Heirloom Kitchen

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.As a child of Italian immigrants, Anna Francese Gass grew up eating her mothers Calabrian cooking. But when this professional cook realized she had no clue how to make her familys beloved meatballsa recipe that existed only in her mothers memoryAnna embarked on a project to record and preserve her mothers recipes for generations to come. In addition to her recipes, Annas mother shared stories from her time in Italy that her daughter had never heard before, intriguing tales that whetted Annas appetite to learn more. Reaching out to her friends whose mothers were also immigrants, Anna began 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-five 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: Magdas Pork Adobo from the PhillippinesSharis Fersenjoon, a walnut and pomegranate stew, from IranTinas dumplings from Northern ChinaAnnas mothers Calabrian Meatballs from Southern ItalyIn addition to the dishes, these women share their recollections of coming to America, stories of hardship and happiness that illuminate the power of foodhow 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 Americasuch as Soon Suns recipe book pristinely handwritten in Korean or Beas cherished silver pitcher, a final gift from her own mother before leaving SerbiaHeirloom Kitchen is a testament to empowerment and strength, perseverance and inclusivity, and a warm and inspiring reminder that the story of immigrant food is, at its core, a story of American food.