Making It for Today: How to Modernize Generational Recipes

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Find a taste of home in Generations of Good Food by Eleanor Gaccetta as she teaches you homemade recipes that have been passed down through her family for many generations. Making it for today, who knows what will come out?

Yet, recipes are not to be strictly followed–a controversial opinion, yes, but there is some truth to this: in due time, all things change. Whatever ingredients and techniques that were jotted down all those decades ago may not necessarily be available to the current times. As such, preserving recipes does not only mean remembering what was done before but also finding ways to make it today.

MAKING IT FOR TODAY

Palates are always evolving alongside ingredients and techniques. So, how do we ensure that the culinary treasures of the past remain relevant today and will be enjoyed by future generations without sacrificing their essence? How do you preserve the experience of eating an Orecchiette for someone who’s never had Italian? How do you teach someone how to cook paella if they’ve never tried rice before? These are questions you need to ask when you want to place traditional food in a more modern context.

Modernizing generational recipes can be tricky. It’s a balancing act between honoring tradition and embracing the now. Therefore, one must approach it carefully and with reverence. These recipes survived for a reason, and no one wants to be the last one on the line.

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Understanding the Original Recipe

Of course, if you want to modernize a recipe, you need to understand the original first. A deep understanding of what the dish–in its proper context–is paramount and critical. What does this mean? How do you understand a dish at its root?

To understand a dish is to go beyond what is written on the recipe. Behind every recipe, there is a story and you need to understand what that story is. Who created the dish? Who was it created for? How did the creator come up with the dish? Understanding the inception and place of the dish in your family–and maybe broader history–is essential to digging deeper into the idea of the dish.

What you want to do is not only to replicate the dish exactly as it was if it had been made during its creation, but you also want to identify its fundamental characteristics–what makes the dish unique and singular.

Whatever you glean from this exploration will form the bedrock of your modernization plans.

Bridging the Gap Between Then and Now

When you already have an intimate understanding of the dish, that is when you can be sure that you are able to thoughtfully adapt it. This is where your creativity and respect for the dish intertwine and shine.

When we mean modernization, we do not necessarily mean that you should change everything or remake the dish to the extent that it won’t be mistaken for a generational recipe. Modernizing recipes often just means making subtle adjustments so the dish is better suited to the needs and preferences of the time. This means thinking at a micro-level: maybe some ingredients should be substituted. There are many cases where ingredients from the past are no longer available today.

You can also consider the overall techniques being used. Perhaps they have been forgotten or modified. Whatever the case, there are opportunities to streamline the whole process without altering the final outcome to a significant degree. This is common when modernizing a generational recipe in the hopes of making it for today.

Maintaining the Connection of the Past

The final stage of modernization is sharing the restored recipes in a way that does not obfuscate their history. A great modernization of a recipe is one that fosters a connection with future generations.

This goes beyond simply handing over a new and modified recipe card. It’s about incorporating the story of the dish into the act of sharing it.

When presenting the modernized recipe, take the time to explain the origins of the dish and the changes that have been made. Sharing anecdotes about the people who originally created and cooked the recipe adds a personal touch and helps to keep their memory alive. Eleanor Gaccetta’s book, Generations of Good Food, is a compilation of six generations of recipes.  Most of the recipes are accompanied by stories and memories of what brought family to the table. Grab a copy at Amazon, online at Barnes and Noble or at

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For recipes that have stood the test of time, Generations of Good Food is available for purchase on this website. CLICK THIS LINK HERE TO TAKE YOU TO THE ORDER PAGE.