Holm Family Cookbook, A Culinary Tale of Danish Tradition and Western Lore in the Golden State of California

Holm Family Cookbook, A Culinary Tale of Danish Tradition and Western Lore in the Golden State of California by Susie Calhoun, Merry Carter, Wendy Howe, Nancy Mueller, Tilli Calhoun, Patsy Neely. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780981657004.

From tattered cards in time-worn recipe boxes, hastily scribbled notes, and emails from friends, the recipes in this cookbook have been gleaned from the kitchens of five generations of Holm women. They reveal a Danish ancestry, a rural Western upbringing, and the evolution of American meal preparation in the last century. These recipes run the gamut in ethnic influences, skills required and ingredients used, some for everyday meals, some for holidays and special occasions. The simplicity of a White Sauce taught in high school Home Economics classes in the 1930’s contrasts with a more modern Salmon Poached in Wine with Dill Sauce. Many recipes have their origins in the large family barbecues held on the Circle H Ranch. Wayne’s Barbecued Chicken recipe has an interesting twist in the end—steamed over wine. The Danish influence is well represented with such recipes as Aebelskivers and Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs). The Holm Family Cookbook reflects a cyclic progression of home cooking. Earlier generations of Holm women prepared recipes that used simple ingredients and techniques but owed their great flavor to slow cooking, the vegetables grown in their gardens, and the meat and game raised or hunted on their land. As processed and pre-packaged foods replaced home canning and “cooking from scratch”, recipes began to incorporate these items into their ingredients lists. Our present-day food trends of natural ingredients and fresh, local produce are right in tune with today’s Holm family vegetable gardens, ranches, and farms. “A wonderful view of a pioneer family’s history in the Livermore Valley. The scope of stories, remembrances, and recipes makes this a captivating read for the foodie and the historian alike. Very enjoyable in its simplicity, it reveals how food is woven into the fabric of life and how this is relevant to us all.” -Carolyn Wente, Fourth Generation Winegrower