PITTSBURGH — The best recipes — or at least the ones that make us feel all warm and cozy inside — are often the ones we grew up with.

There's something special about dishes that have been handed down from grandparent to parent to child and made time and again. And if each succeeding generation of cooks tweaks the instructions or modifies the list of ingredients along the way, it probably only makes it better.

Any time I want to remember my nana, I only have to reach for the age-old banana bread recipe she gave me years ago.

Its use of Crisco instead of butter might raise some eyebrows among modern bakers, but, for me, it cements both a place (Oil City) and time (the 1940s, when her neighbor, "Aunt Hattie," first shared it) I'll always associate with her.

Barb Knezovich, a self-taught cook and longtime lab technician at UPMC McKeesport, feels much the same way.

Raised in Elizabeth Township's Greenock neighborhood by an Italian mother and Lebanese father, "I was infused with my culture in the kitchen" as a child, she says.

She became such a good cook as an adult — "Betty Crocker had a lot to do with it," she quips — that she taught non-credit cooking classes at Community College of Allegheny County when her three children were little. She also ran a small cooking school called Cooking with Barbara in her McKeesport, Pennsylvania, home in the early 2000s.

So little surprise that, on a recent Friday, she was leading a class on Italian cooking at Carnegie Library of McKeesport.

The monthly program, offered the last Friday of the month, is called Grandma's Kitchen. It shines a light on treasured family recipes by featuring tried-and-true cooking tips and recipes from local residents, many of the whom — like Knezovich — also happen to be grandmas. (She's blessed with nine grandchildren.)

Despite the spring chill outside, the mood inside the library was light, the 10 women in attendance joking with Knezovich as she set out her ingredients on a folding table in the children's room on the lower level. She started a demo of two dishes: a bean and tomato salad with a tangy honey vinaigrette and a mushroom-infused eggplant sauce for pasta.

"I don't like to say they're healthy, but more on the healthy side," she cautioned as she picked up an eggplant to peel.

Shooting a smile, she added, "And if anyone wants to help, they can do that!"

While no one took her up on her offer, the exchange between teacher and students was light and comfortable. As she chopped, stirred and sauteed, Knezovich explained which ingredients worked best for the recipes. "Plain old" white button mushrooms are OK in the sauce, she told them, and so are canned tomatoes — even though she was using ones she grew and canned last summer.

"If this was my mother, she'd have her hand in there, squeezing the tomatoes," Knezovich joked as she poured the veggies into the electric frying pan.

She didn't mince words on which ingredients to avoid.

"You want to use fresh garlic instead of jarred," she advised. "And don't soak the mushrooms in water because they'll soak it up."

The hourlong demo also included side discussions on the merits of air fryers and Instant Pots, how to grow herbs and whether you can make tabouleh with flat-leaf Italian parsley instead of curly. (The answer is yes, and some say the flavor will be better.)

Knezovich says she was drawn to the program, which has been running for the better part of a decade, because she came to the library as a child and appreciated the good work done by adult program and outreach coordinator Mary Rose Bendel, who also grew up in McKeesport.

"It's about community," she said. "We get to talk to each other and not sit at home.

"And these women love to participate," she added. "This is a nice library."

Another plus: Everyone gets to help themselves after the demonstration for a casual lunch.

Linda Cuadrado attended for the first time last month because she's known Barb "forever" and was intrigued by the menu. Her sister, Donna Chancio, who has been to four over the years, also loves that the classes explore so many different nationalities.

"We knew Barb would cook something special," Chancio said. "And we just like to know what people are cooking," even if they might not cook it themselves at home.

Their good friend Darlene Allen has been to at least six Grandma's Kitchen demos. "We just hang out and have fun together," she said.

Added Fran Tanney, who "moved away" to White Oak but still considers McKeesport home, "I love to eat! And you always learn something."

Bean and Tomato Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

PG tested

2 15-ounce can beans

8 ounces frozen green beans

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 cup minced red onion

1/4 cup cider vinegar

4 teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halves

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1 pound tomatoes, sliced

Drain and rinse 2 cans of beans. (We used cannellini.) Set aside.

Cook green beans until tender crisp. (You can steam, saute or microwave according to package instructions.) Drain, and place in bowl.

Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, red onion, vinegar, honey, oil and pepper in a large bowl. Add drained canned beans. Mix to combine, then allow to marinate for 1 hour.

Add cooked green beans.

Stir in cherry tomatoes and basil.

Line a serving platter with sliced tomato. Pour bean salad in center and serve.

Serves 12.

— Barb Knezovich, McKeesport

Eggplant Sauce for Pasta

PG tested

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

4 cups canned tomatoes

Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooked pasta, for serving

Heat a nonstick skillet and spray with cooking spray.

Add chopped garlic and basil.

Add sliced eggplant and cook until a little soft, about 5 minutes.

Add sliced mushrooms and saute for a few minutes until soft.

Add tomatoes, breaking up the large pieces with a wooden spoon. Stir to combine well.

Place lid and simmer sauce for 10 minutes.

Remove lid and simmer 10 additional minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over pasta.

Serves 6.

— Barb Knezovich, McKeesport

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