Savory Tales

Savory Tales was created by 2 K’s!

Kathleen O’Neill

Since I was a freshman in college, I have had a fascination with people and traditions of other cultures. In fact, I actually toyed with the idea of becoming an anthropologist. I grew up in a fairly white middle class neighborhood. Being Irish and German, my only introduction to traditional cooking was mashed potatoes…. they had to be Idaho’s and a slow cooked pot roast served on Sunday evening. That was the tradition in my family.

I become so curious when I was introduced to kibbee and tabouleh. I then taught a Lebanese woman and I remember going to her home and having hummus, tabouleh, and lamb and eggs. I was completely intrigued by the food served in her home. From there I met Polish, Armenian, Guatemalan, Italian, French, Palestinian, and Jewish foods. Everyone who made those foods had a strong background in traditional cooking. I would see mothers and grandmothers and uncles preparing kielbasa, gefilte fish and biscotti. I began to wonder…What is going to happen to all these wonderful recipes and family traditions? Will their daughters and sons carry on these rituals? I did not think so. Thus came the idea to preserve as much as I could through stories, photos and videos.

Savory Tales is more than recipes. It is the tradition, rituals and relationships that form in the family around the common denominator of food.

‘’Bon appetite and enjoy!”

Kathy Vander

Food in the Vander household has always been a big deal. From a very early age, going to the grocery store with my mother was my idea of fun. We’d fill two carts full of food that would last about a week. To this day, I still love to go grocery shopping. (I know that may sound a little strange!) At holidays, my Aunt Annie would make sponge cake, gefilte fish, and keugel to add to our feasts. I learned to bake bread with my friend Jan when we were in junior high school. I remember my first baguette would have made a great baseball bat. I’m happy to report that my baking skills have gradually improved over the years. As a video producer and director for over 25 years, it makes sense to me to combine my love of food and recipes with visual stories. Like Kathleen, I too wanted to be an anthropologist. I think Savory Tales is my way of diving into stories via video, photography and narrative in order to keep traditions alive. I think it’s important and I hope you do, too.