A Taste of Haldimand – November 7, 2024

Family recipes and old family cookbooks take on new meaning as we age. That’s the sentiment that Laurie Smith and I shared during a recent visit. 

You may recognize Laurie. She grew up in Fisherville as Laurie Anthony and spent 25 years at West Haldimand General Hospital in the housekeeping department. Laurie and her husband Bill now live in Hagersville. Her family, including two children and four grandchildren, keep her busy. She likes to be a loyal supporter of all their athletic endeavors. You will see her at hockey, baseball, soccer, and ball hockey games. 

Laurie Smith

Laurie was telling me about her carrot cake recipe. She makes this cake for all the special family occasions. The recipe was originally her grandmother’s, Rita Shanks. Rita lived in Cayuga, later moving to Hamilton. Laurie described her as a sweet, petite woman who could do anything. She cooked, sewed, cut hair, and was always smiling! When Laurie got married, her cousin gifted her with a cookbook of her grandmother’s recipes entitled “Nana’s Pet Recipes”. 

We discussed the differences between older recipes and the new ones of today. There are some dishes you just don’t see very often and one of them is the second recipe in this column. Laurie made this jellied salad for a recent family gathering and she said there was nothing left of it.

When perusing the book with Nana’s recipes, I noticed the first page was actually a list of adages. One immediately popped out at me. I think this is sage advice: “Lots of things are opened by mistake but never so frequently as one’s mouth.” 

Enjoy!