Remove ham bone from soup, and shred meat (about 1 cup); return meat to soup, and discard bone. Stir in pecorino Romano cheese until cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt.

Many of our favorite stories, fables and rhymes came from the volumes of the set of Childcraft Books published in 1954 which accompany our family’s ages-old set of World Book Encyclopedias.

Sipping and savoring Mom’s ham and bean soup recipe has taken on a new and symbolic meaning since a fateful date 20 years ago this month in January 2005. It was on Jan. 5, 2005 that my mom Peggy ...