Nostalgia for Old Recipes

Early in 2000, I  started to realize that many of my mother's generation, on whose phenomenal cooking I grew up, will soon not be around to follow.   

Theirs was a different world of cooking; 

-Some cookbooks but mostly sharing handwritten recipes.  In many cases, the name of the recipe was the name of the woman from whom it was received.

-Cooking technics changed tremendously with the availability of electric types of equipment like food processors,   hi-speed mixing devices, electric and gas easy-to-use ovens, and cooking burners.

-Short and long-term refrigeration available in every home.

-Availability of ingredients.

-Cost of ingredients (add substitute to replace more expensive items).

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add more diferenes  here...............

So, I approached several older family members and to my great joy they agreed and were more than happy to give me their old notebooks and single-page notes. A common reaction was: "Oh I am too old to cook, and I don't think my children will want it".

Well - I wanted it !

I also asked my two closed cousins whose moms passed away by that time and I was hoping to borrow their mothers' books.

Both answered me very sadly: 

Edna said:  "my mother became almost blind during her later years and one day, out of frustration not being able to see her own handwriting, through it away".   

Rochdale said:  "My mother's 2nd  husband's 3rd  wife through it out".

Finally, I  was able to collect notes from  7 women (list here). 

My paternal grandma - Zevia

My aunt - Lulu

A  close relative from the Green Family side - Marika

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and finally, most dear and important to me -  my mom's שתבדל לחיים ארוכים who will be 99 in April 2019 (in 2 months)!!!!!

Then,  I faced the biggest challenge of this project.   ALL THE RECIPES WERE HANDWRITTEN IN  HUNGARIAN. 

I understand Hungarian and speak quite fluently, but could not read or understand the handwritten  Hungarian.

I had to get help for translations. and I did.

I will add the source and the translator's name next to each recipe that will follow this section, which  I call "Recipe  Nostalgia"