Today I want to introduce you to an event that puts a lot of love and effort in preserving this culinary identity, called My Mother’s Recipe.
It is a Sunday afternoon potluck, based in New York, established by The CareGivers’ Project which brings together older people who live in their own homes, independent and assisted living and nursing homes and their caregivers. The purpose of My Mother’s Recipe is to celebrate the bond between caregivers and caretakers by sharing a home-cooked dish and recipe, which has been handed down from an earlier generation with other care pairs in their community. It is open to fathers, sisters, caregiving neighbors and past caregivers who all have stories to share. This past spring, I had the chance to spend one afternoon in a beautiful retirement home in Yonkers, just north of the Bronx, where the event took place.  I love old people and the stories they have to tell, that’s why this afternoon, which was far away from all the „cool“ and „hip“ stuff was one of my favorite days, while living in New York City.

The „Riverdale-Residence Girls“ at „My Mother´s Recipe“ buffet Spring 2014

I was happy to see also younger generations taking part in this event, since we are the caregivers of tomorrow. All together celebrating generations of comfort food and “back in the day” stories related to their family members and the roots of the meals they brought.

The background
The CareGivers‘ Project was incorporated in 2012 by the creative spare time synergy of my friend Jomarie Zeleznik, Mary Ellen DeVito and Michael E. Berry all of whom drew inspiration from caring for parents. To be a caregiver is a choice you can make. A classic definition would be: „A person who provides direct care as for children, elderly people, or the chronically ill“. The website of The CareGivers’ Project published individual comments stated by a variety of people reflecting on the term „caregiver“, showing that the perception is very different in our society. Read more about the mission of the project in general here.

My personal ingredients 

I do sometimes miss the other perspective of the elderly in my very urban environment having grown up in a small town in a three generation household, which was very usual in the 80s. Living in the „Big City“ I feel, that there is a strong need for keeping up the exchange between the different generations. Well, we all know the demographic change is very obvious. People are moving to the cities and we are all getting older. Its all super obvious, but still we so often forget. I think culinary journeys are a very good occasion to connect with older people.
My grandmother passed when I was only 12 years old and ever since, I miss her and the incredible food she made. Preserving that memory, I decided to bring a special potato salad to My Mother´s Recipe that strongly reminded me of her. The funny thing about this meal was,that she actually never made it for me, but I made it for a family event once, because I found the recipe somewhere. When my mother first tried it, she said that’s exactly the taste of her childhood, because my grandma used to do it in the same way in earlier years. In the end I was so super glad to share this taste of my family far away from my German home with elder New York ladies at this cozy suburb afternoon. It somehow gave me the feeling that I took my grandma with me that day.

My Grandmother

Grandma & me in 1983

If you are wondering why I don´t post any recipes in this article at all, Donna Jacobson one of the contributors, has a pretty good answer in her own story to this. Whenever people asked her about her mother´s recipe, she says:

”… usually, there was no recipe. It was a little of this, a lot of the other and cook until it tastes right. Occasionally, our mothers would trade family recipes, but most often, they were a guarded secret, revealed only to family members. „

Enjoy Donna´s complete beautiful story about food and family set growing up in the Bronx:

FOOD FOR MY SENSES

and 

MY FATHER´S MEATBALLS by Mary Ellen DeVito

These two beautiful stories that were told at the last event. Maybe make you´ll be inspired what´s next on the menu. Even if, for whatever reason, we don´t find any recipes or can´t talk to family members any more, the memory of the taste is in our DNA and we all should preserve this family treasure!

Bon Appetite!

Photo by Kristen Llobrera pixelatedcrumb.com

The next MY Mother´s Recipe,
Sunday October 19, 2014 12:30-3:00 PM

Hosted at The Riverside Rehab and Healing Center

Official Website
The CareGivers ´Project on Facebook

Der Beitrag The taste of childhood …or how I took my Grandma to NYC erschien zuerst auf Urban Appetizer.

Dear Broadway

Your pavement was the first I stepped on when I decided to start a new.

By that time I wasn’t aware what most amazing events in my life
would lie ahead
and what you would walk me through.
Spent many nights and days with myself in this good spirited house
close to the Hudson.
Only me and my thoughts
and every now and then a little cat
sneaking up the stairs to my room,
announcing that spring was about to come soon.  

There were all these winter nights
filled with tears of farewell and thoughts of people back home
…but then there were the Morning lights
full of joy and new friendship, soon to followed by laughter
while outsides pavement still suffered from weather disaster.

There were no stars in the illuminated sky,
but we had a red full moon above the yard
and we had us to make our wishes.

There were the Nights coming home late up the stairs
with pocket lamps on.
And down on the corner the boys were hanging all night,
waiting for their life to move on.

