Many home cooks dream of achieving what Emily Frances Kitching did. Kitching’s Smith Island boardinghouse was no restaurant. Guests ate at a set time. Meals were served at communal dinner tables. There wasn’t a menu to choose from – there was a smorgasbord of seafood soups or chowders; crab cakes; clam fritters; ham; hot rolls;…
The Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church of Baltimore was founded in June of 1979, with a parish made up of seven families. “Everyone was on the same boat, sometimes literally,” pastor Billy Park told the Sun in 2003. By then, more than 1700 people were attending Sunday services at the church. The Immigration and Nationality Act…
Somewhere in the history of nearly every church, there was a cookbook. The authors usually intended to raise money for their church or auxiliary group, but from my vantage point, their efforts would amount to more than just the funds they generated. Church cookbooks are documents of social networks and culinary trends. Sometimes they even…
I must admit I was pretty surprised to learn that Beef Stroganoff is actually Russian. I first met the creamy, comforting dish through our old pal Hamburger Helper. In community cookbooks, I’ve come across many recipes, most of which list a series of canned ingredients. I would’ve assumed Beef Stroganoff was some classic American ‘corporate…
Although I don’t have a very favorable opinion of Mayor James H. Preston, I recently became aware of one bright spot in his legacy. It seems that Preston was an ardent advocate of what was then known as “municipal music,” that is, city investment in music for the enrichment and enjoyment of Baltimore’s citizens. In…