I’m Doris’s granddaughter, Joanna. Grandma passed away in 2018 at age 95. My mom inherited her recipe box and later suggested that I might have fun creating a blog using the old recipes.
I declined initially. I’m an average cook, and a cooking blog seemed out of reach for my skills. I had my first child in the Spring of 2018. Grandma passed away later that year, and by early 2019 I had quit my job in corporate communications to become a stay-at-home mom. By 2020, I was getting a bit antsy to flex my writing muscles again. The idea of cooking my way through Grandma’s recipe box began to appeal to me. In June 2020, pregnant with baby #2, I created the CookingWithDoris.com domain and slowly, slowly began to learn blogging.
About Doris
Grandma Doris (who I just called “Grandma”), grew up as a young child during the great depression. She married my Grandpa, Al, and together they raised seven children in Torrance, California. My Grandpa was a building inspector for the City of Torrance. Grandma was a homemaker and later worked as a school secretary.
Grandma was as smart as a whip, even into her 90’s. She read newspapers daily, watched the news, and always voted Democrat. She watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! every night, and got an impressive number of answers correct. (My mom regularly had me call Grandma when I needed help with history homework.)
She also loved to read, crochet, travel, was active in her church, and had a number of collections including tea cups. My Grandpa passed away in 2010. Grandma continued to live at home independently until just before she died, living in the house they bought in 1960.
About Cooking
I have memories about food and my Grandma, but I didn’t grow up cooking with her. You hear from many cooks who give credit to their grandmothers for sparking their interest in cooking, and I can’t say I had those experiences growing up. Grandma was an average cook and a better baker (like me), and didn’t really spend any more time in the kitchen than she had to. Her cooking was simple and economical. The recipes that I will share with you are easy recipes for busy people.
“Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.”
Anthony Bourdain
I married a professional cook. My husband was our primary household cook for over ten years, until I became a stay-at-home mom and began cooking more out of necessity. I learned some cooking skills at home. My mom is an average cook, like her mom. My dad really enjoys cooking and is talented at it. I have learned a lot from him and my husband. Now, I feel like I am learning new kitchen skills from Grandma. Shadowing her in the kitchen decades later. Learning how to get food on the table while not spending all day doing it.
The recipes in Grandma’s box are usually handwritten or clipped from a magazine or newspaper. Some of the recipes are vague, or contain ingredients that are now difficult to find. In those instances, I have tested the recipe and did my best to come up with the appropriate measurements or substitutions. I have included printer-friendly versions of these recipes too, so that you can add them to your own recipe box, whatever that might look like these days.
Thank you for coming on this journey with me! You can contact me at cookingwithdoris20@gmail.com.
