Exploring and improving our relationship with death through respectful enquiry. Here you’ll find conversations with those who work with the dead and grieving, in addition to episodes examining death through a lens of history & the arts, folklore and food.
We’ll take you from ancient funerary rituals to forensic anthropologists via green burials, disaster recovery and Persephone’s pomegranates. We hope the journey & stories will provide you with some of the knowledge and empathy you need to navigate this vast hidden world as well as shine a light on the kindness and tenderness displayed by those professionals who truly take care of our dead.
Contact: A Question of Death
About the Episode
In this solo episode, I explore the connection between food, memory, & legacy. Autumn’s reflective mood leads me to discuss how cherished recipes can live on as powerful keepsakes, especially after the loss of loved ones. I delve into the fascinating tradition of Thai funeral cookbooks, their historical significance, and how they preserve both culinary and personal histories.
You'll also hear about unique gravestone recipes, a modern tribute ensuring beloved dishes remain part of the world. I reflect on my own journey to recreate my Nan Ivy’s roast parsnips, and share the recipe below.
Further Reading
- Alan Davidson’s insights on funeral cookbooks from A Kipper with My Tea
- To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes – Rosie Grant
Ivy’s Roast Parsnips
Ingredients
- Parsnips (1.5-2 per person)
- Beef Dripping (around 2 tbsp of fat per four parsnips)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200ºC
- Add the fat to a roasting tin that will hold all the parsnips in one layer.
- Place in the hot oven to heat the fat.
- Peel parsnips & divide longways into 4 long chunks
- Place them in a saucepan with cold salted water & bring to the boil. Once the water is boiling, the parsnips will need round 3 minutes to parboil.
- Drain the parsnips in a colander once parboiled, taking care not to break them.
- Toss the prepared parsnips in the roasting pan & fully coat them in the hot fat. Ensure to spread the vegetable chunks evenly in the roasting pan, so they have a chance to go crispy.
- Roast for 35-40 minutes until deeply golden & soft in the middle, regularly basting them in the hot fat throughout cooking.
A selection of Gravestone Recipes
Spritz Cookies – Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson: November 26, 1921 – June 10, 2009 Green-Wood Cemetery Brooklyn
Fudge – Martha Kathryn 'Kay' Kirkham Andrews: August 30, 1922 – December 17, 2019 Logan City Cemetery, Logan, Utah
Christmas Cookies – Maxine Menster: August 5, 1926 – September 26, 1994 Cascade Community Cemetery, Cascade, Dubuque County, Iowa
No bake cookies – Bonnie June Rainey Johnson June 30 1935 – May 2007 Nome City Cemetery Nome, Alaska
Date and Nut Bread – Constance G. Galberd June 11 1928 – September 25, 2008 Highlands Highland Mills, NY
Snickerdoodle Cookies – Annabell Gunderson: September 19, 1920- December 14, 2007 Willits Cemetery, Mendocino County, California,
Blueberry pie – H Margaret Rees Davis: July 4, 1918-November 6, 2004 Mountain View Memorial Park. Lakewood, WA
Cheese Dip – Debra Ann Nelson: April 6, 1964 – March 8, 2021 Dow City Cemetery, Dow City, Crawford County, Iowa
Heavenly Daze Ice cream – Marian S. Montfort: December 11, 1921 – December 22, 2007 Robertson
Shearer Sugar Cookies – Fleda Jane Shearer: March 5, 1934 – June 3, 2017 Magness Cemetery, AS
Kim's Carrot Cake – Kimette Lee Decota November 4, 1956 – August 28, 2014 Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Chocolate Mint Brownies John Rodda 1941 – January 18, 2019 Maple Grove Cemetery, Wichita, KS
Dr. Death's Ranch – Marty Lee Woolf February 16, 1978 – August 1 2022. Saltese Cemetery, Greenacres.
Chicken Soup – Valerie C Volpe, Apr. 18, 1947 – Sep. 10, 2016, Saint Matthew's Cemetery, West Seneca, NY
Meatloaf – Beverly L. Lofland (Jul 22, 1932-Mar 10, 2006). Comal Cemetery in New Braunfels, TX
About the Podcast
Exploring and improving our relationship with death through respectful enquiry.
Here you’ll find conversations with those who work with the dead & grieving, in addition to episodes examining death through a lens of history & the arts, folklore and food.
We’ll take you from ancient funerary rituals to forensic anthropologists via green burials, disaster recovery and Persephone’s pomegranates. We hope the journey & stories will provide you with some of the knowledge and empathy you need to navigate this vast hidden world as well as shine a light on the kindness and tenderness displayed by those professionals who truly take care of our dead.