Barbara Costello - Celebrate with Babs - Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions

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FOR

Mary, my spiritual Mother,

Minnie, my mother,

Vincenza, my grandmother,

Hazel, my mother-in-love, and

Ida, my surrogate mother

because you can never have too many mothers!

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This all started with a simple, wooden recipe box. In that box are generations of precious recipes, compiled over a half century and served at holiday celebrations throughout the years. These recipes evoke crystal-clear memories of days long past, celebrating holidays with family and friends, many of whom are no longer here.

The food-centered celebrations and traditions passed down to me have shaped who I am today. I grew up in a large Italian and Lebanese family, and although I only have one older sister, I always felt I came from a family of many siblings. When we gathered for holidays or Sunday dinners at Grandma and Grandpas, the house was overflowing with my 20 aunts and uncles, 16 first cousins, and most importantly an abundance of love. There were so many people in the family that even after my husband Bill and I were married, we still had to sit at the designated kids table.

In those days, food was the center of any family gathering (as it is now, but even more so back then). My grandmother and mom, along with my aunts, would begin preparing for a holiday sometimes weeks in advance. Each had a role to play. What I remember most was the energy of the celebrations they curatedthe din of multiple conversations going on at once, the laughter, the time spent with my cousins, and especially the abundance and many courses of food; just when you thought it had to be it, something else emerged from the kitchen. It was sheer abbondanza on all levels.

Many years ago, we moved far from my family. So much of that family has now passed, but they remain with me because of the holiday traditions theyve handed down. Those early impressions truly never left me. The torch of holiday celebrations has been passed to me and my husband, and now to our own children. Theyve been tweaked and changed to now become our traditions. Yet, the thread holding together all these celebrations throughout the years, first and foremost, has always been the food.

Preparing certain dishes once per year at a certain time of year is like a rhythm that celebrates the dance of life. Life is a celebration, and the traditions found in these celebrations bring the richness of family, friends, and food together. These celebrations connect us to each other, to our roots. Those connections will hopefully be passed on to our four children and eight grandchildren when we are no longer here.

This book holds the holiday recipes and traditions that have been part of my life, passed down through generations of family and friends. I hope you enjoy them, and the stories as well. Its never too late to begin your own traditions, which will long be remembered...because now is the time to celebrate this great gift of life! No matter what your family makeup is, no matter who you celebrate with, no matter who passes you the salt when its most necessary, it is never too late to start your own story.

Xoxo,
Babs

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I have a host of tips to alleviate some of the stresses of entertaining, from making the choice to throw a celebration, to prepping the food, to cleaning up afterward. I think the most important thing to remember is that its really all about relationships and the warmth and love of opening your heart and home to the most important people in your life. The memories and traditions will flow from that in a truly authentic way.

I hope you not only enjoy the delicious dishes in this book (ones I have been preparing for my own family for so long), but more importantly, I also want to inspire you to welcome others to your table. Open your home to someone you may not have thought to open it to in the past. I want to gift you the confidence to host anything from a big holiday like Thanksgiving, to a small Fourth of July summer barbecue with friends. Any opportunity to open your heart and home and to spread warmth and hospitality through food is the glue that, for me, holds all of these traditions together. I am passing down to you what Ive held so near and dear to my heart over the last 50 years. Now its your turn to carry the torch!

THE PARTY

Ready to host that party, or not so sure? Its an honor to bring people together, so find a reason to celebrate, make some family and friends feel special by inviting them to your home, and dive into the world of entertaining.

You Wont Regret the Choice to Entertain

Sometimes people shy away from entertaining. Lets face it, people are busy with their routine schedules, and time is precious. Sometimes the most difficult thing is to just make a commitment and not look back. If you second guess yourself about that, youll come up with 110 reasons why now is not a good time to host a special holiday for family and friends. You know that once that commitment is made, its full steam ahead with planning, cooking, cleaning, decorating, and more.

You will never regret the choice to bring the special people in your life together, welcoming them warmly into your home for a celebration. The memories and traditions you will be creating through this labor of love are pricelessnot just for you, but for your loved ones and generations to come.

What Are We Celebrating?

Well, the obvious is all the religious and cultural holidays on our calendar. However, reasons to celebrate life are everywhere, like celebrating the change of seasons, a new baby, a baptism, a graduation, Oktoberfest, Derby Day...you get the idea. There are endless reasons to celebrate this gift of life.

Making It Special for Everyone

Try to get the family involved in the party. You are planting the seeds in their lives so that in the future, they will have the confidence to carry on family traditions they have observed and in which they have participated. The silver lining is that the more they feel part of the planning process, the more they will help and support youa win-win!

Remember the whole point of entertaining is to make memories and build your own family traditions. My advice is to treat family like company and company like family. If you relax and remember that, then when guests arrive, they will immediately sense your welcoming warmth. You will be well on your way to hosting a memory-making party.

The Invite List

If planning a family event, your guest list is most likely set. However, if you are hosting a party for friends, you should be mindful of the chemistry of the guests you are inviting and how they will gel as a group. This is especially important if you are hosting a sit-down dinner.