Preserving your family food memories into a tangible legacy for future generations. 

• Do you feel too busy to record and preserve your family’s stories and recipes?
• Do you keep telling yourself “I’ll do this someday?”
• Do you have that nagging feeling that if you keep waiting, these precious stories may never be captured?

Through the Heirloom Meals Recipe Project I will guide you in an easy and structured way, and give you the support and accountability necessary to bring your pens and your pots together to produce your heirloom family cookbook.

Because the reality is "someday" may never come!

Putting pen to paper and writing about family food memories is a lofty goal.  Many would rather do laundry than sit down and write.  A blank page is intimidating!
How many times have you looked at your recipe box/folder/binder you created OR the one you inherited, and longed to have them in one place to SHARE?
What about those recipes that aren’t written down – how do you preserve those intuitive concoctions that take you back to your childhood table?

The Heirloom Meals Recipe Project is an 8-week program designed to help you write your family food history, organize your recipes and result in YOUR Heirloom Meals Recipe Book.

MORE THAN JUST RECIPES

Unlike most online options, our program and template has ample space for your narrative story, recipes, family photos and scans of stained recipe cards.  While recipes are wonderful, it’s the stories that give them their full flavor.

In the workshop, I will guide you through the process of writing your family food narrative, headnotes for your recipes, and collecting all the supporting photos that will result in a treasured book to share with your family. Think of me as your Edible Legacy Coach!

Each week, I will email you a workbook with writing prompts and other exercises.  We will have an hour-long live call.  We will have a private facebook page to build community, post our progress and share our stories.

The goal is to chronicle your family food history.  Your written story will emerge as a result of responding to the prompts. We will ultimately combine that with your recipes with headnotes, and photos, and build it into your very own hard copy Heirloom Family Cookbook.

The workshop is designed to produce an end-product.  It provides that accountability we all crave to keep a project like this on track, and to get finished!!

The Details

• 8 Modules
• Live one-hour coaching calls with replays 
• Homework each week
• Access to me via email
• 2 – 15-minute one-on-one coaching calls
• No fussing with designing content – just upload and leave the rest to us
• Approximately 4 weeks after you send in your final materials, you will receive one, 72 page hardcover, color Heirloom Family Recipe Book and a PDF (If you have more than 72 pages, it will cost an additional $2 per page. Additional copies available at an additional fee based on you final page count. A 72-page book is approximately $60)
• Each Class is Limited to 8 participants
• Private Facebook community
• Price $997 - payment plans offered!
• Next class begins on November 24, 2015.   

Module One: Let’s start at the beginning

Module Two: A Sense of place

Module Three: The story is the thing

Module Four: It’s all about feelings

Module Five: It’s all about the food

Module Six: Concoctions into Recipes

Module Seven: Headnotes

Module Eight: Putting it all together

I can design a group or family class - call me at 413-298-0173 or e-mail me for details.

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Testimonials:

It has been said that because so much of our lives today are documented in technology that we chance to loose our history and stories in these devices.  Carole Murko has offered a gift of leading us through the writing of our families’ food history and memories so that they are not lost and can be passed down for generations to come.  She takes you on a beautiful, emotional, supportive and loved filled journey that is a gift unto itself.  With her warm and creative guidance you create together a memoir that you never realized was inside of you waiting to be shared with those you love.   This is a gift to give to yourself, to a friend, to family.  Everyone should experience this journey with Carole Murko. 

Debby Edwards, Chicago, IL

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Carole takes you on a journey through all five of your senses as she guides you through the delicious and colorful food memories of your childhood and family. She taps you into the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the food and traditions that weave our family memories into the tapestry of our lives. She takes you on a journey that will leave your mouth watering and your heart swelling with the memories of your cherished family traditions and recipes. While doing this project, I had the unexpected pleasure of connecting my children to the grandparents and great grandparents they never met. We combed through family photos, old cookbooks and scribbled on index cards, while we shared memories about the people and events we’d almost forgotten. I loved doing this with my parents. We laughed, we cried! We shared our favorite memories and spend hours one night talking about holiday dinners and our favorite dishes. What a fantastical journey through our family memories. I was reminded of the simple pleasures and the power of creating a meal and sharing it with those you love. I was reminded how powerful it is to bring the people you love together to share a meal and a life-long experience. Thank you Carole for creating the Heirloom Cookbook project and giving my family a treasure to be shared for generations to come! This was such a freakin’ blast! I loved it! My family loved! Thank you for reminding me how much I loved my grandfather’s past fagioli. I hadn’t made it in years, and it was such a pleasure to taste it and feel the love of this cherished recipe come back to life.

