Drusilla “Dru” Gladden was maybe not the most prominent Eastern Shore woman I’ve researched, but hers is the type of story and recipe I like to uplift in my work – everyday people – and in this case, a prized local ingredient. Dru Gladden liked gospel music and lighthouses, according to her 2023 obituary. At…
A reader contacted me looking for a caramelized broiled tomato recipe. They knew it had a connection to a country club. They also recalled that the club had had a history of discriminatory policies. I checked my database. Fourteen recipes for broiled tomatoes. Among them: Mrs. Charles Gibson‘s recipe, Mrs. Spencer Watkins‘, BGE, The Baltimore…
Dr. Edna Dorothy Meshke, like most of the contributors to “Maryland Cooking,” was a home economist. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: many of us have no idea how much we owe to Home Economics educators for creating, sharing, and fine-tuning classic recipes, and for raising the expectations of what a recipe…
Once again a second visit with a cookbook reveals a new dimension to it: this time its the 1973 “Rosemary Hills International Community Cookbook,” compiled by Gwendolyn Coffield and Juanita Hamby. The book is an early celebration of the DC suburbs’ growing diversity. In 2002, the Washington Post ran an article about the Lyttonsville neighborhood…
Easter was almost two months ago, but the fat from the stuffed ham I made has been living on in my kitchen. After rendering lots of lard of varying purity, I’ve learned just how much flavor it can impart when used for sautéing, and how the very faint meatiness actually adds welcome complexity to a…