Thanks to everyone who mentioned or wrote to me about “Family Recipe Box.” This is the place for the recipe you always serve to company, the recipe you make for yourself and immediate family. And if you cook or bake with your children, we’d love to hear about that experience. When you invite a child into the kitchen, they work with numbers, directions, measuring volumes and with a reward at the end: something delicious.

And where to start if you’d like your child to learn some kitchen skills? Though I’m an intermittent fan of gelatin desserts — making Jell-O with my kids was a frequent activity to the point where sometime in late middle school my older child occasionally announced at the start of a weekend that one of his plans included “cooking Jell-O.” (When your child makes you Jell-O, it’s always delicious by the way.)

Humans have been cooking with gelatin for hundreds of years, but the process of transforming animal products into a purified gelatin was difficult and time-consuming. But in 1897, Jell-O was created — Vigorous newspaper and magazine advertising soon won a loyal audience. Home cooks enjoyed the first four dessert flavors: strawberry, raspberry, orange, and lemon, along with plain gelatin which could be transformed into everything from salads, aspics and new dishes.

As I was researching this topic, it occurred to me that “Jell-O” salads indicate a big generational divide. They were popular among the Greatest Generation as well as a large portion of Baby Boomers, but later Boomers and Gen X were unlikely to encounter these.

My family did not make gelatin salads — but oh, how I wished they did! I was entranced by the pop-art colorful collations pictured in 1950s and ‘60s issues of Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and other “housewife” publications at my grandmother’s house.

Our family business was Star Cleaners, dry cleaner and laundromat, the source of all reading material. Back then, throwing away a magazine — the printed word — simply wasn’t done. Piles of these teetered under the nylon-strap aluminum lawn chairs in the round summer house.

When I finished with the book I brought with me, I’d pull out a magazine and read. Every issue had photos of gelatin salads, gorgeous full-color images of brightly-colored creations studded with cherries, pineapple chunks, grapes, and sometimes even olives , hot dog slices, and cocktail onions. Just delightful to gaze upon.

Recently, I asked friends if they had experience with gelatin salads in their childhoods. Those who were born in the 30s, 40s, and as late as the mid-50s definitely encountered the dish. But always in the context of an event, or having company over.

They were “fancy food” that were put together for presentation purposes. No one made a gelatin salad just for themselves. You either grew up with these, or you did not. I do have dim memories of seeing gelatin salads on long trestle tables at church suppers. However, I was a child who would have lived happily on bread and butter, and so never went near them. Until recently.

Sea Dream Salad

In 1964, Fitchburg celebrated our Bicentennial — and we’ll feature recipes from the fantastic “Folk Foods of Fitchburg” book. However, at the same time, the Lady Emma Chapter No. 27 of Fitchburg published “Bicentennial Cookbook of Fitchburg,” with recipes from many local ladies. I chose this topic in late August and because I still had the beach on my mind, I was drawn to testing Olive M. Miller’s “Sea Dream Salad.”

I have adapted the original version for cooks curious about trying what used to be called “aspic” or “Jell-O salads” which were hugely popular in mid-century. Aspics were for more adventurous cooks, but with the rise of commercial gelatin, pretty much every household magazine concocted recipes. They are very pretty, and will dress up a table at a party!

SEA DREAM SALAD

Ingredients

1 3-oz. box lime gelatin

1 cup shredded cucumber

1 tablespoon shredded onion

1 cup pineapple chunks

Tools: mold, or small bowl, glass measuring cup (at least two cups)

Directions

Make gelatin according to directions in your glass measuring cup. While it is cooling, shred your cucumber, wrap in clean linen towel and squeeze to remove juice (keep it — it’s a great facial toner). Add onion, cukes, pineapple to cooling gelatin. Pour into a small bowl (I added a molecule of spray oil for ease of removal), and refrigerate for a few hours. Unmold and present to your guests.

Aftermath >> This is a bright green salad which looks spectacular on a red dish. I liked the taste of this, but the family was less enthusiastic. Next time, I’d add some plastic toys, and bring to a pot-luck. The cucumber/onion mix is refreshing, but I’d throttle back on the pineapple because the lime gelatin is very sweet.

Sally Cragin is an award-winning journalist. Send your recipes and stories to: sallycragin@gmail.com.