Laura Rothschild, San Diego, CA

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The Heirloom Meals Recipe Project has been amazing on so many levels.  Carole has organized the weekly sessions in such a way to get us thinking on a big scale about our memories, then working down to a personal, intimate portrait of individuals and their favorite recipes.  

From the outset, Carole encourages her participants to consider all the influences that made them the cook, the foodie, the teacher they are today - through reflections on our most beloved childhood food memories, the marvelous old kitchens of our grandmothers and mothers, the stories we share during the fellowship of family mealtime (or informal gatherings with friends), and the anecdotes about our most beloved recipes.  The process has reintroduced us to many 'old friends' in the kitchen (both beloved family recipes and new discoveries), sparked conversations with family about their memories of cooking together and sharing meals, and above all, produced a collection of favorite recipes and stories that will surely become our go-to book for our favorite recipes.  

Through this process, I've not only reconnected with many, many 'old friends' in my kitchen, I have also captured the stories that gently cocoon those friends, warming my heart throughout the years and bringing joy to so many gatherings.  I've also learned that it's great fun to write about food - not only critiques, but the back-story, the genesis, and the emotional connection.  And I'm fairly good at it!!  What an utter pleasure it's been to share this journey with women who have equally great stories to share, all the while encouraging each other, asking questions, and having more memories stirred up!

Amy Holich Moscaritolo, Northampton, MA

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Under Carole Murko's thoughtful, sensitive guidance, I was able to complete a project I've been meaning to do since my Grandmother passed away in 1992: put together a family keepsake of cherished recipes that might otherwise have been lost, a unique and invaluable gift, that will last for generations.

Stephanie Ann Smith, Gainsville, FL

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If you get the chance to do Heirloom Meals, do it!  You will not believe how much fun it is to recall all the loved ones of your past, journey back to your childhood recalling the foods you grew up loving, and interacting throughout the whole program with wonderful women experiencing the same process.  Carole has a joyful manner for introducing each step in the progression of the book development and a meaningful way of guiding you and your memory back to the tastes and all the senses of earlier times.  The book you will create will be a treasure for your children and grandchildren.

I am so grateful I have had the opportunity to make this journey with Carole.

Nona Thompson, Hallowell,Maine

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Through Carole's prompts for memory and writing exercises, I realized the richness of the memories I hold around food and family! Tables and tableaux I had not thought about for years! The heirloom meals project wraps your family recipes with love and reminds you of what to hold dear. Ending up with a family cookbook is the treasure that results!

Laura Tiberi, Westerfield, OH

Let me help you!

I have designed an amazing eight-week program that will result in a gorgeous hard-bound color heirloom family cookbook. It's a fun, emotional, and beautiful process. When it comes down to it, it's really all about love!

To learn more, click the icon above. We have workshops starting every 2 months, or you can customize your start time.

2. Writing my Memoir with Recipes - an exciting process!

3. Email me to schedule your personal Heirloom Meals Recipe Project!

This dish is a family recipe from my godmother, Aunt Frances. It’s a comforting Italian specialty, simple and delectable. Feel free to substitute pancetta (Italian bacon). Either way everything taste better with bacon.  

You can find the recipe for Aunt France’s Pasta with Cauliflower and Bacon here!

Enjoy!

Egg salad is one of those old-fashion luncheon comfort foods. Whenever I need a fast easy lunch, egg salad is the ticket! I think the freshness of the celery and tarragon makes this salad really great. Put it on a sandwich or enjoy along with a leafy green salad or some dilly beans. 

You can find the recipe for Egg salad here!

