Depression cooking with Clara
Filed under: Food, Saving Money, Simplification, Relationships
There's a lot of whispering of the D-word lately. The stock markets are in free-fall. The banks keep asking for more money. Everybody being laid off. Americans are hunkering down and wondering how bad it can get. Old folks, meanwhile, know all too well how bad it can get, but nobody's asking them.
We relative whippersnappers are starting to wise up. If we're destined to stand in breadlines for a few years, why not ask the experts for advice on how to get through it?
Enter Clara Cannucciari, a 93-year-old grandmother from Upstate New York. She's the unlikely star of a new series of cooking videos on YouTube. Her speciality? Everyday home cooking from the Great Depression.
No Food Network glitz here. No flashing smiles and fancy kitchens or expensive ingredients. Clara cooks up her simple fair on a standard white 70's-era stove, while reminiscing for the viewer what it was like for her and her family back in the early '30s. It's so sincere, so like sitting there cooking with your own grandma, that I've been riveted to the entire series.
Here's a favorite: Rice, lentils, and steaks. Lovingly prepared in the no-nonsense manner by Clara. Watch and learn!
We relative whippersnappers are starting to wise up. If we're destined to stand in breadlines for a few years, why not ask the experts for advice on how to get through it?
Enter Clara Cannucciari, a 93-year-old grandmother from Upstate New York. She's the unlikely star of a new series of cooking videos on YouTube. Her speciality? Everyday home cooking from the Great Depression.
No Food Network glitz here. No flashing smiles and fancy kitchens or expensive ingredients. Clara cooks up her simple fair on a standard white 70's-era stove, while reminiscing for the viewer what it was like for her and her family back in the early '30s. It's so sincere, so like sitting there cooking with your own grandma, that I've been riveted to the entire series.
Here's a favorite: Rice, lentils, and steaks. Lovingly prepared in the no-nonsense manner by Clara. Watch and learn!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-03-2009 @ 9:44AM
Joi said...
She's absolutely adorable!
Reply
3-03-2009 @ 1:19PM
Anthony Triana said...
What a great find! She's a doll! Thanks for bringing us down to earth JT..
Reply
3-04-2009 @ 6:15AM
Susan said...
This is a great recipe, and a sweet, pretty lady. I like her eyes which are very soulful, and her gentle voice. However, the cooked meat should not go back into the oil and lemon in which it was marinated when it was raw. This is bad food handling and can make you sick. The marinade should all be put in the pan and cooked thoroughly. The cooked meat and cooked marinade should be put on a fresh, clean plate, never the one it sat on when it was raw, which could have e-coli bacteria. I think this recipe could also be improved nutritionally and would also taste better with garlic, onions and carrots in with the lentils, and maybe some shredded kale, collards, or other dark greens just for the last ten or fifteen minutes of cooking.
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3-08-2009 @ 7:15PM
Michelle said...
I'm guessing since she's 93, she's eaten this meal often. That in itself tells you the recipe is relatively safe.
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3-20-2009 @ 3:21PM
t. erickson said...
Since I am a depression baby I really enjoy Claras cooking show it as as genuine as she is, keep up the good work we need more of the good old days simple , truthful and just having good memories like Clara has of family togetherness even during hard times...
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