Peach Dumplings

Jessie Melincoff 

In our modern time, the process of cooking has become simplified and standardized so that it is possible for us to cook easy and fast meals to keep up with our busy schedules. We see this trend very apparent through the “Mcdonaldization” of our Western foodways. Food and cooking has become something our previous generations would be horrified by. 

Every week, I go to Trader Joes to do my grocery shopping. Trader Joes is my favorite store because of how simple they have made cooking. As a college student with little time and money, I am able to buy a weeks worth of groceries at an affordable price, but also buy things that are pre-made, frozen, and simple to cook. I can buy pre-made lasagna or pulled pork without ever having to buy the individual ingredients to make it or have the skills to cook from an intricate recipe. 

Older generations, like my grandparents, cooked with kitchen skills they acquired from their parents and grandparents. They used recipes passed down through their family and cooked and baked as a social event. Home cooked meals made from scratch was part of who women were at the time. Cooking was something that held social meaning, where cookbooks, recipes, kitchen tools, and knowledge were passed down through generations. Women had to be able to cook from scratch because they did not have the ability to stop at the store and pick up a pre-made lasagna with meat sauce. 

Sutton calls into question, “loss of tradition, which is, in fact, loss of particular skills, as a necessary part of becoming the modern, individualistic Americans that his family members aspired to be” (Counihan, 299). I too, see this happening in my own cooking and kitchen skills. My mother, who makes amazing meals, has tried to teach me all my life how to cook. I never expressed interest in learning from her until I got to college and began cooking for myself. I have regretted, ever since, that I did not pay more attention when I lived at home. The knowledge and skills she learned from her mom, that my grandmother learned from her mom, will disappear if I do not learn them and continue to pass them along. 

As I have begun to recognize this issue, I’ve also understood the importance of family recipes. Food is such an important aspect of our lives, and can evoke important memories and periods of time throughout our lives with the single taste or smell of something familiar. “Preserving family recipes allows us to access these emotions any time we choose, whether it’s a holiday or a simple occasion we want to make special” (food editorial). 

A recipe that has been passed along through the women in my family for many generations is one to make peach dumplings. My great grandmother used to come in from the city to make peach dumplings with my grandmother every weekend. When my mom was younger, her and my grandmother would make peach dumplings together. Finally, my mom used to make them for me when I was younger. They have become something cherished in my family that we all love. It is exciting and brings up memories and stories when we eat them together. This is a perfect reminder for me of how female generations have passed along recipes and cooking knowledge and why it is important to preserve them.

Peach Dumpling Recipe

Preheat oven to 375

Dough Ingredients:

1 small box of Bisquick

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of sugar

Cinnamon and nutmeg 

1/2 cup of milk

White Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 gallon of milk

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

1/8 teaspoon of salt

8 tablespoons of corn starch 

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg

Directions:

Sprinkle peaches with cinnamon, sugar, and a pat of butter

Wrap peaches in the dough

Bake for 30-35 minutes, uncovered 

While peaches are baking, prepare the white sauce

Add all ingredients, except milk and corn starch, to a heavy bottom sauce pan

Mix remaining milk and corn starch together and then add to the above ingredients 

Over medium heat, continue to stir until thick

Drizzle sauce over dumplings prior to serving

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/apple-dumplings/6907c45f-62d0-4bc7-a958-25d8c6013f2e

Sources

Counihan, Carole. "Cooking Skills, The Senses, and Memory: The Fate of Practical Knowledge" Food and Culture: A Reader. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, 1997. Print.

"The Power of Food and the Importance of Family Recipes." The Power of Food and the Importance of Family Recipes. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.