Original recipe card handwritten by my mother Laura.

Please Join the Fun!

Many families have a recipe that carries a story. Some are written on stained recipe cards, while others live only in memory. Either way, they’re part of our family’s history.

I’d love for us to preserve those stories together. If you have a family recipe with a history, share it using this simple format:

  1. Recipe
  2. Our Family’s Story
  3. Why It Matters
  4. Passed Down Through

I’ll collect the recipes and stories over the coming months and begin sharing them during the holiday season. It might be fun to try a recipe from another family, learn the history behind it, and celebrate the memories that good food brings to the table.

I’ll go first.

1. Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup

2. Our Family’s Story:
For years, I thought it was called Italian Wedding Soup because it was served at weddings. In fact, my dad insisted it be served at my wedding for exactly that reason!

But the recipe actually began in southern Italy as minestra maritata, or “married soup.” The marriage wasn’t between a bride and groom, but between meat and greens simmered together in a rich broth. When Italian immigrants came to America, the recipe evolved into the Italian Wedding Soup many of us grew up with.

3. Why It Matters to Me:
Whether someone was sick or we were celebrating, Nonna or Mom made a pot of this soup. Homemade chicken stock, escarole, tiny meatballs, and eggs whisked with freshly grated Parmesan and drizzled into the bubbling broth still take me back to their kitchens and to their love.

4. Passed Down Through:
Carmela Perciante, Rotondella, Italy → Laura Cataldi, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania → Libby Cataldi, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania & Florence, Italy

Now It’s Your Turn
Do you have a family recipe with a history? Don’t worry if your recipe isn’t fancy. Some of the best family stories come from the simplest meals: Grandma’s soup, Dad’s pancakes, Aunt Mary’s meatloaf.

You can post your recipe and story in the comments below or send them through my website (libbycataldi dot com) on the LIFETIME or CONTACT page. If possible, include a photograph of the handwritten recipe card, the finished dish, or the person who first made it.

Most importantly, tell us the recipe’s story. Who first made it? Who passed it down to you? If you know, tell us where the recipe originated. Then include your name and hometown so we can honor the journey it has taken from one kitchen, one family, and one generation to the next.

Together, let’s preserve the recipes, the people who passed them down, and the memories that might otherwise be lost. One family, one kitchen, one generation at a time.

After all, every recipe tells a story.