Your Mama’s Kitchen Food that Connected Susan Orlean to the Land her Parents Fled
Apr 22, 2025
Susan Orlean, a renowned journalist and bestselling author, shares her insights on growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, and the Hungarian dishes that evoke her parents' lost home. She reflects on the culinary skills that her mother didn't teach her, and the significant role food plays in shaping identity and familial bonds. Orlean shares a delightful recipe for cheese balls, inviting listeners to explore their own culinary memories. Through rich storytelling, she connects food with nostalgia and the immigrant experience.
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Strict Scratch Cook Mother
- Susan Orlean's mother was a skilled scratch cook who controlled the kitchen strictly.
- They ate traditional Hungarian dishes and never junk food at home, emphasizing hearty home-cooked meals.
Never Learned to Cook
- Susan realized too late she never learned to cook from her fastidious mother.
- Despite years of watching, she had never actually cooked anything, including basic meals like scrambled eggs.
Learn Basics for Confidence
- Formal French cooking classes taught Susan foundational techniques and knife skills.
- Precision in baking gave her the confidence needed to approach cooking more freely and creatively.
