A day for nan and granda

NOW that I am a grandmother with seven precious grandchildren, I am more aware of the importance of passing on some life skills to the next generation. They all live within 15 minutes of us so we are fortunate to see them almost every day.

Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day are both celebrated with cards and flowers, but what about grandparents? I mentioned the idea to my friend Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkley in California.

She is a wannabe grandmother who is deeply passionate about the importance of teaching children how to grow and cook. We talked to Lilia Smelkova of Slow Food Italy she loved the idea and felt it a ought to be an international Slow Food event, so Alice and I proposed the idea of the first Slow Food Grandmothers’ Day at Terra Madre in Turin in October 2008.

The first Grandmothers Day was on April 25, 2009. As Slow Food Councillor for Ireland, I appeared on the Late Late Show and encouraged parents all over the country to gather their grandchildren around them to pass on inherited skills — bake a cake, catch a fish, sow a seed, knit, crochet, sing a song, play a tin whistle, but particularly how to cook.

Last year in Ireland, 10 Slow Food convivia held a celebration and the Irish Examiner enthusiastically embraced and supported the idea. Slow Food Ireland linked up with them to run a competition where grandchildren sent in the favourite recipe they like to cook with their grandparents. The winners came to the Ballymaloe Cookery School. Grandparents showed their grandchildren how to cook and I demonstrated a few more favourite recipes.

This year, because the response was so positive for last year’s event, the Irish Examiner continued their support. Prize winners came from all over the country. There was one grandmother who travelled by bus from Fermanagh to Kerry to link up with her son who drove her over to Shanagarry on Saturday morning. All donned their aprons and gathered in the kitchen, and just like last year they cooked happily together for several hours.

As a separate prize, schools were also invited to send their grannies’ recipes. The winning entry came from Sharon Geary from Hazelwood College, Dromcollogher, Co Limerick.

Grandmothers Day on Sunday April 25 is the perfect opportunity to pass on these forgotten skills to our grandchildren.