decided to come home for a fall visit, it was a cause for celebration.

One of the highlights of the visit was when Seattle Jim and Carolina Cayce decided to get in the kitchen together to make a cozy, belly-warming pot of creamy sausage potato soup. It was Cayce’s idea to make the soup. I had a recipe, and Cayce had a version that she’d committed to memory. We decided to combine our efforts for the perfect, yummy fall meal.

Now, I should tell you that our oldest son, Seattle Jim is an outstanding amateur cook and is known for executing complicated recipes that often take days to make. His work in the kitchen is so inspiring that I even turned him into a character in my upcoming release: A TOAST TO AGATHA CHRISTIE’S GHOST. Jim is a software engineer and really puts those engineering skills to the test in the kitchen.  

Carolina Cayce, my future daughter-in-law, is also a fabulous cook. Her background is in hospitality, catering, and sales, and she really has a gift for selecting outstanding flavor profiles, creating unique cocktails and dishes, and making delicious meals with a southern flare. She likes to say she cooks from the heart! 

Seattle Jim and Carolina Cayce in the kitchen with Finley!

So, when these two very different cooks from opposite sides of the country got together, I was loving every minute of it! Cayce took the lead while Jim was her sous chef. The two worked so well together in the kitchen that I will demand an encore at Thanksgiving. Although Jim, with his technical expertise, did question Cayce’s methods a time or two, Cayce always had the perfect reply. “Jim, I cook from the heart!” End of story! Below is my recipe for Creamy Sausage Potato Soup with an addendum for Cayce’s Method, which brought the soup to another, creamier level. Choose your own adventure and enjoy!

Creamy Sausage Potato Soup

Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 40 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

(This recipe uses an emersion blender. See *Cayce’s Method for another option.)

Ingredients:

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes.

1 package Italian sausage, (about 1 pound) cooked, sliced, and quartered.

1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped (1 cup for soup, plus more for garnish)

32 oz. chicken broth

2 tbs butter

1 large onion, diced small

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded cheddar cheese for garnish

Directions

Split the pound of bacon and cook the first half lightly. This will be chopped into half-inch pieces and put into soup. Cook the second batch until crispy. This will be crumbled for garnish. Cook sausage, cool, and chop into quarter-inch pieces.

Melt butter in the bottom of a large pot. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and tender. Next add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are soft and tender. 

Using a slotted spoon, remove half the potatoes to another pot. Add a cup of the hot liquid. Using an emersion blender, blend the potatoes until thick and creamy. Add the blended potatoes to the larger pot and continue to simmer. Add the sausage, bacon, and the 2 cups of heavy cream. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes, until the bacon and sausage are warmed through. 

Add the chopped kale. Cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes, or until the kale has softened. Stir the pot, then serve immediately. Garnish with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon!

*Cayce’s Method: As Cayce told Jim while cooking, she cooks from the heart, and the heart requires more ingredients! Cayce’s method for this potato soup was to leave all the potatoes in the pot and make a rue to thicken the soup instead. She also added some lovely, diced carrots and celery to the mix. The carrots and celery were added to the pot with the rest of the aromatics, and sautéed in butter before the potatoes went in. Omit the cream. The cream comes in later, as you will see.

For Cayce’s rue:

1 stick butter

½ cup flour

4 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. 

Add the flour and stir until a thick paste is formed. Slowly add milk while stirring continuously. 

Once rue is thickened, add cream. Season to taste. 

Once the potatoes in the soup pot are tender, add the sausage and bacon. Next, slowly stir in the rue. Cook over medium heat until the soup is thickened. Add the chopped kale and cover the pot with a lid. Turn off the heat and let soup stand for five minutes. Serve immediately. Garnish with shredded cheese and bacon.

You can print a copy of the recipe HERE!

*To enter to win a copy of Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off let me know what your favorite fall soup is in the comments below. 

 Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, the Food & Spirits Mystery Series, the Very Cherry Mystery Series, and two works of historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall. Darci grew up in the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. Passionate about family, dogs, food, baking, history, books, lighthouses, laughter, good conversations, coffee, and the paranormal, Darci feels especially blessed to have found a way to combine her interests in the stories she writes. It brings her great joy to be able to share them with you. 

