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Many of the recipes on this site come from family, and these are the heart of it. Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook, kept a typed recipe book full of dishes named for the friends and relatives who shared them. Sofia's recipes were created, collected and handed down in Sweden and the USA. Aly shares her favorites on her Baking with Aly channel.
📖 Free family cookbook: all of these recipes in one printable book. Download Our Family Kitchen (PDF, 66 pages).
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For the one who keeps the family recipes going: our apron from Shortsleeve.com says I'm a cook, I'm a baker, I'm a recipe maker.
Aunt Sandy, Sandra Mills, was Eric's mother's sister. A few of the recipes in her book go back further still, to Selma Minevitz, our great-great-great-grandmother on Eric's mother's side. Selma ran Minevitz's, a well-known deli in Hull, Massachusetts, was an awesome cook, and lived into her late 90s. Her sweet and sour meatballs and tzimmis are two of them, and Eric and Sofia still cook party-size batches in her restaurant pots from the 1930s.
Aunt Sandy's favorite childhood dessert: a 1930s fudge cake of cocoa, sour milk and shortening, baked in two 9-inch layers. Moist, deeply chocolate and old-fashioned. Serves 12.
A tender holiday brisket browned in the oven, then braised under onions, carrots, celery, mushrooms and potatoes with brown sugar and sherry until fork-soft.
A sweet dairy noodle kugel: egg noodles baked in a blended custard of cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar and apricot nectar under a crisp cinnamon corn flake topping.
A slightly sweet, braided egg bread: King Arthur flour, sugar, eggs and oil, risen twice, glazed with egg yolk and baked at 350°F until golden. Makes 2 braided loaves.
Frozen cheese blintzes baked in a sweet custard of sour cream, eggs, orange juice and vanilla. Serve with berries and sour cream for brunch or a dairy meal.
Sandra's wonderful Jewish cookies: a rich yeast dough chilled overnight, rolled in cinnamon sugar and nuts, cut into wedges and rolled into crescents. Always makes 64.
A fast high-heat roast beef: the roast is rolled in seasoned flour, seared at 550°F for 5 minutes per pound, then finished at 325°F for 15 minutes per pound.
A hands-off oven stew of lean beef with canned carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, peas and green beans, consomme, white wine and tapioca, baked covered at 250°F for 6 to 7 hours.
Spinach salad with chopped hard-boiled eggs and crumbled bacon, dressed with a sweet and tangy tomato soup dressing made the day before.
A simple cole slaw of shredded cabbage and carrots with chopped onion, dressed with the same creamy mayonnaise dressing as Sandra's potato salad.
A three-ingredient beer bread of self-rising flour, sugar and a can of beer, baked in a loaf pan at 300°F for 1 hour.
A sweet, tender cornbread made with King Arthur flour, cornmeal, milk, melted butter, an egg and a touch of vanilla, baked at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
Rich sour cream yeast rolls rolled with cinnamon sugar and baked over brown sugar, butter and pecans in muffin cups. The dough chills overnight; makes 32 rolls.
An old-fashioned date nut bread: dates simmered with butter and water, stirred into flour, sugar and walnuts, and baked in a loaf pan at 350°F for 1 hour.
Soft, slightly sweet yeast rolls of milk, butter, eggs and flour, risen three times for a light texture and baked at 400°F for 20 to 30 minutes.
Manicotti made with thin homemade crepes rolled around a ricotta, egg and Parmesan filling, topped with mozzarella and sauce and baked.
Sandra's own eggplant Parmesan: thin eggplant slices double-dipped in egg and flour, fried until puffed, then layered with sauce, mozzarella and Romano and baked.
Sandra's key lime pie: sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and egg yolks in a baked crust, topped with meringue and browned at 325°F.
A light cheesecake of cream cheese folded with sweetened beaten egg whites in a Zwieback crumb pan, topped with vanilla sour cream and toasted almonds. Best made the day before.
Brownie cupcakes from a Betty Crocker mix, baked in a muffin tin, hollowed out, filled with whipped topping and capped with their own tops. Makes 12.
