My mom never felt particularly confident in the kitchen.During the Great Depression, she lost her mother when she was just 8 years old. Her father was forced to find work out of town as a field hand, leaving her 16 year old sister and 17 year old brother to raise the younger children. Food was precious, and so my aunt carefully managed any food preparation.As I was growing up, I occasionally wanted to tackle some new dish and my mom was always encouraging. She'd say "You know, I never really learned how to do that. But here's what I know, and here is a recipe. I'm sure that you can do a better job than I ever could.

"I feel so fortunate. My mom always made me feel "confident in the kitchen". Hopefully these recipes make you feel that way, too.