Chef and philanthropist José Andrés said, “Food is what brings us together and keeps memories alive generation to generation.”

I find it hard to argue with his words.

Food has the power to transport us back in time - maybe to a grandmother’s or favorite aunt’s kitchen, or when extended family filled the house during the holidays.

I found myself thinking of loved ones and the food they prepared after seeing social media posts about a locally-produced cookbook.

I had never heard of “WLSH’s Ask Your Neighbor Cookbook,” but I sure knew the foods - especially the holiday staples, such as the Italian Easter pie, raisin-studded paska and sweet nut rolls.

They’re all in this more than 350-page cookbook culled from fantastic cooks throughout the Coal Region who faithfully tuned in to the radio show, pen and paper handy to jot down a recipe or two.

My late mother-in-law, Millie Socha, was one of them.

One of her recipes is actually in the cookbook, but not over her name.

I had no idea about that when I picked up a copy of the book at the American Cancer Society’s office in Lansford last month.

My thinking at the time was: “What better way to connect with people than through shared recipes and fond food memories?”

The cookbook, originally published in 1978, has been reprinted as a fundraiser for the local cancer society, and remains the same - even with some of the original ads.

I’m told many people still have their original copies, tattered and worn from use, and others buy copies to send to friends and relatives who grew up here and hunger for a taste of home.

All of the proceeds from the sale of the cookbooks go to the American Cancer Society’s cause, Joe Krushinsky told me, as I happily plunked down my $20, eager to page through my own copy.

My first surprise came on page one in a peach brandy recipe. Helen Valkosak of Mahanoy City recommended to bury the jars for 90 days.

I thought, wouldn’t a shelf in the coal bin or under a porch work, too?

That’s where I found bottles of the homemade stuff growing up, after all.

Most of the beverage recipes were for homemade liquors and wines - and even boilo, a Coal Region classic.

I began flipping randomly through the pages and came across a familiar recipe - pineapple squares.

My sister-in-law still makes her mother’s version of the sweet, cakey squares for family gatherings, special occasions - and by request.

Everyone loves them. Me, too.

I’m not sure that I’ve been to a gathering of my husband’s family when there weren’t pineapple squares among the desserts.

I looked at the name under the recipe, Mrs. Bernard Socha of Hazleton, and mentioned it to my husband, knowing full-well that was his aunt Alice.

He looked at the cookbook, looked at me, and said, “That’s my mother’s recipe!”

Yes, it most certainly was.

You see, my husband’s uncle, Bernie, loved those pineapple squares, too. And my mother-in-law gave Alice the recipe.

Alice was also a fan of the radio show.

I’m told my mother-in-law wasn’t too happy about Alice sharing the recipe at the time, but realized there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

I, of course, didn’t know any of this when I purchased the cookbook.

But seeing the recipe and talking about what happened with my husband brought me back into Millie’s tiny, eat-in kitchen where the family gathered, talked, laughed and ate wonderful, simple Coal Region food.

Countless pierogi, nut rolls and cookies were made at that table and in that kitchen, as well as steaming pots of halupki, homemade potato haluski and so much more.

My sister-in-law and I continue to use her recipes, carrying the traditions forward for the next generation and creating new memories for the family as we gather around a table.

I think Millie would be happy knowing that, and that one of her recipes will also live on in the cookbook raising money to fight cancer, the disease that took her from us far too soon.

A copy of The Great Radio Ask Your Neighbor Cook Book can be purchased at www.cancertelethon.org/cookbook or by calling 570-805-4555. The book is reprinted with permission and cooperation of radio station WMGH/WLSH.

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