Oh Broadway,

Your pavement nearly seemed to change with every step I made.
You were always there walking with me,
while you gave me the ground for those overwhelmed feelings
that were talking to me.

Oh Concrete Jungle, you soon became my home…

Always talking loud in various languages
I couldn’t understand, but these new words
that put my new world into new order.
Gave me so much reflection and native pride
and taught me an accent
helping me hustling through every day life.

This chosen lifetime amongst Big City lights, hustlers
and blurry Taxi-rides, in long hot summer nights
where I left my heart on Upper West Side´s.

You street of all streets,
Where else in this world could I feel more arrived?  
Took me by the hand
and made me find my long lost childhood dream
on a barre at dance-school again.

This asphalt made me wander down and lifted me up.

And now it´s like the game ain´t the same.

Good Night beautiful Harlem.
May you always shine so bright.
I miss the Puerto Rican voices and the alarming iceman at night.

  – For Jo, Helena & Sandra –

„The Corner“ 152nd on Broadway

„Mr. Softee“

Dance Studio „Steps“on Broadway //2121 Broadway @ 74th Street, NY

The „1“ Train

Girls in the Winter Hood

The Monestary

Eryn

The Neighborhood „Hamilton Heigts“

further Links:

The Song

The Drifters „On Broadway“

The hood

Hamilton Heights

Entertainment…

Dance Theatre of Harlem

eat something…

Harlem Public

Der Beitrag Open letter to Broadway erschien zuerst auf Urban Appetizer.

Joan Rivers

Joan Rivers in 1965.Credit Pix Inc.

Der Beitrag Joan Rivers * 1933 – † 2014 erschien zuerst auf Urban Appetizer.

Helen Levitt, New York, 1940

Helen Levitt was an American photographer and filmmaker. She was one of the most important representatives of the New York Street Photography. Her favorite sujet were children playing in the street, and everyday life in the streets mostly of the urban poor residents of the City.

Her pictures inspired generations of photographers and curators. In 1931 she started working as a portrait photographer in Brooklyn due what she met Henry Cartier-Bresson and got inspired to buy her first Leica Camera to capture the street-life of her hometown. In 1943 she had her first own exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art.

She also gained reputation as a filmmaker. Her movie „The quiet one“ was nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar in 1948. Helen Levitt’s films are regarded as vanguards of the independent low-budget film genre.

Retrospectives of her work have been held at several museums including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, International Center for Photography and the Centre National la Photography in Paris.

Recently Helen Levitt lived in New York, where she died in 2009 at the age of 95 years at her home in Greenwich Village.

Helen Levitt, New York, 1988

Helen Levitt, New York 1972

Helen Levitt, New York, 1978

More

Watch the Movie “The Quiet One”

Portfolio

Exhibition

Helen Levitt “In the Street”

Jepson Center, April 25-September 21 2014

Website: Telfair Museum, Georgia

Der Beitrag Helen Levitt – The Eye Of The Street erschien zuerst auf Urban Appetizer.

Der Beitrag Afropunkfestival 2014 NY-Brooklyn erschien zuerst auf Urban Appetizer.

„A Bronx Tale“.

The scenery of the film begins in the dark of the night and with a poetic declaration of love for that notorious district, which is commonly regarded as a synonym for the atrium of “hell on earth”. In the tales context, however, so in 1960, the Bronx is still a warm and vibrant neighborhood, certainly not innocent, but beyond all violence and corruption a refuge of almost Mediterranean street life and neighborly communication.

Trailer

Pic. Source

The little boy, who observes the streetlife from the intersection of the steps of the parental house, is fascinated by the hustle and bustle of the men in his hood..

Nowadays one street still captures this vibe from the Movie: The Arthur Avenue, which is also referred as to be the “real” little Italy of New York. I could also imagine sit there all day and observe the people passing me by. For me growing up with family members of Italian Background it was also a MUST DO to try the highly recommended Eggplant Parmigiana in the neighborhood.

The place to be for this occasion in the Bronx: Mike´s Deli.

Mike´s Deli

Been here done that. The waitress treated me just like an Italian mother who is not just looking after your nutritional needs, she is also looking after your soul. Conclusion: I would go there at least once a week,if that would be my neighborhood: “Deliciosa”!

The Bronx is still a poor and rough neighborhood, but or maybe even more because of that, the warmth and attitude of the residents is largely comparable to what I remember from being in Italy.

For those of you who won´t make it to the streets, go enjoy the Movie one more time!

A BRONX TALE

USA 1993. R: Robert De Niro.

___________________________

Mike´s Deli

2344 Arthur Ave
Bronx, NY 10458 Belmont

Text: C.Klaue

Der Beitrag A Bronx Tale erschien zuerst auf Urban Appetizer.