# Just like Mama used to make....

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-mama-used-to-make/696288>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 23, 2014, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-mama-used-to-make/696288 "2014-08-23T13:05:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-mama-used-to-make/696288/21 "2014-08-25T00:53:00Z")

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Some years ago, my mom polled all of the (very large) extended family about what their favorite dishes were that Gramma made. She then got all of the recipes from her, put them all together in a book, and gave a copy to each of us for Christmas that year. It’s the only cookbook I ever use (even though some of the recipes got transcribed a bit wrong).

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-mama-used-to-make/696288/22 "2014-08-25T02:07:48Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> Some years ago, my mom polled all of the (very large) extended family about what their favorite dishes were that Gramma made. She then got all of the recipes from her, put them all together in a book, and gave a copy to each of us for Christmas that year. It’s the only cookbook I ever use (even though some of the recipes got transcribed a bit wrong).

I inherited my mother’s cookbooks with all her handwritten recipes, a lot of which are attributed to this friend or that. There is one in there that is attributed to my great grandmother. I use her Christmas cookie recipes every year, and I make her batter bread quite often.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/just-like-mama-used-to-make/696288/23 "2014-08-25T02:57:01Z")

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> [@turner](#):
>
> carrot often is used instead of sugar the sweet “rootiness” of the carrot balances the acid in the tomato

Yeah, when I’m doing the “Sunday gravy” sort of spaghettit sauce–slow cooked with a lot of meats-- or a bolognese, I always start with a soffritto of onions, carrots, and celery, before building the sauce with the rest of the ingredients. It’s not an unusual way to start those types of sauces at all. In fact, that combination of onions, carrots, and celery is often called the “holy trinity” of Italian cookery. I’m not entirely sure I’ve even seen a recipe for bolognese that didn’t call for carrots.

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