Fairly early in the pandemic, I moved to a new house. I felt conflicted, leaving the 1880s rowhouse on Howard Street that I’d bought in 2009. But it had some issues that were becoming bothersome. The dining room was cramped and dark, and the kitchen small and awkward, making the increasing Old Line Plate-related press…
If constituent services is any measure of a councilperson’s effectiveness then there is little debating that Mary Pat Clarke had a long and successful career. I once spoke to Mary Pat Clarke and mentioned that I had seen this recipe, for “Fudge-It,” in “Good things are Cooking in Greater Homewood,” a cookbook produced in 1973 by the GHCC. She professed to not be much of a cook. I have to admit this fudge recipe isn’t the most magical, fudgey candy around, but hey – its in the name.
I’ve come across a fair share of librarians in my cookbooks. Librarians might be next behind home economists as far as professions of recipe-contributors goes. Unfortunately, I could find scarce information about Ruth Wood, who contributed this “good luncheon dish” to “Once Upon A Thyme in Charles Village” in 1972. Her name is too common…
There has probably been no greater force for the dissemination of recipes developed by home cooks than recipe contests. State and county fairs in the 19th century hosted many cooking contests as a part of their “ladies” programming. These fairs were an opportunity for women gather and to show off their “domestic arts”, from needlework…
“There used to be a stone yard at 26th and Charles and in it was a large tool box about 6′ by 4′ by 4′. This the older boys called THE HOT BOX, and they took delight in locking the younger boys in there for a couple of hours, and believe me by that time…