Connect with Darci at www.darcihannah.com

Instagram: @authordarcihannah

Facebook: @Author Darci Hannah

Murder at the Campfire Cookout

By Darci Hannah

Book #7 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

When Lindsey Bakewell leaves behind her lighthouse bakeshop, her boyfriend, Rory, and her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, for a glamping trip with her mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the bears leave them alone—but a killer doesn’t. . .

Converting the old Beacon Point lighthouse into a bakery is as adventurous as Lindsey cares to get. Her mother, Ellie, a former 80s fashion model, likes her creature comforts even more—until she sees a business opportunity for her Beacon Harbor fashion boutique when she’s invited by the Mitten Kittens Glamping Club on a woodsy getaway.

Far from roughing it, the ladies will be warm and cozy in chic vintage campers. Ellie insists Lindsey come along to win the campfire cookout contest. Campfire cooking has come a long way from bacon and beans. Soon Lindsey is making pizza, berry cobbler, and gooey Carmelita camping bars.

But the festive spirit is soon dampened when a body is found in Ellie’s camper. It seems like an accidental death until everyone’s tires are slashed and it’s clear the glampsite has become a crime scene. With no cell service to call for help, it’s up to Lindsey to smoke out the killer around the campfire . . .

Because no one is out of the woods yet.

A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle

By Darci Hannah

Book #2 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

When chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought “spirits” meant cocktails. Instead, she’s cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear. And to her surprise, she’s discovered abilities to connect with the beyond—and crack murder cases . . .

Now that Bunny’s entrées come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who’s friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle. During Bunny’s childhood she heard all about Dundoon’s bloody history and the “ghostly piper” who roamed the grounds—and soon she’ll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars. The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper’s honor will make for some good footage as well. 

After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb chops with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt. But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch. The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe . . . and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide—and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free . . .

COMING FEBRUARY 23, 2027

A TOAST TO AGATHA CHRISTIE’S GHOST

By Darci Hannah

Book #3 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!

Chef Bunny MacBride has gotten roped into a ghost-hunting reality show called Food & Spirits, creating dishes to whet the appetites of apparitions. Along the way, she’s discovered she has some supernatural gifts of her own—and an eerie knack for solving murders…

The cast and crew are on Burgh Island, at a restored Art Deco hotel that boasts Agatha Christie as its most famous guest—and now its most famous ghost. They’re filming at a murder-mystery weekend, and Bunny expects it to be more kooky than spooky. But she’s excited to meet the renowned resident chef and delighted to run into her Granny Mac playing the role of Miss Marple. As a bonus, her romance with costar Brett continues to simmer.

The downside is dealing with arrogant guests like Buckley Thorne, who sends back her beetroot salad and demands whipped cream for her peach Melba. Then the show’s phony psychic, Giff, insists on playing Poirot, complete with an absurdly bad accent. When it turns out the victim role is assigned to Buckley Thorne, she feels a touch of satisfaction—until she realizes he’s doing too good a job of playing dead . . .

Shocked to learn Buckley’s true identity, Bunny has to change course once again from cook to crime-solver. She’d sensed an undercurrent of drama at the dead man’s table—and with help from the spirit of the world’s greatest mystery writer, she’s looking closely at the victim’s handsome son, much-younger wife, and elegant circle of friends to conjure up a solution . . .

Red Lentil and Spinach Soup from Leslie Budewitz

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  Here in the Kitchen, we love soup! (In fact, we celebrated it last month when we gathered Around the Kitchen Table and talked about some of our favorites.)

This soup is full of flavor and all the goodness (and vitamins!) of fall vegetables. It’s thick and comforting, and just what the body needs in winter. We loved the chunky texture of soft lentils and veggies, though if you prefer a creamier soup, use a blender or immersion blender before adding the spinach. And it’s great for vegetarians, vegans, and those who eat gluten-free. 

Like most of us, I suspect, I don’t usually make my own vegetable stock, buying it in cartons. Those tend to be 32 ounces or 4 cups, so for this, I used one carton and 2 cups of water, not wanting to leave half a box in the fridge. With so many veggies in the mix, I didn’t think we lost any flavor through the substitution. 

In my Spice Shop mysteries, Pepper often says smoked paprika may be her favorite spice, “but don’t tell the others.” The generous amount used here adds to the lovely red color of the lentils, and gives a smoky flavor I love. If you’re worried about heat, make sure you’re using smoked sweet paprika; the amount of cumin is enough for flavor without heat. 

