In honor of Mother's Day, why not prepare a special meal for Mom? Try one of these cherished recipes passed down from Martha's own mother, Mrs. Kostyra.

The secret to delicious spice cake is a well-balanced blend of flavors such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. This recipe is sweetened with a twist of an orange glaze and a dusting of confectioners' sugar.

Pierogi are an incredibly versatile food, adapting to sweet and savory fillings. Follow our step-by-step guide and customize these delectable Polish dumplings with Mom's favorite foods.

This savory pork dish has always been one of Mrs. Kostyra's favorites to prepare and -- since her childhood in Nutley, New Jersey -- one of Martha's favorites to eat. Surprisingly easy to make, the recipe features a rich reduction sauce flavored with marjoram, onions, and prunes.

The key to good rice pudding is its texture. So for the best rice pudding, cook it slowly. Overcooked pudding will have the texture of a solid mass rather than the creamy mixture that makes this Mother's Day dessert so desirable. 

Filled with beets, mushrooms, and fresh herbs, Mrs. Kostyra's Borscht is guaranteed to warm Mom's heart.

Mrs. Kostyra shares her special way of cooking kielbasa, which ensures a crispy skin. She notes that it is important to pierce the sausage casing so that it doesn't crack while cooking.

Top off your Mother's Day celebration with Mrs. Kostrya's fruit-filled dessert.

For cabbage pierogi, cream cheese slightly softens the vegetable to give each bite a tender crunch.

When Martha was growing up in Nutley, New Jersey, her grandmother often made a Polish version of stuffed cabbage leaves, called "golabki." The filling is a simple one -- rice and meat with onions, garlic, celery, cloves, and green apple -- but the dish is as tasty as it is comforting. 

Although many meatloaf recipes use just beef, you can add veal and pork for a more tender, juicier loaf. Use an ample amount of breadcrumbs, too -- not for frugality's sake, but to give the meatloaf its distinctive texture and prevent it from becoming too dense.

Serve Mom a cake filled with dried fruit, jam, and spices -- a tradition on special occasions in the North of England.

End Mom's special day on a sweet note with Mrs. Kostyra's Perfect White Cake topped with Italian meringue buttercream.

Make hearty potato pierogi creamy with the natural buttery flavor of Yukon Golds and a drizzle of nutty brown butter.

While paying tribute to her Grandma's mac and cheese recipe, which included unusual ingredients such as spaghetti, tomato soup, and sour cream, Martha and her mother called upon a few of the more traditional additions, such as elbow macaroni and grated Swiss cheese.

This light, airy cake is the perfect finish to Mom's special day.

These spiced cupcakes topped with orange glaze are adapted from a recipe by Mrs. Kostyra, who was an avid baker. The cupcakes would be equally delicious topped with cream-cheese frosting or brown-butter icing.

Choose firm, plump peppers with a glossy surface, and avoid blemishes or soft spots for Mrs. Kostyra's Stuffed Peppers. For a bit more bite, substitute green peppers for the yellow ones in this recipe.

Use seasonal fruit, such as plump blueberries or Italian plums, to make these light dumplings for Mom. Small apricots can also be used. We added nutmeg to the sour cream for a hint of spice.