I’ve received many wonderful recipes and family stories for this series, and I thank everyone who has contributed. I’ll continue sharing one each month.

Cindy Martin Marshall, a high school friend of mine, shared this story, and it cracks me up.

Her mother, Nancy Ryan, was Irish and only seventeen years old when she married into an Italian family. At the time, marrying outside your nationality was a big deal.

Nancy’s Irish mother was so unhappy about her daughter marrying an Italian that she wore black to the wedding.

And although this happened in an Irish family, I can SO imagine the same scene playing out in an Italian one. My Nonna Carmela was shocked that I was marrying a German Presbyterian! She told me that she thought I should marry an Italian doctor.

Cindy’s story also demonstrates the strength of culture and tradition. While Nancy’s Irish mother was mourning the marriage, her new Italian mother-in-law welcomed the young bride into the family and taught her how to cook Italian food. And like all Italian mammas who are devoted to their sons, she was determined to make sure he would eat well!

This is why I love receiving these recipes. They tell us so much more than what people ate. They connect us to the people who came before us and remind us where we came from.

Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Published in a Pittsburgh newspaper, June 1956

Cindy’s Family Story: My paternal grandmother, Ernestine, was born in Vastogirardi, Italy, and my grandfather, Frank Martin, was born in Alvito, Frosinone, Lazio, Italy. When my Italian grandparents arrived on Ellis Island from Italy, they changed my grandfather’s name from Martini to Martin.  

Why It Matters to Me: My mother, Nancy Ryan, was Irish and only seventeen years old when my parents married. At that time, marrying outside your nationality was a no-no. As an example, my Irish grandmother even wore black to my parents’ wedding. Luckily, my Italian grandmother took my mother under her wing and taught her how to cook Italian food.

Passed Down Through: Our entire Martin family. In fact, our family has a Facebook group called “Martin Family Recipes,” where family members scattered across the United States post recipes and share updates as they research our heritage.