We have more than soup in the winter…

My mother-in-law has this phenomenal recipe for lasagna. We have called it Meat Lasagna through the years, as it is wonderfully hearty with ground beef & hot Italian sausage simmered up in a homemade sauce full of fennel, whole plumb tomatoes & fresh basil. Filling & satisfying for all. But I thought ‘Grandma Byers’ Family lasagna’ sounded much better.

My side of the family has a stellar recipe too! Macaroni & Cheese! Best eve’ah. But ours didn’t get passed down on a sentimental handwritten notecard. It has more modern origins in Ruth Riehcl’s Gourmet Cookbook The Gourmet Cookbook: More than 1000 recipes 9780618806928| eBay

One time my sister made it for a Sunday dinner. Matt’s brother & wife, attending, were equally impressed with quality of the recipe. When they asked for it, my sister (and some of us and some glasses of wine, but mostly my sister) hand re-wrote the whole thing adding some creative liberties, claiming a cherished family heirloom bestowed upon these new in-laws (what a gift!). Only to be busted years later when we completely forgot the hoax, bragging about the ‘cookbook everyone must have in their library.’

laughs.