The lemon adds a bit of brightness, but be careful, as it can quickly overwhelm other flavors. A few drops in each bowl is plenty. The zest is a delight. 

Serve with cheesy bread and enjoy!

PS: I finally figured out how to embed a PDF of the recipe for easy printing. 

Scroll down to the 💕 for the link. 

Red Lentil and Spinach Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon grated ginger, fresh or jarred

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced celery (2 stalks) 

1 cup diced carrot (about 2 carrots, depending on size)

1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 1/4 cup diced white or yellow potato (roughly one large)

1 1/2 cups red lentils

6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

4 cups baby spinach

1 lemon zested and cut into wedges

In a stock pot, over medium-low heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic and ginger and saute 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant, but stopping before the garlic changes color. 

Add the onion and celery and sauté an additional 4-5 minutes, until the onions become translucent. 

Add carrots, paprika, cumin, and salt. Stir well and sauté another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes and lentils, and stir well to coat with the spices. 

Pour in 4 cups of stock. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until lentils and potatoes are soft. 

Add spinach and remaining 2 cups stock (or water). Cover and cook until spinach is wilted, 3 - 5 minutes. Taste and add additional salt if needed. 

Spoon into bowls. Add a quick squeeze of lemon and top with about ½ teaspoon of lemon zest.  

Serves 6. 

Is it soup weather in your neck of the woods? What are your favorites? 

💕 Click here for a free printable PDF! 

At Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . .  

Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who’s taken to the hills. 

Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there’s one in every pocket. 

Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz’s success, and a local growers’ cooperative. She’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. 

As Pepper’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION, now available in in paperback and ebook 

Take a step back in time with All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection of historical short mysteries, featuring the Agatha-Award winning "All God's Sparrows" and other stories imagining the life of real-life historical figure Mary Fields, born into slavery in 1832, during the last thirty years of her life, in Montana. Out September 17, 2024 from Beyond the Page Publishing.  

“Finely researched and richly detailed, All God’s Sparrows and Other Stories is a wonderful collection. I loved learning about this fascinating woman . . . and what a character she is! Kudos to Leslie Budewitz for bringing her to life so vividly.” —Kathleen Grissom, New York Times bestselling author of Crow Mary

Available at Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million * Bookshop.org * and your local booksellers!

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle's Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries, set in NW Montana. As Alicia Beckman, she writes moody, standalone suspense, most recently Blind Faith. She is the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories: Best Nonfiction (2011), Best First Novel (2013), and Best Short Story (2018). Her latest books are To Err is Cumin, the 8th Spice Shop Mystery and All God's Sparrows and Other Stories: A Stagecoach Mary Fields Collection, in September 2024. Watch for Lavender Lies Bleeding, the 9th Spice Shop Mystery, on July 15, 2025.

A past president of Sisters in Crime and former national board member of Mystery Writers of America, Leslie lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine. 

Swing by Leslie's website and join the mailing list for her seasonal newsletter. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.

Around the Kitchen Table: Still-Good Childhood Foods + 6-Book #Giveaway!

MADDIE DAY here, delighted to kick off this month's discussion around the kitchen table. Hello, November! That means tomorrow is my birthday. Last year at this time we chatted about birthday meals we have known and loved, so we're not going to repeat that topic. (We're not even going to delve into the controversial topic of the time change and at which end of the day you'd rather have darkness....)

But my birthday always makes me think about my childhood with my family. When I was a kid in southern California many, many years ago, I would have said my favorite foods were avocados, canned tamales, fresh peaches, Twinkies, roasted chicken, pumpkin pie, and homemade thick chocolate milkshakes, in no particular order. Eclectic, right?

David, Edith (now aka Maddie), Janet, and Barbara in age order

My mom, Marilyn, wasn't an accomplished savory cook. Her mother never let her into the kitchen. My father's mother did give Marilyn gentle lessons after she married my father, but they had different cooking and eating styles.

Marilyn and Allan as 1946 newlyweds, San Marino, California

On top of that, my mother had three picky children and a husband who didn't like onions (he was a sweetheart, but not into complicated foods) to feed. I was the only non-picky eater and shared that with my mother. On our table, canned and frozen foods shared equal billing with fresh. A head of fresh garlic never entered the kitchen, and pre-packaged seasonings were big. The pressure cooker got a lot of use, and most meats were baked to a dry version I would never eat today. 

