Category Archives: memoir
In My October Kitchen
Thanks once again to inspiration from Celia at figjamandlimecordial, here’s a peek into my October kitchen near Boston, Massachusetts. Cool weather has brought root vegetables back to the farmer’s markets. Last night, I diced an assortment (beets, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash), then tossed with olive … Continue reading
A is for Grandma’s Apple Cake
I’m not sure what variety of apples my grandmother, Hanna, used in the Fresh Apple Cake recipe she clipped from the Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper in the 1930s, but I wanted to try it this week because apples – especially when … Continue reading
In My September Kitchen
Inspired by Celia at figandlimecordial I am giving all of you a look inside my kitchen near Boston, Massachusetts. For the first scenes, I cheat a little by starting outside in a sunny spot in our back yard.
Guest Post: Cincinnati Chili Cheese Dip
Hello historic recipe enthusiasts! I’m Nicole, and I’ve had the pleasure of working for Clara this summer in the Chautauqua Writers’ Center. Last week, the two of us attended Brian Castner‘s workshop on “The Modern Author’s Blog,” and I’m thrilled to share … Continue reading
Corn and More: Succotash Without Suffering
The word “succotash” comes from the Narragansett Native American term for boiled corn kernels, “msickquatash.” Yet succotash recipes have evolved to include a lot more ingredients than corn.
A Taste of Germany in Richmond: Family Kuchen Recipe
It’s hard for a Southerner to pronounce the word kuchen, which means cake in German. It ends up sounding like kook or cuckoo – not exactly the impression you want to make when baking a dessert for others. But I … 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
Raise a Glass of Strawberry Soda for Juneteenth
Growing up in the South, I drank a sugar shock-inducing amount of garishly colored Nehi grape and orange sodas, but I never heard of a strawberry soda. Maybe that’s because I hadn’t yet heard of Juneteenth, which each year on June 19 … Continue reading
‘Top Knot’ Cookies for a Birthday Girl
My grandmother, Hanna, launched a generation of young Richmonders by baking birthday cookies for them at the nursery school she directed. She topped each birthday boy or girl’s cookie with a Hershey’s chocolate kiss, making a special treat for a … 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
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