I never had the honor of spending a lot of time with my Babci before she passed away. I was incredibly young at the time. But despite the short duration of life she had to spend with me, I know for a fact that she loved me very much.
Even though our time on Earth barely crossed paths, I still feel that my Babci and I have a bond. I think she is the main reason why I’m so into cooking and baking. She loved doing both. My creative side can hardly be explained when you look to my parents. In fact, we’re polar opposites when it comes to talents and interests. However, the similarities between my Babci’s interests and mine are uncanny.
My Babci is famous for a plethora of family recipes. She was not a fancy-shmancy chef who made complex confections and elaborate six-course meals; she was a simple cook and baker. “Simple” can have a negative connotation, but not in this case. When I say simple, I mean she didn’t over-complicate things. Her recipes were straight-forward and no-nonsense. She didn’t use frilly or unnecessary ingredients; she made food how it should be, and she didn’t mess around with it.
No matter how many fancy or extravagant recipes I try, they never compare to my Babci’s. Her seemingly simple food wins every time.
Babci’s Carrot Cake is the perfect example of how other-worldly here straight-forward recipes are. It’s carrot cake. Not bacon carrot cake or truffle oil-infused carrot cake or carrot cake with salted caramel; just plain old carrot cake. And you know what?
I think it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever had.