When I was a kid, I despised beets— perhaps because they were from a can. Now that I have access to garden grown beets or fresh beets from the supermarket, I adore them — especially in a salad. Beet salad is a great side for lunch, especially with a quinoa salad. 

You can find the recipe for Beet Salad here.

Enjoy!

I love stir fries— they are easy to make, and always delicious. This concoction is loaded with vegetables, rice, and black beans. I added lime juice and sliced avocado which turned a seemingly ordinary stir fry into this new and exciting dish! 

Want to whip up a quick lunch, brunch or light supper? Frittata's are the answer. They are simple, yet elegant. This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for brunch.

You can find the recipe here!

Enjoy!

This delicious combination of cupcakes was brought to me by Farm Girl Laura, with the original recipe by Judith Janowski. Positively amazing!
 

You can find the recipe for Choco-Zucchini Cupcakes here.

Enjoy!

I want to share my signature summer salad, greens with watermelon and feta. It is light crisp, and full of flavor. I love making it during those hot muggy days, when I am craving something fresh for lunch!

You can find the recipe for Watermelon Feta Salad here!

Quinoa is newish to my repertoire. I love it for its taste versatility and as an alternative to protein. I find it makes a lovely salad. 

You can find the recipe here.

Enjoy!

Check out her classes at the Nantucket Culinary Center:

July 9th - Healing Your Gut 

July 15th - Gluten and Dairy Free Cooking

July 16th - In a Pickle Canning Class

August 1st - Cooking with CBD Hemp Oil 

August 15th - Happy Birthday Julia Child Dinner

August 22nd - Healing the Gut Part II

August 26th - Canning Workshop

And her classes at The Nantucket Community School:

July 11th, 25th and August 8th - Celebrating Memorable Family Meals through writing and scrapbooking

September 20 - October 11th - 4 Tuesdays - The Heirloom Meals Recipe Project

Garlic scapes are those long curly green steams that shoot up from garlic bulbs. Normally you cut them off to send more energy to the garlic bulbs to grow. Yet, instead of tossing the garlic scapes away you can make an amazing pesto. Garlic scape pesto is great on almost everything including homemade pizza! 

You can find the recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto here!

As part of my participation in the Eat Write Retreat, The Golden Door Spa sent us food bloggers some of their amazing packaged mixes.  I decided to work with their Moroccan Harari Soup Mix. I first made risotto with the mix, then I used the leftovers make up the arancini. 

You can find the recipe for The Golden Door Moroccan Harai Arancini here!

Enjoy!

Tempeh is one of those “healthy” foods with a bad rap. But with most foods— it is how you prepare it. Tempeh is packed with protein, and is very easy to prepare. It has this delicious nutty flavor, that when pan fried in coconut oil, is remarkable. I like to dress my tempeh with dijon mustard and sauerkraut. 

You can find the recipe for  Tempeh with Dijion Mustard & Sauerkraut here!

Enjoy!

Jim asked me to bake something his best friend’s elderly mother. I though banana bread would be just the thing— soft, sweet, and comforting. Banana bread is enjoyable for breakfast, afternoon tea, or really anytime. 

You can find the recipe for Banana Bread here.

Enjoy!

I concocted this dish as part of a vegan lunch. Polenta is hearty, smooth, and satisfying. I used Argentinian polenta, it is ground super fine so It cooks very quickly! Although this recipe is vegan, you can always add cheese, other herbs, or really anything you like in it!

You can find the recipe for Polenta with Rosemary & Corn here!

Enjoy!

Packaging baked goods is another great creative outlet. It is especially needed during the holiday season. Here are some of my secrets on how to effortlessly package cookies for any type of gift swap! 

Enjoy! 

I developed this dish when Jim became diagnosed with Celiac Disease. I was so used to having cookies in the cookie jar, and so was he, that I had to come up with a substitute. Enjoy this diabetes friendly, gluten-free treat!  

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

This recipe is a fun, summer vegetarian meal that takes less than half an hour to prepare in the kitchen.

You can find the recipe here.