Still, Mommy put dinner for six on the table every night, always with protein, starch, vegetable, and salad, plus glasses of milk. Being a woman with a sweet tooth, dessert afterwards was never neglected.

So today, let's talk around the table about foods you ate as a kid that you still enjoy today. Which meals have withstood the test of time?

For me, I'd have to say roasted chicken is very much still in the rotation on my dinner table. My mom used a seasoning packet, but I have a great dry rub recipe I use, and we always spatchcock the bird to let it roast more evenly. I shared that recipe here a few years ago.

Pumpkin pie survives, too, except I use butter instead of the Crisco my mom made her crusts with. I generally follow the recipe on the Libby's pumpkin can, but I cut down on the canned milk and double the spices, a trick from one of my grandmothers. Yum!

My Thanksgiving pies from last year

Our family regularly had spaghetti with meat sauce, which Mommy made with ground meat, a can of tomatoes, and a seasoning packet. My version usually has homemade meatballs and home-roasted tomato sauce with home-grown garlic and basil. I should add that Twinkies fell off my menu before I turned eighteen and have not returned!

MLKers, which childhood foods do you still eat, 
and how have you revised the recipe?

🐔🥑🍝 

VMBURNS: I never thought of myself as a picky eater. There are very few things that I don't like. I pretty much ate everything except tomatoes, beets, and avocados. My sister on the other hand, was extremely picky. She doesn't like eggs, cheese, or chocolate. My mom tried to find things that everyone liked, which meant she never made meals with a noticeable amount of cheese or chocolate. My sister learned to skip egg dishes and I am a master at removing bits of tomatoes from everything. It was fun when we ate out because I would remove tomatoes and scrape them onto my sister's plate as I pilfered any cheese that landed on hers.

One meal that we all enjoyed as children that is still high on my list is my mom's sweet potato pie. My sister's pies come closest to the way my mom's pie tasted. Over the years, I've tweaked the recipe. My mom's pie had more spices. She included cinnamon and nutmeg. I just use nutmeg and added evaporated milk. Either version is delicious and always reminds me of home and family.

🐔🥑🍝

KIM DAVIS: Growing up in Southern California, Mexican food was often served at home for dinners as well as our chosen cuisine when dining out. My dad grew jalapeños in our backyard garden and then pickled them when they matured. No matter what dish was served the jalapeños were frequently offered alongside, and I readily piled them. Tacos—with fried corn tortillas—were in a regular rotation for dinners along with my request for them for my birthday dinner. My mom often made homemade refried beans and Spanish rice to serve alongside. When she had extra time, she made Chiles Rellanos Casserole, which turned into another one of our favorites. But we found out the hard way, while entertaining guests no less, that you really should remove the seeds and membrane from the Anaheim green peppers unless you want to scorch everyone’s mouths, lol! 

My family always had dessert too, and my mom was partial to fruit-based pies and cobblers, like this Busy-Day Blackberry Cobbler. 

🐔 🥑 🍝

LESLIE KARST: My mom was a pretty darn good cook--especially given the decades during which she was making dinner every night for a family of six. Since both my parents grew up in Southern California and then we moved back there in the mid-'60s, we ate a lot of Mexican food when I was a kid. And stir-fry, too (which my dad called "broke back wok," given his job of chopping up all the veggies).

I still adore both of those cuisines, but nothing brings me back to 1968 Santa Monica like my mom's easy-as-pie quiche Lorraine.  She had a "cheaty" recipe using evaporated milk which I still use to this day, as it's simply scrumptious.  

Here's to moms, for all the cooking they did for us over all of those years!  

 🌿 🌽 🌿

VICKI DELANY: Childhood food memories, what a great topic. The meals our mothers (very rarely fathers in my generation) cooked for us and the gatherings around the kitchen table are some of the most memorable moments of anyone’s childhood.  My mom was considered an adventurous cook: she made ‘Chinese food’, which today we’d just call stir-fry (and an overly sweet stir-fry at that).  Shows you what an ‘adventurous’ cook meant in my childhood  – we never had Mexican food, or any pasta other than spaghetti with red sauce. And so many dishes made with cans of tomato soup. Spaghetti made with Campbell’s tomato soup, pork chops or meat loaf with mushroom soup sauce.

