The recipe box. This is my mom’s, my grandmother’s, my aunt’s, my great grandmother’s and even my dad’s. A box of my traditions with recipes scribbled down, some in Italian.

It’s an anthropological treasure trove of what was eaten in the 20th century, immigrant Italian specialties such as ‘crespelle’ (Italian crepes) and a cheese bread made by my dad’s family called ‘crescia’. The quintessential 70s recipes of ‘Chicken a la King’ and ‘Scallop Potatoes’. In this tiny box live memories, smells, instructions, culinary do’s and don’ts, spicy flavors of the old country — happiness all engraved on 3 by 5 cards. It is so dear to me.