Great Depression cooking with Clara
A popular video channel on YouTube the past few days has an unlikely star. She's 93-year-old cook Clara Cannucciari of upstate New York, whose grandson has filmed her showing how to make the meals her family ate during the Great Depression.
Here's Cannucciari making a three-course "Poorman's Feast," a Depression-era version of a celebration meal featuring salad and lentils, rice and a little bit of meat cooked in lemon and oil. She calls these thin slices of meat "a big treat":
I'm a little in love with Clara, and plan to show these to my kids. She's very real, and most importantly, she shares stories of hope that came from a dark time. She shows us we can survive what's going on now.
Of course, now she's not just surviving but thriving in 2009 terms. Cannucciari has a web site and a Facebook page. I'm sure we'll see her on Twitter soon.
Baltimoresun.com's 
Comments
I am glad I found this video and site. I enjoyed watching this. It is amazing what a person can do when there is little to go around. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Carol Ford | February 27, 2009 1:00 PM
Check out the book "Little Heathens" - I think you and your kids would enjoy it!
Posted by: Momof2 | February 27, 2009 3:52 PM
Clara...We love you!
It's so nice to have a "real" down to earth lady in our lives....will be sure to share her with all my loved ones....In these tough times, we all need practical advice like hers
Long Live Clara!
Posted by: Norma Reitz | March 4, 2009 7:11 PM
Chris, I taught with your mom .
This is a great idea and it makes me
smile to think that your grandmother is doing this at 93. Good for her.
Arlene
p.s.
I didn't know what to put in the URL place.
Posted by: arlene shanahan | March 4, 2009 7:28 PM
I certainly did appreciate Clara discussing about how a meal was prepared during the Depression for people to survive. We need more of these recipes. Thank you for sharing with us how to make a full course meal without spending alot of money.
Marilynn
Posted by: Marilynn | March 6, 2009 11:07 AM
Clara....you are so cool! I wish my mom was like you. It would be so cool to eat food that was actually from the past!
Posted by: Ellie McCantosherly | March 17, 2009 4:31 PM
Clara you are a wonderful example to all of us, 93 still cooking and passing on all your experience. Keep up the good work, I am going to try your recipes, live a long happy life.
Annie
Posted by: annie | March 29, 2009 8:43 PM