Heirloom Kitchen: Heritage Recipes and Family Stories from the Tables of Immigrant Women – An Illustrated Cookbook of 100 Dishes Preserving Cultural Traditions and Memories

by Anna Francese Gass

A gorgeous, full-color illustrated cookbook and personal cultural history, filled with 100 mouthwatering recipes from around the world, that celebrates the culinary traditions of strong, empowering immigrant women and the remarkable diversity that is American food.

Born in Italy, Anna Francese Gass came to the United States as a young child and grew up eating her mother’s Italian cooking. But when this professional cook realized she did not know how to make her family’s beloved meatballs—a recipe that existed only in her mother’s memory—Anna embarked on a project to record and preserve her mother’s recipes for generations to come.

In addition to her recipes, Anna’s mother shared stories from her life in Italy that her daughter had never heard before, fascinating tales that whetted Anna’s appetite to learn more. So, Anna began reaching out to her friends whose mothers were also immigrants, and soon she was cooking with dozens of women who were eager to share their unique memories and the foods of their homelands.

In Heirloom Kitchen, Anna brings together the stories and dishes of forty strong, exceptional women, all immigrants to the United States, whose heirloom recipes have helped shape the landscape of American food. Organized by region, the 100 tantalizing recipes include:


Magda’s Pork Adobo from the Phillippines
Shari’s Fesenjoon, a walnut and pomegranate stew, from Iran
Tina’s dumplings from Northern China
Anna’s mother’s meatballs from Southern Italy
In addition to the dishes, these women share their recollections of coming to America—stories of hardship and happiness—that illuminate the power of food, and how cooking became a comfort and a respite in a new land for these women, as well as a tether to their native cultural identities.

Accented with 175 photographs, including food shots, old family photographs, and ephemera of the cooks’ first years in America—such as Soon’s recipe book pristinely handwritten in Korean or the measuring cup Anke tucked into her suitcase before leaving Germany—Heirloom Kitchen is a testament to female empowerment and strength, perseverance, diversity, and inclusivity. It is a warm and inspiring reminder that the story of immigrant food is, at its core, a story of America.

Profiled women and countries:

Gina (Calabria, Italy)

Maria (Calabria, Italy)

Lisetta (Sardinia, Italy)

Kanella (Greece)

Stacey (Scotland)

Emilia (Ukraine)

Tsilia (Ukraine)

Marina (Moscow)

Bea (Serbia)

Monika (Poland)

Susanne (Hamburg, Germany)

Anke (Berlin, Germany)

Tina (North China)

Daisy (South China)

Chizuko (Japan)

Soon (Korea)

Magda (Philippines)

Lydia (Philippines)

Khurshed (India)

Shobhana (India)

Shari (Iran)

Cheri (Iraq)

Lucy (Armenia)

Irene (Lebanon)

Shekaiba (Afghanistan)

Fethie (Palestine)

Nikita (Haiti)

Janet (Mexico)

Haydee (Puerto Rico)

Rocio (Peru)

Angela (Cuba)

Maria (Dominican Republic)

Morgana (Brazil)

Sheila (Panama)

Jennipher (Ghana)

Safoi (Morocco)

Amina (Egypt)

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 23, 2019

Reviews

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What really caught my eye and made me want to check out this book was the photo on the cover showing hands cutting dough for homemade noodles. I immediately was taken back to my childhood where my paternal grandmother did noodles exactly like this - and I continue to do them this way to this very day, guided by her teaching me.

Also drawing me in immediately were the author's own photos and stories, especially of her mother, Gina Crocco Francese who shares not only a first name with me, but a heritage as my mom was first born generation from Italy. The meatball story is delightful! Gina's Tagliatelle are the noodles on the front cover - a photo I would happily hang in my home.

The book did not disappoint.

The subtitle "Heritage Recipes and Family Stories From the Tables of Immigrant Women" tells it all. Every chapter highlights a different cuisine and includes photos and stories of tradition and cooking from the women included in the book.

It was a joy to read from cover to cover - even though there are recipes I will never use (especially the seafood ones due to allergies), I still loved the photos and stories.

I am hoping a second book is in the offing as I would love to have read more.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really torn about how to review this book. It's full of beautiful photos and delicious recipes but is disproportionate in its diverse representation of immigrant women. The first section features women from Europe which takes up about a third of the book with about half of that being Italy. The next section is Africa and only covers 3 recipes from 3 African countries! Africa is a very diverse continent with a variety of cuisines, and I just wish more of it was represented. I really enjoyed reading the stories of the immigrant and getting a peek into their kitchens. It's amazing how food brings us together!

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the author, I also grew up in an Italian-American household. Our family kitchen was run by two Italian immigrant women, my mother and grandmother, and I cherish their heirloom recipes today. I loved reading the personal stories of the immigrant women in this book and how cooking their traditional dishes and preserving family recipes meant so much to them. These women all left their homelands but were comforted by the recipes they brought with them. Interesting how preparing food and family heirloom dishes, so common throughout the world, reveals how similar we all are. I liked that the author included photos of the women who contributed and their prepared dishes as well.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the concept for this book, the idea that the food these women brought with them to America forever continues the story of who they are and how they shaped their new homeland. The food photography is delicious. The recipes are interesting, easy to follow and inspiring. But the writing is not great, the portraits and bios of these compelling women are uninspired. And worst of all, Canada - my ancestral homeland, is excluded. The author and I are both from Rhode Island so I’m especially surprised she would omit these women who played such and important role in our state’s history.

