Family Dinner

In Stowe, Vermont, the von Trapp family, known from the movie "The Sound of Music," shares with Andrew the ways they honor their Austrian heritage through their dinner traditions.

The Biegels have been growing cranberries on their marsh in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, for five generations. Caring for cranberries keeps them busy year-round, but they always make time for family meals on Sundays.

Helen and Al Arends of Willmar, MN, love feeding people and with eight kids, they have a crowd before anyone else shows up. When work on their family farm ends on Friday, everyone makes a point to be home for favorites like Helens Russian pelmeni.

The Steffans are a Midwestern family who realizes the importance of food when it comes to keeping their blended family close in good times and bad. Recipes are named after family members, and even the serving bowls hold cherished memories.

The Terrys are members of the Ho-Chunk Nation -- a Native American tribe that, according to oral history, has lived in Wisconsin prior to two ice ages. They believe that food nourishes the body and reconnects them with their land and their ancestors.

The Zuber family has roots dating back to the founding of Amana Colonies in Iowa by German immigrants. Everyone is family in Amana and Andrew quickly learns that though many residents leave, they always find their way home.

Family meals are a source of strength and pride for Laura Rodriguez, a mom who sacrificed everything to make a better life for her family in the United States. Every dish they make, including birria and handmade tortillas, is a nod to their Mexican roots.

When family isnt nearby, quality time with friends becomes extra important. Minneapolis couple Jon and Laurel have friends who work in the food industry, so their shared meals are top-notch and big enough for all who drop by.

Jerome Smallwood and his wife, Brianna, share a passion for cooking soul food at their home in Cedar Rapids, IA. Jerome learned the majority of the recipes he makes from his mom, Vivian, who taught her kids the importance of cooking for themselves.

The Pinheiros are a large Portuguese and Brazilian family who gather most weekends to cook traditional dishes like picanha and octopus. Then, they enjoy a "loud" dinner in the basement, the only place they all can fit, and end the day with a dance party.

The Smalley family makes mealtime together a priority, no matter what.

The Union Fire Department redefines the meaning of family dinner.

Summers at the lake house are sacred for the Wetherbee family, and so is spending time on the boat; between their familys easy-to-make bars and casserole dishes, theyve perfected a lake life dinner menu.

Growing up in rural Minnesota, the nearest neighbors were miles away and family dinner was a nightly occurrence for the Lassen siblings; they still come together for home-cooked meals with their favorite recipes passed down by their family.

Kelly and Nancy Stirn have run the R Lazy S dude ranch for 35 years, raising their sons Matt and Will to become the next generation of ranch owners; while their season keeps them busy, they treasure family dinners and time together.

Woods great-grandparents immigrated from Italy to Cumberland, WI in the 1880s and brought their Italian dinner traditions with them; her grandparents continued hosting "pasta sunday" dinners, and now her mother has taken the reins.