I rarely, as in just about never, make any meals as my mother did when I was a child, with the clear exception of the holiday turkey and stuffing, but I do cherish many of her baking recipes and still use them today. For example, this family eternal favourite for Christmas cookies. Mom always just called them Christmas cookies, but I adapted the name Stained-glass Cookies when I started sharing the recipe.

Mystery Lovers' Kitchen: Vicki Delany’s Stained Glass Cookies #Christmas #Christmascookies

BTW, at almost 102, my mom is still around and still lively, and still looking forward to her yearly treat of Christmas cookies. 

                                                              🌿 🌽 🌿 

LESLIE  BUDEWITZ: Like Vicki, I rarely cook the kinds of dinners I grew up with -- heavy on the canned soup and vegetables, and "hot dish" casseroles on Fridays that were the perfect solution to my father's unpredictable work schedule. (He was a traveling sales rep for a furniture company, on the road 4 nights a week, and we were not always sure when he'd cross the threshold on Friday afternoon or evening.) But my mother was a terrific cookie and pie baker, and I often use her recipes, though with some adaptations. I could never convince her that her banana bread wouldn't sink in the middle, which she often complained about, if she added an extra tablespoon or two of flour to adjust for the altitude of our Montana home -- even though she would happily add more flour to a boxed cake mix if the instructions suggested it! 

We were People of the Pie, though I now claim Clan of the Cake as well. But my mother's Classic Cherry Pie is, well, a classic. And so pretty! (I tell tales on myself in the original post!) This recipe uses the oil crust I grew up with, but now I would use the classic butter crust from Williams-Sonoma. Her Christmas cookie plates were legendary, and I do make several of her recipes, using butter instead of the margarine or Crisco that were in every kitchen in the 1960s. I'm a more adventurous cook and eater, but also freer the herbs and spices -- she would never have thought of adding lavender or rosemary to her shortbread. While I'm a purist about not decorating for Christmas, let alone eating for it, until December 1, I never mind sharing a Christmas cookie recipe, like these Russian Teacakes (aka Snowballs or Mexican Wedding Cakes) that I grew up with and used in As the Christmas Cookie Crumbles, where they provide a clue to the mystery -- but only if you know how they're made! 

🌿 🌽 🌿

DARCI HANNAH: Happy birthday, Maddie! And thank you for this wonderful topic of childhood favorites. There is something very special and nostalgic that happens to us when we think about those wonderful family dinners from our childhoods and the foods our mothers took the time to make for us. 

I was especially lucky to have a mother who was an outstanding cook, and a father who not only adored her but everything she made. Because my mother was such an accomplished cook, and really took entertaining to heart, every meal was treated like an event. Since my parents had started their lives together in the Navy, and my father had been a junior officer, table manners and etiquette were a must in our household. Every meal was served in the formal dining room, the proper cutlery was laid in the proper order, and there was always an eye catching centerpiece created for the table by my mother, usually themed around the dinner or the holidays. My brothers had to remember to pull out my chair for me or my dad would make me leave the dining room and enter again, this time with one of my brothers ready with my chair. We always made fun of this part of the meal, including the fact that neither of my brothers ever fought for the honor of pulling out my chair, but we all gladly complied to our strict code of manners because the food was that good.

My 85 year old mom set this table!

Regarding conversations, they were always interesting and often hilarious. The only rule there was no swearing. The dinners we had were very well balanced, because my mom not only read cookbooks like novels, and collected china and cookware, but she also really knew her food pyramid! There was always a starch, vegetable, sometimes fruit, dairy( milk or cheese), protein, and fat. We loved butter, especially on bread! I caught my dad, who I should tell you was always very fit and active his entire life, eating butter and peanut butter sandwiches. Even I had to say, Yuck! Of course, our favorite part of the food pyramid was...(we were shocked to learn it wasn't a part of the pyramid!) dessert. The gooier the better. My dad had a real sweet tooth, and dessert is where my mother shined. My dad was very partial to hot fudge brownie sundaes, or ice cream cream puffs, I mean, who isn't?

With all that being said, although there was never a shortage of desserts, we didn't have junk food at our house, and therefore we craved it. Peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches on white bread were my guilty pleasure! There was one store-bought coffee cake my mother always got whenever she would find one. It's called Swedish Flop, and I think it's only available around the Chicagoland area. It's both gooey and sweet, and I'm still obsessed with it to this day. I've even tried to make it with varying degrees of success. Oh, such sweet childhood memories!