Happy Thanksgiving and Thank you for watching Heirloom Meals Thanksgiving PBS show. Here are all the links to the recipes from the show:

Jo’s Manicotti

Loring Barnes’ Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash

Loring Barnes' Baked Chocolate Pudding

Jill Gernon’s Green Bean Casserole

Ellie Markovitch’s Cheese Bread

Cooper Boone’s Turkey

Cooper Boone’s Cornbread Stuffing

Chadwick Boyd’s Pumpkin Pie

Looking for a great Holiday Gift? Give the gift of LEGACY. Check out the Heirloom Meals Recipe Project.

Mia Moorehead's family recipe from her grandmother Gigi. Her zesty okra gumbo and delicious cornbread balls were a hit at the table! Serve with an accompaniment of rice and you have a feast for the eyes and soul. 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

A favorite recipe of Mom and Nana using lean and high protein chicken cutlets. This dish is a classic, and is as easy to make as it is delicious.

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

My Mom's famous and family treasured recipe for sour cream pie crust. Easy to make and delicious, you will never need to buy store bought pie crusts again!  You can get my go-to recipe here. 

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

Making rice at home can be tricky. Here is a painless and useful process to making your own rice at home. 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

I adapted this dessert from my mother's recipe for Apple Cheesecake Torte so that it can be shared by all. It is diabetes-friendly, delicious, and decidedly worth trying. Enjoy! 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

I didn’t expect to fall in love with Riojan wines – but I have – hook, line and sinker. My conversations with Ana Fabiano, reading her gorgeous book and ultimately testing the wines and pairing  them with recipes have made me a big fan.

What is most attractive is the region itself. Wine-making in Rioja goes dates back nearly 1200 years. The region is steeped in history, tradition and culture, creating a keen sense of place and giving the wines their terroir. Riojans are aligned with the land. Wine-makers are bottling their great greatparents vineyards. Wines are treasured and the rituals are protected and respected. For example, the Muga family tree extends back 500 years. This is pretty amazing when thinking about the US wine industry.

Rioja is 70 miles long by 30 miles wide.The region is still in the hands of the people, unlike the US whose wine industry is in the hands of foreign investors or celebrity money.

Ana shares that there are strict regulations by the Rioja Regulator Board as it governs the aging categories. I paired a wine from each of the aging categories with a recipe and did a three-part interview series with Ana Fabiano.

The wines and recipes:

Chicken, Chorizo and Potatoes paired with Ostata Crianza

Riojan Gran Reserva with Nana's Anchovy Roasted Lamb

Vina Zaco Tempranillo with Pasta Bolognese

Rioja Murvieta Reserva with Mushroom Risotto

Muga Rose with Sauteed Scallops

Rioja Blanco with Fettucine with a Lobster Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

The radio interviews:

Ana Fabiano and the Rioja Wines of Spain - Part I - Ana Fabiano shares the history of the Riojan Wine Region of Spain.

Ana Fabiano Roija Wines of Spain - Part II - Refreshing Sips of Rioja Wine with Ana Fabiano

Ana Fabiano Roija Wines of Spain - Part III - Ana Fabiano talks about the royal reds of Rioja.

My Nana's way of making homemade Italian fettuccine noodles, paired with a delicious creamy lobster sauce. 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

An effectively easy and family coveted method of creating the perfect mashed and fluffy potato salad. My stepson says it’s like a creamy, yummy potato-egg salad! 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

This recipe has been in our staple of recipes as far back as I can remember. My Mom and grandmother made certain there was always yummy homemade baked goods in the house. I make it with fresh blueberries, applesauce, and low-fat yogurt for a lighter and healthier version. 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

My recipe for a spicy rib rub. My husband, Jim Finnerty, demonstrates the most efficient way to barbecue ribs.

BBQ Ribs are a family favorite from our family to yours and we hope you try this recipe out.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

In part three of the three part series with Ana Fabiano, we discuss the royal reds. The reds are the muscle or the core of the Rioja wine region. 90% of the production are reds ranging from semi-aged to very aged and collectible. 

The Crianzas are aged for a minimum of 2 years with one in oak barrels. The Reservas are aged minimum of 12 months in oak and at least 24 in bottle before release, and the Gran Reservas are only made in the best years and are aged for a minimum of five years (two years in oak and three years in bottle).

