What is it about white potato pie? Something about this odd-sounding idea really captivates people. It certainly got my attention many years ago when I was cooking my way through the Southern Heritage Pie & Pastry book. That pie started an obsession with lost ‘Maryland’ dishes. I’ve tried hundreds of Maryland recipes from the mundane…
A quick internet search reveals that most of the popular recipes these days have brief, memorable names. The exceptions are generally branded like “Cheesecake Factory Beef Wellington” or things that list their contents ala “Cheese, Potato, Sausage, Black Pepper, and Pimento Casserole.” I do a lot of examination of the ways in which recipes get…
“A Spanish proverb says to make a good salad, four persons are necessary — A spendthrift, for oil; a miser, for vinegar; a barrister, for salt; and a madman to stir it up” – Tested Maryland Recipes Unless you’re a die-hard salad fan, you probably haven’t been thinking to yourself “hell yeah it’s Salad Season!” For…
Mary Randolph, Library of Virginia Interest in culinary history tends to enjoy a boost around this time of year. Some excellent pieces have been written illuminating the historical foods consumed on Thanksgiving. As though our own traditions are not authentic or traditional enough, many of us feel compelled to dig into the origins of the…
I met Pam Williams at a hearth cooking demonstration at the Hays House and enjoyed the rare chance to interact with a lively group of culinary history enthusiasts. I knew I wanted to reach out to her to be the first of what I hope will be a series of little interviews with various historians,…