🌿 🌽 🌿

LUCY BURDETTE: I see many familiar dishes here--loved loved loved canned tamales and Twinkies. My mother cooked because she had 4 kids, but she didn't love the process. She did love to eat though!

And she loved a party, loved making little triple decker sandwiches and fruit in a carved watermelon 'bowl' and profiteroles stuffed with shrimp or tuna. On normal days, we had meatloaf or roasts with mashed potatoes or casseroles. Our Chinese food was sadly out of a can:(. I probably don't use those recipes these days, though I still love meatloaf and mashed potatoes!

🍝🍗🍔

MOLLY MACRAE: We were a “sit down at six and eat” family. For years that was supper for eight. Mom made the supper and we ate it around the table Dad made out of a door (what a table, but that’s a story for another day). My earliest supper memories are of a weekly rotation of meals. Spaghetti showed up once a week, so did fish sticks, hamburgers, and roast with potatoes and carrots. Creamed chipped beef made frequent appearances, chicken, beef stew, sometimes a salmon mousse (in a salmon-shaped mold which we kids thought was neato), and a dish Mom called chop suey, that we loved, that pretty much had no resemblance to authentic Chinese cuisine. Mom was a good cook, though, and she added new dishes over the years and branched out with real international flair. And Dad got into the act, too, making terrific coq au vin, spanakopita, and . . . drumroll . . . doing the dishes.

Mom relaxing in her Keds after supper.

I think my favorite meals, though, were made with leftovers. I loved Mom’s shepherd’s pie with mashed potatoes at the bottom, a middle layer of vegetables, meat, and gravy, and the whole thing topped with pie crust. I’ve made shepherd’s pies over the years and these days make a vegetarian version. Talk about cozy comfort food. Thanks for bringing back these wonderful memories, Edith! 

Dad doing the dishes in his Levi's apron.
There's the salmon mold hanging on the wall! 

🐟🍝🍗

ANG POMPANO: When you grow up in an Italian family, food is a massive part of your life. But my mother’s cooking was a bit different from what you might expect.

She lost her own mother when she was fourteen, so I’ve never been entirely sure where she learned her way around a kitchen. I suspect a big part of her culinary education began before I was even a thought, back when my dad was stationed down in South Carolina.

As a young military wife living in the South, she picked up a fair share of regional dishes and brought them right back home with her. Growing up as an Italian kid named Angelo, I figured Velveeta with Ro-Tel, grits, and deviled eggs were practically family recipes. I was probably the only boy in our neighborhood who actually liked fried okra and looked forward to black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.

Yet despite all those Southern staples coming out of her kitchen, the dish I remember most vividly was her lasagna. It was something I always looked forward to.

Not long after she passed, my dad was digging through the deep freeze when he stumbled across one last tray of her lasagna. She had assembled it, wrapped it up tight, and tucked it away. It was one last meal she’d made for her family—an unexpected parting gift from a woman who’d spent her whole life feeding the people she loved. We baked it together, and to this day, lasagna remains my absolute favorite.

The lasagna never lasted long enough for a picture, but here are a few photos of the woman who made it. My amazing mom!

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PEG COCHRAN/MARGARET LOUDON: My father's favorite meal was meat (steak, lamb chop, pork chop) and a salad with oil and vinegar so our meals were usually pretty simple although the rest of us would have a canned vegetable like peas or corn as well and sometimes potatoes. Every Saturday night we had steak cooked, in my father's words, so that it was "still moving." I've continued the tradition with steak on Saturday--it doesn't feel right to have it any other night. My grandparents were from all over--Italy, Germany and Hungary so they brought different dishes to the table. My Italian grandmother's pasta sauce was the best I've ever tasted and I wish I could have it one more time. Meanwhile, I make do with my sauce Bolognese. My Hungarian grandmother made my favorite potato soup and I know I'd still love that today. And Aunt Mary's stuffed cabbage--delicious!

 

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MADDIE DAY: I love all these! 

GIVEAWAY!

Readers, how about you? What dishes from childhood do you still eat? And do you update the recipe? 

Join our discussion with a comment below and you will be entered in our book giveaway.

Murder Uncorked by Maddie Day

No Roast for the Weary by Cleo Coyle

Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off by Darci Hannah

Muddled Matrimonial Murder by Kim Davis

A Poisonous Palate by Lucy Burdette

Simmering Secrets by Ang Pompano

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Comments open through

Wednesday, November 4.

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