The sharing of food and the sharing of family stories often go hand-in-hand. Here you can listen to stories that show how special foods and cooking traditions become important elements of family lore.

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Aunt Birdie  Playing Time 2:04

Bill Knight, a radio journalist from central Illinois, tells about his Aunt Birdie and her decision one day that she'd simply had enough.

The Gumbo Maker  Playing Time 6:20

Sandy Burke now lives in Peoria but her family roots go back to New Orleans. Here she relates how the tradition of making Christmas gumbo was passed down from generation to generation within her family.

Editing Cookbooks  Playing Time 1:57

Strong religious beliefs can intrude even into the preparation of food as Skip Houser humorously tells us here.

Spanish Hash  Playing Time 4:28

Can a man's ability to both eat and enjoy a particular dish determine whether or not he is accepted into his girlfriend's family? Listen to Deb Green of Iowa to find out.

Grandma Bonnie's Pears  Playing Time 2:20

Author Linda Watanabe McFerrin grew up in a Japanese-American family but found herself also drawn to the food traditions of her husband's Southern-Irish family as well.