Nothing could be more emblematic of the spirit of Baltimoreans than the passionate and swift reaction to the fire at the Book Thing earlier this month (March 2, 2016). Word spread like, well… fire, and Book Thing patrons including yours truly felt immediately compelled to share what we can to help restore this institution. Baltimore writer Patricia Schultheis penned a wonderful homage in the Sun, deftly describing the appeal of our beloved musty warehouse full of free books.
When I reached for a quick weeknight meal from my Maryland cookbook collection, I happened to see that book thing stamp on the inside cover of “The Park School Cook Book.” Not surprising really. A significant chunk of my collection has found its way to me through Book Thing.
When I originally found this particular community cookbook -first printed in the 1930s and then expanded several times- I appreciated the mix of modern and quaint recipes. I also took note of names like Wyman, Meyerhoff, Rothschild, and Krieger.
The Kriegers, kriegerfund.org
The Park School was founded in 1912, according to Wikipedia, “by a group of parents, primarily social and educational progressives in Baltimore’s German Jewish community.”
Baltimore residents and Johns Hopkins alumni know the name of Zanvyl Krieger if only for the School of Arts and Sciences that bears his name.
Krieger’s fortune has had a lasting impact on the Baltimore region – The Kennedy-Krieger Institute, American Visionary Arts Museum, Sinai Hospital, the Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra are just a few examples of beneficiaries.
This recipe for ‘Shrimp Fried Rice’ was contributed to the Park School Cook Book by Mrs. Zanvyl Krieger. I sadly could find little information about Mrs. (Isabelle) Krieger. Born Isabelle Lowenthal in New York in 1910, she was 36 years old when she married Zanvyl. She passed away in 1989; he survived her by another 11 years. The organization they left behind bears the name “Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund.”
This recipe was perfectly tasty (as I made it) and notable for two main reasons. The first is the interesting inclusion of both A-1 sauce AND Worcestershire in addition to soy sauce.
The second is the extreme quantity of shrimp!
I made this with 1/3 the shrimp because frankly I’m on a budget, but it was more than plenty. I can’t imagine this dish made with the entire three pounds of shrimp called for. I guess its a bit unnecessary to say “wow, all that shrimp, they must have been rich!”
In the 1970s, Mr. Krieger began to distribute his wealth to charities.
“I
did it because it gives me a great deal of satisfaction to be able to
benefit others,” he said in a 1996 Sun interview. “I think the basis of
life is satisfaction. We all do things to satisfy ourselves. If you have
money, you might as well be able to enjoy it. I enjoy giving.”
To make up for the less shrimp I added an extra egg. I also couldn’t find canned bean sprouts so I used fresh plus some bamboo shoots… which completely changed the flavor. Plus I used a lot more onion. Basically I ignored everything. I have never felt more like more of an enemy to authenticity than when I strayed from the recipe for this Baltimore German-Jewish-American Shrimp Fried Rice. Nonetheless I’ll present the recipe below as it appeared in the book.
“It gave [Zanvyl Krieger] great joy to be able to give,” said a daughter, Betsy L. Krieger of Roland Park. “He always said, `Giving money away was more fun than buying a Rolls-Royce.’” – Sun Obituary, September 2000
But the Krieger family sure didn’t scrimp when it came to shrimp. Okay I’ll shut up now. If you’re feeling inspired to share your own wealth today, the Book Thing donation page is here: http://www.bookthing.org/
Recipe:
- 3 Lb shrimp, cleaned and peeled
- 3 Cups cooked rice
- 1 Tablespoon chopped onion
- 3 Tablespoon soy sauce
- dash A-1 sauce
- dash Worcestershire sauce
- 2 fried eggs
- 1 can bean sprouts
- .5 Teaspoon salt
- black pepper
Sauté onions lightly in 2 tablespoons butter until translucent. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp is pink, about ten minutes. Add drained bean sprouts, rice and seasonings. Fry two eggs thoroughly and chop and add. Taste and correct seasonings.
Recipe adapted from “The Park School Cook Book”
