Welcome to Clara’s Koch-ing, a site dedicated to my grandmother, Clara Koch (pronounced Cook). Grandma was an amazing cook. Good thing too since she had a family of amazing eaters. I never asked Grandma if she actually enjoyed cooking; it was something she always did and never complained. Perhaps she saw it as her duty, but to those of us lucky enough to eat her creations, it was a blessing. She blessed us with incredible food, full bellies and fond memories. So, it should come as no surprise that those of us with fond memories of her delicious treats want to enjoy them again. Some of us were fortunate enough to collect a few recipes here and there. I’ve created this site to share those recipes with my family and yours as well.
Here is the room where the magic happened. The picture above is proof you don’t need a large kitchen to feed a crowd. I can remember counting 35-40 people at a meal. Any family reading this is welcome to post the largest number they remember. The area to the right of the oven is where all food prep took place, and then became the start of the buffet line. Every burner on the stove had a pot on it, typically mashed potatoes, peas, corn, and gravy. To the right of the oven would be the meat on a platter, bread in a basket – homemade and white, any other seasonal dishes like sliced tomatoes in summer and cornbread dressing for holidays, and the stack of dishes to start the line.
What I can’t tell you is when my uncle, Tom, took this photo. Two clues for those that would know are the cane hanging on the sink – I don’t remember when she started using that – and the oven. The oven would be the only ‘update’ to the kitchen through the years.
Thanks for setting this site up and posting the first recipe. Since we are in the holiday season, the next recipe should be Cornbread Dressing. I still make my version of it and will post it, but I’m sure Donna may want to add comments too. Then there’s pecan pie and sugar cookies and so many more that I have never been able to duplicate. Does anyone remember the donuts mom used to make for an after school snack?
Yes, I remember the donuts made out of her usual bread dough. After frying them, she’d shake them in a paper sack with some granulated sugar. We also must include the recipe for French coconut pie. No one here has ever heard of it.
My guess is the picture was taken around Thanksgiving or Christmas of 2001. The photo
was taken with my first digital camera which means 2001 or early 2002, Elise’s jacket indicates the season. If you want a more accurate date I’ll pull out a backup drive and look.
I love the idea of sharing Grandma’s recipes. It’s a great way to keep her memory and her yummy recipes alive. It will be fun to compare what her kids and grandkids remember.
I don’t have any recipes to contribute, but I’d like to know her French coconut pie and Custard pie recipes.
Donna gave me the recipe for French coconut pie! I’ll post that one next.