It's funny how a single recipe can be such a big part of a family. In our family that recipe is for homemade noodles.
For as long as I can remember when my family thought about comfort food, that meant homemade noodles and lots of them.
Although, I would love to say that this recipe is a family secret passed down through the generations. I can say no such thing. In fact, the recipe for homemade noodles started from the "Betty Crocker Cookbook" on Page 394 in the version of the cookbook that I have in my cupboard.
The difference in our "Family Recipe" is in the details and the fun had in making and eating them.
Although we typically follow the Betty Crocker version of the recipe, there is always something little that is different. It could be a spare can of chicken noodle soup, bouillon cubes, different types of gravy or the amount of salt added. Because with homemade noodles, it is all about the consistency and the flavor.
For instance, I typically use chicken noodle soup rather than cream of chicken soup as my mother suggested in the recipe she sent me.
The method of making the noodles is also important. mixing the dough is always done by hand. You must always use a wooden rolling pin, and the noodles should never be cut too thin. Always cook in a very large pot, maybe two depending on how big of a batch you are making.
The most important part about this recipe has nothing to do with the ingredients or the tools and process used to make them. The most important part is the fun we have. The flour fights, the hours of enjoying the amazing smell of the noodles cooking on the stove, the multiple sneaky trips to the kitchen to steal a noodle that is almost done because you just can't wait. It is also tradition to let the kids cut the noodles. They are usually a mix of thin, thick, and way too thick and none of them cut in a straight line. But of course that is not the point.
Every child has a favorite food that is the only thing that will do for a birthday dinner or to fix a bad day. Mine is homemade noodles and my mother never disappoints.
There have been many years of cherished memories made while making homemade noodles. I look forward to continuing this tradition with my own daughter, as well as, my daughter in law and granddaughter.
My nana’s recipe for noodles is something I have tried to replicate, following her handwritten recipe, but it never comes out as well as hers did. Nonetheless, I treasure it and the memories I have with her trying to teach me the subtle nuances of what could never be transferred in a recipe. Wonderful post!
I love homemade noodles, but don’t often make them myself. My memories are from my step grandmother who made them for every meal we ate at their home. She didn’t measure, just put a pile of flour on her spotless countertop, made a well, added the eggs, mixed with her hands, rolled and cut very fine with a kitchen knife.
Great post, Rebecca! And you’re right: The most important part IS the fun!
I have a copy of the Betty Crocker Cook Book, but a much older version. I love your blog. Happy Hunting.