[Jean MacLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories along with mouthwatering recipes from around the world. Love it.

[lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, but I would have liked to know more about the stories behind the women, in particular how they adapted their recipes after coming to the United States. With the internet it's pretty easy to order certain ingredients that are harder to find in grocery stores (such as Silver Swan soy sauce) but when my mother in law first moved to the United States in the 1980s she often had to adapt her recipes with what she could find in the stores here. She began adding cans of jalapenos, juice and all to get the right flavor in her adobo. I would have liked to hear more of those stories.

[Paige Redwine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful cookbook. I know one doesn't really "read" a cookbook, but this one is unique. The recipes are from women that immigrated to the United States. Each recipe contributor has a brief biography alongside their photo. Each dish is a favorite and one that's worthy of writing down for posterity. Beautiful photographs fill the pages. I admire the courage of the women within these pages. I appreciate the value of good food and how it can be associated with family memories. I didn't make any dishes from this cookbook, I simply enjoyed reading it!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book, and I really enjoyed reading the women’s stories. The dishes are also interesting (generally not weeknight cooking, for me) and you started to notice some consistencies between delicious food across cultures.

The book includes more Italian backstories than any other culture. That’s reflective of the author’s background but I wish she had dug a little deeper. More African, Caribbean and Nordic recipes would have rounded this out.

If you like to explore cultures through home cooked meals, this is worth checking out.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cookbook was a random pick on BookOutlet, but I'm glad I added it to my cart! It was fun seeing the different recipes and reading the stories from the women that immigrated here from so many different places. Reading some of the reviews, I do wish there were some info of how they adapted certain cultural recipes using American ingredients but overall it was very good and I cannot wait to start making some dishes!

[Deborah Cleaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to try to expand your culinary footprint to world cuisine but don’t want to spend vats of money buying a couple dozen cookbooks, you can’t go wrong with this sampler of immigrant cooks presenting their cultural specialties. There are also fascinating vignettes introducing the cooks which adds to your knowledge of our newest citizens. A wonderful book with a very wide variety of cuisines.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recognizing the need to document her immigrant mother’s recipes was essential to her family genealogy led to the author to document her mother’s a little of this and that recipes. She then decided to ‘borrow’ the mother’s and grandmothers of friends and do the same. Hrecipes like okra and cornmeal not a recipe I will make. Spiced Quick Bread ok,

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Heirloom Kitchen. It was very inspiring; I loved the beautiful bios and photos. Haven't made any of the recipes yet, but am looking forward to them. Also, this book has motivated me to get MY family recipes in order. My mom and I are going to start in on Grammy's recipes soon. This book blew my mind about what a cookbook should be.

[Joy Matteson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply lovely. I could have read those stories about those brave women ALL day. Not to mention the gorgeous recipes! I can see it being a wonderful gift book for a brave immigrant friend. Highly recommended.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly I bought this book for the memoir part, the "family stories" which are well worth reading! Then I tabbed a bunch of recipes I would like to try and started cooking. YUMMY. Those are the official results ;)

More cooking to come...

[Dray · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better international cookbooks I have read. The dual emphasis on the lives and influences of women from around the world, literally, and their home favorite recipes is enticing and delicious. gread book. recommended.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there were more photos of the food. Other than that there is a wide variety of recipes from around the world. America truly is a melting pot of cultures! I've highlighted the recipes that I'm interested in making someday.

[Deborah R Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Differences of our World

Very interesting recipes and so fully of love and family. I am looking forward to trying many of these good foods. Heirloom recipes are the best they bring total love of families!

[Liquidlasagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heirloom Kitchen is a stunning book that delves deeply into the rich cooking traditions of immigrant women and the immense legacy they have left on the American palate and food customs. The cooking of immigrants is the foundation of American food culture.
Jacques Pépin

[Lorraine Sulick-Morecraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable to read the stories of immigrant women who brought their family recipes to their new country. Outstanding food photography by Andrew Scrivani, too.

[Missi Wendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful way to empower women of all backgrounds and to celebrate the differences, and sameness, of cultures around the world

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

So interesting !

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful stories and great recipes.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous cookbook!

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Caught my eye in the library but I just couldn’t get into it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting seeing all the recipes from different countries! I loved the stories of all the different cooks!💜

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fantastic book! The recipes look delicious, but I really enjoyed the stories of the immigrant women and the food traditions they carry on.

[Rachel Coyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely pictures and narrative. I liked the theme of food as home and as an expression of resilience and belonging

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a good concept, and the stories of the women were interesting. Unfortunately, the recipes weren't so much.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Want to try Marina's Poppy Seed Cake, Nelly's Spanakopita, and Stacey's Tablet recipes.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this a few years ago and only came back to it now. I loved the stories from the contributors but felt the book lacked diversity (very Eurocentric)