Welcome
Welcome to the kitchen on Market Street. Market Street is in DeKalb, Illinois and was the home of my mom, Joan. She was the oldest daughter of Helen and Ed Rohlik and lived in that house throughout the 30's, 40's and part of the 50's until she married my Dad, Pasquale. My Grandma, was a great cook and was part of a large Serbian community in DeKalb. In those days families celebrated together, especially the religious holidays. As a child in the 70's I spent many holidays at their house on Market Street. Across the backyard there was a small sidewalk that led to a tavern, Ed's Tavern. It was the place in the neighborhood that men (mostly) would come by for a beer or cocktail, relax after their shift at the piano factory or to just talk with the neighborhood men.
In 1992 my Mom wrote a little cookbook for us kids and grandkids. It is well used among us all, but is rather incomplete. Not a lot of directions and measurements. Now granted, you can "wing" some things, but today's cooks aren't nearly as intuitive in the kitchen as the old days. As I rewrite the cherished cookbook, adding many of my own tried and true recipes, and other family recipes, I decided that putting it online was the best idea. Today's generation is more likely to go to the web for a recipe than to a paper book. So along with the new version of The Kitchen on Market Street, I also plan on bringing back some recipes that may be gathering dust.
I planned on finishing my very long edit many years ago, but life gets in the way. On January 20, 2020 my beloved Mom passed away. Although she was almost completely bind, I wish that she could have seen her beloved book online. But I am now more motivated to get this online and share her book.
Many of the books I used to write the book are old cookbooks of my Moms. The Dundee Women's Club, published in the early 50's was clearly her favorite. She wrote little notes and the dates next to recipes she made, something I have always done. Church cookbooks from St. Mary's in DeKalb as well as St. Irenaeus in Clinton, Iowa where I spent my childhood. There are others, and I am taken back to a much simpler time when I read these recipes and see the women's names after. Women who probably wore house dresses and aprons, likely never had a career yet raised housefuls of children and cooked three meals a day. Most had gardens, most probably didn't have much money, they were active in their churches and schools, and their neighborhoods were tight knit groups based on ethnicity, religious persuasion and families that were related. But most importantly, they were communities that became families during tragedy, celebration, holidays and all of life's moments.
So this journey is not about the new food trends of 2020, it's about the slow and simple food of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Food that was simple then and now but is full of memories and moments.
In 1992 my Mom wrote a little cookbook for us kids and grandkids. It is well used among us all, but is rather incomplete. Not a lot of directions and measurements. Now granted, you can "wing" some things, but today's cooks aren't nearly as intuitive in the kitchen as the old days. As I rewrite the cherished cookbook, adding many of my own tried and true recipes, and other family recipes, I decided that putting it online was the best idea. Today's generation is more likely to go to the web for a recipe than to a paper book. So along with the new version of The Kitchen on Market Street, I also plan on bringing back some recipes that may be gathering dust.
I planned on finishing my very long edit many years ago, but life gets in the way. On January 20, 2020 my beloved Mom passed away. Although she was almost completely bind, I wish that she could have seen her beloved book online. But I am now more motivated to get this online and share her book.
Many of the books I used to write the book are old cookbooks of my Moms. The Dundee Women's Club, published in the early 50's was clearly her favorite. She wrote little notes and the dates next to recipes she made, something I have always done. Church cookbooks from St. Mary's in DeKalb as well as St. Irenaeus in Clinton, Iowa where I spent my childhood. There are others, and I am taken back to a much simpler time when I read these recipes and see the women's names after. Women who probably wore house dresses and aprons, likely never had a career yet raised housefuls of children and cooked three meals a day. Most had gardens, most probably didn't have much money, they were active in their churches and schools, and their neighborhoods were tight knit groups based on ethnicity, religious persuasion and families that were related. But most importantly, they were communities that became families during tragedy, celebration, holidays and all of life's moments.
So this journey is not about the new food trends of 2020, it's about the slow and simple food of the 50's, 60's and 70's. Food that was simple then and now but is full of memories and moments.
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