Category Archives: cookbooks
‘Magic’ Chocolate Pie from 1939 World’s Fair
When I received an invitation to a pot luck dinner with novelist E.L. Doctorow, I was honored, of course, but also saw it as a challenge to find a recipe that would complement one of his novels. I chose World’s Fair, … Continue reading
Blueberry Cake from the Land of the Pilgrims
Americans always think of the Pilgrims at Thanksgiving, but the first English settlers in Plymouth, Massachusetts ate a far more extensive diet than cranberry sauce and turkey. The Plimoth Colony Cook Book, published in 1957 by the Plymouth Antiquarian Society, … Continue reading
Beef Stew from a $4 Crock-Pot and 50 Cent Cookbook
Decorated with a fruit-and-flower motif in a yellow border, the Crock-Pot on the yard sale table looked straight out of the 1970s, when this kitchen appliance first hit the market. I wondered if it would work, but the price was right … Continue reading
Friends by the Lake: Mrs. Henry Ford and Mrs. Thomas Edison
Lake. Hills. Sky. That’s my view at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York, where I work all summer. This region is most famous for Welch’s grape juice (made from grapes grown in Lake Erie terroir), Buffalo wings, and an … Continue reading
Finders, Keepers: Rescuing a Discarded Recipe Book
When I found a red, three-ring notebook of someone’s favorite recipes in the magazine swap bin at my local library, I knew I had to bring it home. I would value a stranger’s carefully clipped and pasted recipes that no … Continue reading
Rum Punch and Rice Pudding to Honor the Nation’s First Memorial Day
Memorial Day honors all who sacrificed their lives while serving in the U.S. military, but it started as a Civil War remembrance. In the spring of 1866, a year after the war ended, people in towns in the North and in … Continue reading
Carrot-Raisin Salad for National Raisin Week
Name a food, there’s probably a holiday to celebrate it. That’s what I discovered at foodimentary.com, a site that tracks almost daily tributes, from the sublime-sounding National Coconut Cream Pie Day (May 8) to the somewhat ridiculous National Nutty Fudge Day (May 12). When … Continue reading
Beef Stew: Traditional Boston Marathon Finish Line Dish
After I managed to trudge through all 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon at the pace of a tortoise having a rough day, I gratefully received a bottle of water almost as soon as I crossed the finish line. Wrapped … Continue reading
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