Memorial Day has come to be a holiday of general nostalgia to me; not just remembering those in the armed forces, but just remembering, period. After a busy weekend of traveling and socializing, we were coming together and quieting down Monday night while my son got back to studying for his last two exams, and I wanted to serve a homespun dinner. I turned to a cookbook I've enjoyed for years: The Sunday News (as in The New York News) Family Cook Book, published in 1962.

There's a story behind this cookbook, a reason why of all the cook books I have, this one is on a bit of a pedestal...this over sized volume, complete with color photos, is part of a leather-bound, gold embossed series given out by the company employing my father. Every Christmas, each staff member received a new volume to expand their collection.  When us four kids were mostly off to college and beyond, and my parents began to downsize, my mother offered the books to me, the biggest book-lover in the family. As I look over to the shelf in my office, I see all the volumes of the collection I keep here, from such handy standards as Bartlett's Familiar Quotations and The Columbia Viking Desk Encyclopedia to classics like The Complete Works of William Shakespeare and An Anthology of Famous American Stories to more unique but equally treasured offerings like The Wise Garden Encyclopedia and The History of Painting. Nostalgia, indeed! What corporate gift-giving scenario these days results in an ever-expanding personal library of literary and reference classics? Now that might be an idea worth resurrecting.

The recipe we resurrected was Western Chicken Pie, a rendition of chicken pot pie (actually I used turkey) that had my son, normally prone to eating moderately, and every couple hours (which may be healthier, but doesn't give the cook any idea that she's created anything special) exclaiming repeatedly on how good it was, and going back for, not just seconds, but thirds!! Here, for your own nostalgic enjoyment, with some optional contemporary updates:

Western Chicken Pie
One small onion
One stalk celery (I added a carrot, also)
One-fourth cup butter
Saute: Until soft
One-half cup flour (I used mostly whole wheat pastry flour)
One teaspoon salt
One-eighth teaspoon crumbled rosemary (I used dried only because I didn't have fresh)
Two cups milk (I used about 1/4 rice milk; sweeter and lighter)
One cup chicken broth (I added some Frontier "vegetarian chicken" seasoning, which is TO DIE FOR)
Cook: Until thickened
Two cups large pieces cooked chicken (or turkey)
One-half cup yellow cornmeal
One-half cup sifted flour
One tablespoon sugar (I used slightly less of a less-processed version; still pours, but light brown)
One and one-half teaspoons baking powder
One-half teaspoon salt (sea salt, always)
One egg
Two-thirds cup milk
Three tablespoons salad oil
Bake: Twenty minutes
Serves: Six

(Don't know about these 1960s eaters; my fellas are both over six feet, and I'm not petite; in this family, on Memorial Day, with slowing down and taking time to enjoy a meal together, this dish served three.)

In a saucepan, cook the finely chopped onion and celery in the fourth cup of melted butter until soft. Blend in the flour, salt and crumbled rosemary. Gradually stir in the two cups of milk and the chicken broth, stirring smooth. Cook, stirring until sauce thickens. Add the chicken. Transfer to a baking pan or shallow casserole (7 x 12 x 2; mine was not quite that deep, but worked). Prepare the cornbread crust by sifting the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into a bowl. In a second bowl, beat the egg, stir in the milk and salad oil; beat into the sifted dry ingredients. Pour over the creamed chicken and bake in a hot oven for twenty minutes or until nicely browned on top. Serve at once.