I made roasted chicken with chorizo and onions over saffron risotto which paried beautifully with the Crianza, while my mushroom risotto was an ideal complement to the Reserva. The Gran Reserva stood up perfectly to my grandmother's roasted lamb recipe.

These wines will make you swoon. I am a convert. The combo of their versatility, taste, and price have made the riojan wines my go-to wines for casual to formal dining.

In part II of a three part series with Ana Fabiano, we chat about the lighter wines that come out of the Riojan wine region.

DId you know there is actually a white wine from Rioja? And of course, there is a rosado AKA rose and a young rioja.

They all pair magnificently with food. Check out my pasta with a lobster, basil cream sauce with the blanco, or sauteed scallops with the rosado. And, enjoy a pasta bolognese with the young rioja. 

Ana's descriptions will make you run to the store for these wines. They are truly lovely.

The Riojan region of Spain is a perfect subject for Heirloom Meals Radio. The region is steeped in tradition and history.

Ana Fabiano is the voice for the land and the people of Rioja in her role as the  North American Trade Director for Rioja-USA. Ana's passion for the region is palpable. And why shouldn't it be - Rioja is a place steeped in generational wine-making, natural beauty and tradition. She calls it a "small, big, rich place." There is so much to do, with so much diversity.

Ana is seeing a growth in interest in the Riojan wines as they deliver so much harmony on the palette. She feels you will never find clumsy rioja as they are very cuisine compatible and give the cook a great amount of bandwith with their menus!

So listen up and fall in love with Ana and Rioja just like I did. I am looking to book a trip there soon!!

Madeline Finnerty's recipe for a delicious homemade blueberry cake. The story behind this yummy cake is a fond memory of the summers her parents spent on Cape Cod where blueberries were always near. 

You can get the recipe here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

A family recipe for baked almond blueberry cookies. The perfect dessert or breakfast food for your family or festive friend gathering! 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

Join her for classes at the Nantucket Culinary Center.

Her next few classes are:

In a Pickle - Pickling is a great way to preserve the harvest. It is simple and provides for great sides and condiments. We’ll do a simple refrigerator method and one hot water bath.
The Heirloom Meals Recipe Project: Storytelling with a side of cooking

Have you ever just wished you asked your mom or grandmother for that special family recipe? Have you been talking about collecting your family recipes together in one place but never do it? Can you recall snippets of your family mealtime? How about your grandmother’s kitchen? The Heirloom Meals Recipe Project will bring your pens ad your pots together, combining writing prompts that will connect the participants immediately with the subject: who they are through the lens of their food memories and how food makes them feel. We will then move into the kitchen and Carole will demonstrate how to reverse engineer a family concoction into a recipe, write the recipe and then we will all eat together and share stories.

There’s Nothing a Homemade Cookie Can’t Solve

Aren’t cookies the ultimate comfort food? In this hands-on class, Carole will share three of her favorite family recipes. A perfect workshop for Mom’s and kids!

Check back here and the Nantucket Culinary Center for more of my classes!

In person Heirloom Meals Recipe Project:

If you are on Nantucket and want to write your food story and create your legacy cookbook. Email me or call me (413-329-5475). We are putting a class together!!

A recipe for delicious homemade blueberry crumble top cake baked in a traditional buckle pan.

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

My treasured family recipe for delicious walnut and raisin oatmeal cookies. A great treat for any age! 

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

A winning recipe from Asparagus contest we ran a while back. Mary Leverette provided her recipe for Asparagus and Shrimp Rounds.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! 

Following a healthy diet? No need to sacrifice flavor! This dish is low in cholesterol and low in cost, not to mention one of Nana’s best recipes. 

These creative pizzas are made with lavash instead of pizza dough. They are light, delicious, and easy to make. A healthy spin to everyone's favorite food! 

You can get the recipe here.

Enjoy and lots of love,

Carole

A delicious and elegant main dish sure to impress! Full of healthy Winter vegetables and low fat protein, this dish is excellent for a cold weather feast. 

This is recipe is definitely a winning combination.