My Favorite Family Recipes

If you follow my blog at all over the past three years, then you know that I absolutely, positively love Adriana Trigiani! Last year, I was one of the lucky bloggers who won the chance to have tea with Adriana during the week of BEA. I had the most amazing time and Adriana is definitely one of the most vibrant people I've ever met. She's so full of life and, at the same time, so wise. I truly treasured each and every minutes I spent with her! (You can read more about the tea here.)

Adriana and her books have inspired quite a few posts here at Booking Mama, but the one that means the most to me is the tribute I wrote about my grandmothers. After I read Adriana's book, DON'T SING AT THE TABLE: LIFE LESSONS FROM MY GRANDMOTHERS, I was so touched by how she honored her grandmothers that it inspired me to write my own "What I Learned from My Grandmothers" post.

I'm excited to say that Adriana has once again inspired me to write a post, and this time it's still about my grandmothers..... and a few of my favorite recipes that they shared with me. I mentioned earlier that Adriana has a passion for life. Well, she also has a passion for food! In fact, she published a family cookbook, COOKING WITH MY SISTERS, a few years back. Family recipes are near and dear to my heart, and I love that I have a few of my grandmothers' tried and true favorites!

Grandma Stasik's Risotto

This isn't your typical risotto --it's a tomato based rice dish and low-fat!

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cloves, garlic (crushed)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 lb. sirloin steak

1 small can tomato paste

1 to 1 1/2 cup raw rice (I used arborio)

3 cups chicken broth (or more if needed)

grated parmesan cheese

In a large stainless steel pot, heat olive oil until sizzling. Add celery, onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add sirloin and brown. Add tomato paste and 3 tomato paste cans of water. Stir until sauce is thick. Add raw rice and stir.

In another pot, heat chicken broth. As rice mixture absorbs liquid, keep adding chicken broth in 1/2 cup increments. Keep stirring so rice doesn't stick on bottom of pan. Continue to add broth until rice is tender. Add parmesan cheese to taste.

Grandma Bender's Lemon Squares

This is more of a lemon dessert with a crust, a cream cheese layer, a lemon layer, and whipped cream topping. It's one of my all-time favorite desserts!

Crust

2 cups flour

2 sticks butter (or oleo as her recipes reads!)

2 Tbsp. sugar

Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Pat down in an 11 x 15" pan. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cream Cheese Layer

12 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar and spread over cooked crust.

Lemon Layer

2 pkgs. lemon pie filling (not instant)

Make lemon pie filling according to package directions. Only use 1/2 the amount of sugar. Let cool and spread over cream cheese layer. 

Spread either Cool Whip or Dream Whip for top layer!

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I have exciting news to share with you! This year, TLC Book Tours is partnering with HarperCollins to provide 5 bloggers with a chance to have lunch with Adriana Trigiani and experience an abbreviated version of her walking tour of Greenwich Village during Book Expo America (BEA) in New York City in May 2011. You must already be attending BEA to participate. The walking tour will start at 11:00am, with lunch to follow at 12:30pm on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at The Standard Grill.

You can read all of these details, including how to enter, here.