Aunt Ida's best ever pound cake: a pound of butter creamed with a box of confectioners sugar, six eggs, King Arthur flour and vanilla. Makes 2 loaves.
A light, spicy gingerbread made with molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves and a very thin batter, baked in an 8-inch pan and served with whipped topping.
Sofia was born in Sweden and has been cooking from scratch since she was 12.
Sofia's egg salad, made her way: the yolks are mashed with mayonnaise, Dijon and sweet pickle relish into a smooth dressing first, then the diced whites and celery are folded in. Creamy, tangy and a little sweet. Serves 6.
Crisp baked crostini with two toppings: warm Tuscan white beans with garlicky greens, and a fresh tomato, basil and tarragon bruschetta. Makes about 60.
Thinly shaved raw Brussels sprouts and peppery arugula tossed with warm-roasted, cooled cauliflower and a bright champagne vinegar and Dijon vinaigrette. Serves 4.
Pork tenderloin coated in a dry rub of garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, thyme, chili powder and a little cayenne, seared in a hot skillet and finished in a 450°F oven. Serves 4.
Creamy Arborio rice cooked slowly in warm broth with portobello, cremini and dried porcini mushrooms, finished with Parmesan, parsley and a drizzle of truffle oil. Serves 6.
Individual chocolate cakes with soft, molten centers, baked in extra-large paper muffin cups and topped with raspberries rolled in sugar. The batter can be made a day ahead; makes 8.
A thin Swedish pancake batter of eggs, milk and flour baked in one large pan at 435°F until puffed and golden, with an optional layer of crisp smoked pork. Cut into squares and serve with your favorite jam; serves 6.
Brazil's favorite party sweet: sweetened condensed milk, butter and cocoa stirred on the stove until thick, rolled into fudgy balls and coated in chocolate sprinkles. Makes about 25.
No-bake Swedish chokladbollar of butter, sugar, cocoa and rolled oats with an extra splash of strong coffee for a mocha flavor, rolled in pearl sugar or coconut. Makes about 20.
Sweet cold-water shrimp folded into a dill, lemon and crème fraîche dressing and piled on butter-fried toast, topped with roe and fresh dill. Serves 4 as a starter.
The classic Swedish shrimp sandwich: buttered bread layered with lettuce, sliced egg and a generous pile of cold-water shrimp, finished with mayonnaise, cucumber, lemon and dill. Serves 4.
Salmon cured for two days under salt, sugar, white pepper and plenty of dill, sliced paper-thin and served with a sweet mustard-dill sauce. Serves 10 to 12 as a starter.
A creamy Swedish potato gratin of matchstick potatoes, softened onions and sweet spiced sprats baked in cream until golden. The star of the Swedish Christmas table. Serves 6.
Small, tender beef and pork meatballs seasoned with allspice and white pepper, browned in butter and simmered in a silky cream gravy. Served with mashed potatoes and lingonberries. Serves 4.
A comforting Swedish beef stew of chuck, onions and carrots slowly braised with whole allspice berries and bay leaves until fork-tender. Served with boiled potatoes and pickled beets. Serves 6.
Juicy Swedish beef patties mixed with chopped pickled beets, capers and onion, fried in butter and served with a quick cream pan sauce and potatoes. Serves 4.
Luxuriously tender Swedish veal patties made with cream and egg yolks, coated in fine crumbs and fried in butter. Served with mashed potatoes, green peas, lingonberries and browned butter. Serves 4.
Tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a beef, pork and rice filling, glazed with golden syrup and butter, baked until caramelized and served with cream sauce and lingonberries. Serves 6.
Lacy Swedish potato pancakes made from grated raw potato in a thin batter, fried crisp in butter and served with crunchy fried pork belly and lingonberry jam. Serves 4.
The Swedish skillet hash: diced potatoes, onion and leftover roast beef or ham fried crisp in butter and topped with fried eggs and pickled beets. Serves 4.
Thick, hearty Swedish yellow pea soup simmered with pork and onion and seasoned with marjoram and thyme, served with mustard. The traditional Thursday supper. Serves 6.
Whole potatoes sliced thinly almost all the way through, basted with butter and roasted until the fanned edges are crisp and the centers creamy, finished with bread crumbs and cheese. Serves 4.
