The Inspiration

The Almost Cookbook is a celebration of the recipes my mother created, and the joy of cooking that she and my father passed on to me. I hope to inspire, to amuse, share my mother's recipes and some of my own, and maybe find fellow explorers and experimenters along the way.

(Photo: Me and my mom, 1981)

My mother's name was Allida H. Grossman. She was a cook, a baker, a quilter, a craftswoman, a free spirit, a beautiful woman, a wife, mother, sister and daughter. When I was six years old (1986) she lost her three-year fight with breast cancer. It was her dream to write a cookbook highlighting wholesome, natural, healthy cooking. Now, all that remains of that dream is a faded, handwritten and partially typed manuscript of recipes, narrative and ideas. For more than twenty years I've been saying that I would take her recipes and notes, and finish her cookbook and get it published. Needless to say, that hasn't happened. I know now that a paper book of her recipes, well, it's probably never going to happen, which is why I decided to create this, The Almost Cookbook. This is my chance to record her dream in my own way, and create something that's almost a cookbook.

To start with, I'll be typing up her old manuscripts, and as I get around to it, or find the ingredients, I'll cook them, add photos and my own revisions. Hopefully, by the end of this experiment, I'll have some recipes that are worth sharing, and a recorded history of her dream. Interspersed amongst her recipes I'll add in some of my own. One major difference you'll notice between her recipes and articles, and my work, is that when she was creating her cookbook, in 1982-1984 or so, we lived on an acre of land in rural Maryland. She and my father grew most of their own vegetables, and were adept at preservation methods, canning, drying etc. I live in Brooklyn, NY - the closest I get to gardening is my little windowsill herb garden. So, all of my ingredients will come from the farmers market, grocery stores and specialty shops. I'll note where I find the harder to acquire items. Also, she and my father dabbled in macrobiotics and vegan cuisine, while I'm a pescetarian. So, recipes should run the gamut.