Culinary Traditions

When I was young, my birthday was as big a deal to me as Christmas day, and my mom was the queen of epic birthday celebrations. She would hide a present under my bed when I was sleeping, and when I woke up, I would jump up and look under the bed to see what surprise awaited me. Sometimes it was candy (which was a big deal, because we didn’t have any candy in our house), or a new dress, or hair ribbons or a toy. I would get whatever I wanted for breakfast—which meant pancakes, of course. But the best part was the birthday cake. She would make her legendary triple-layer white cake layered with jam and topped with white icing and sprinkles (my dad has always called it “Mom’s heavy white cake” because it literally weighs a ton). And then she would fill the cake with money that she carefully wrapped in wax paper.

I carried on many of my mom’s birthday traditions when I had kids of my own, but it was my mom who would make my children the “money cake.” Last year, when my son turned 20, he asked her to make him a special money cake and of course, my 81-year-old mother honoured his request. I can’t wait to make my granddaughter her first money cake and pass this joyful tradition on to the next generation.

It’s an honour to pay homage to the time-honoured traditions passed down through generations. Food is more than sustenance—it’s an expression of our creativity, and we hope this issue helps you to appreciate traditions long-kept, while also inspiring you to seek out the creation of new ones.

–Karen Elgersma, Publisher