My Grandmother was born in a time before cars, telephones, and television. But her life was filled with wonder and tradition.
Growing up during the Great Depression, she learned to cook with whatever ingredients she could scrape together. I was always amazed by the delicious meals she would create.
She fondly recalls her childhood in rural Oklahoma, playing outside with her siblings and the children from the nearby Native American reservations. Grandma could often be found in her garden, where she tended to her squash, tomatoes, and herbs.
Grandma was an amazing cook, but she was also a master of the kitchen fire. She could start a fire without a lighter or match, using just her craftsmans tinder and her knowledge of the elements. She’d light a small fire, using just twigs and dried grass, and keep it going until she reached the ideal heat necessary for her creations.
She made jams, pies, breads, and cinnamon rolls with the heat of the fire. She also cooked a lot of soups and stews on the fire. Cooking without modern appliances was an art form to her, and her meals were amazing!
Grandma was also a master at preserving food. During the late summer and fall, she would gather fruits, vegetables, and meats, and preserve them in mason jars or smokehouse. She used a lot of traditional methods, such as pickling, canning, smoking, and dehydrating, to preserve her food. Grandma was an expert at this, and her food lasted for many months.
One of Grandma’s most treasured traditions was roasting chestnuts over the fire. Every winter, she would roast a big batch of chestnuts and enjoy them hot from the fire.
Grandma also smoked her own meat, using a smokehouse. She would butcher livestock and poultry, cure the meat, and smoke it using locally sourced hardwood. She used the smokehouse to create smoked hams and sausage. The smoky flavor of Grandma’s smoked meats was a family favorite!
Grandma didn’t rely on technology to make her food. Instead, she relied on her own knowledge and the heat of the fire. She was able to create amazing meals with minimal effort, while creating lasting memories with the ones she loved.