Paper-thin cucumber slices pressed with salt and quickly pickled in a sweet vinegar brine with parsley and white pepper. The classic side for Swedish meatballs. Serves 6.
Soft cardamom-scented yeast buns rolled with cinnamon butter, twisted into knots, topped with pearl sugar and baked until golden. The heart of the Swedish coffee break. Makes about 24.
Twisted Swedish yeast buns filled with cardamom butter and sugar, baked golden and brushed with a light syrup and pearl sugar. Fragrant, buttery and not too sweet. Makes about 16.
Golden saffron buns shaped into S-curls with a raisin in each end, baked for Saint Lucia Day on December 13. Soft, buttery and bright yellow. Makes about 20.
Cardamom buns hollowed out and filled with almond paste and a tall swirl of whipped cream, capped with their tops and dusted with powdered sugar. The Swedish Fat Tuesday treat. Makes 12.
A soft, slightly sweet Swedish rye bread flavored with orange zest, fennel and anise seeds and a little molasses. Wonderful with butter, cheese or under a shrimp sandwich. Makes 2 loaves.
Thin, crunchy Swedish rye crispbread rounds with a hole in the middle, made from rye flour, a little yeast and seeds and baked until crisp. Perfect with butter, cheese and gravlax. Makes 8 large rounds.
Seared strips of flank steak and ramen noodles tossed in a sweet soy, garlic and sesame sauce with sweet red pepper, each bowl topped with a jammy egg and garden onions. Serves 4.
Favorites from the recipe cards our family has collected and cooked from for years.
A light cocoa sponge cake baked in a jelly roll pan, rolled up warm, then filled with whipped topping and dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Serves 10.
A tender orange-scented butter cake baked in a tube pan with a swirl of brown sugar, apple and cinnamon streusel through the middle and on top, finished with a drizzle of orange glaze. Serves 12.
Orange-scented butter cupcakes layered with brown sugar, apple and cinnamon streusel, with more streusel baked on top and a thin orange glaze. Makes about 18.
A small gingerbread house built from homemade gingerbread, held together with royal icing glue and decorated with frosting, cereal, pretzels and candies. Makes 1 house, about 5 inches wide.
A vintage comfort-food casserole: pasta and chicken in a creamy sauce of cream of chicken soup, milk and melted cheese, topped with buttery Ritz cracker crumbs and baked 30 minutes.
Flaky homemade apple turnovers: a cinnamon and nutmeg apple filling cooked on the stove, folded into rounds of homemade pie crust and baked at 375°F until golden.
A no-bake tiramisu made in about 10 minutes: espresso-dipped ladyfingers layered with a whipped cream and mascarpone filling, dusted with cocoa and chilled.
A moist sour cream apple cake swirled with a brown sugar, butter and cinnamon filling and finished with a simple powdered sugar glaze, like a cinnamon roll in cake form.
Classic Ashkenazi chopped herring, also called gehakte herring or forshmak: cured herring pulsed with tart apple, onion, hard-boiled eggs and soaked bread into a coarse spread, then chilled. Makes about 2 cups.
Nellie was an accomplished cook and baker. She and Irving were married in 1920 and spent 73 years together, keeping a strictly kosher home. She wrote her own recipes by hand into the pages of her cookbooks, and her kitchen hints are in Great-Grandma Nellie's kitchen hints.
Great-Grandma Nellie's stir-fry: thin slices of kosher beef marinated in sherry, soy sauce and sesame oil, seared in a ginger-scented wok and tossed with fresh spinach in a light glossy sauce. Serves 4.
Peggy was Eric's mother's sister, and Aunt Sandy's. Sandy's book also has Peggy's Roast Beef in a Hurry.
Aunt Peggy's quick beef stir-fry: bite-size pieces of beef tenderloin with onions, green and red peppers and fresh mushrooms in a light soy, garlic and sesame sauce. Serves 4.
From Sofia and Eric: their dinner party for friends, five courses with a make-ahead timeline.
From our great-grandmother: Great-Grandma Nellie's kitchen hints, the cooking, baking and household tips she and her friends passed down.
