Legend has it that Clara May Downey discovered the site of the Olney Inn when she got a flat tire near the 1875 Montgomery County farmhouse. It was the mid-1920s and Downey was considering following many women into the business of operating a tearoom. Instead of a dainty tearoom catered towards women, Downey’s restaurant (it…
The books that got me curious about Maryland food were not Maryland cookbooks, strictly speaking. This cookbook set had been a constant in my household growing up, and I never thought of them as regional at all, despite the “Southern” in the name. On my mother’s kitchen bookshelf they served as a source of inspiration and…
“The root cellar, when properly made, will always be found one of the best paying out-buildings upon the farm.” – The Baltimore Sun, 1861 It was unpleasantly cold this past week. The warmth of family members crammed into small spaces cooking and eating comforting meals is a quickly fading memory. It’s been replaced by drafts,…
As of this post, the Old Line Plate database has 14 different “pone” recipes in it. These fall into three basic categories: straight-up corn pone, old-fashioned pone containing molasses (usually also containing cornmeal or just ‘meal’), and sweet potato pone. According to the “Post & Courier” of Charleston, SC, sweet potato pone evokes a special sentimentality in…
I know that we made much ado about tomatoes a few weeks back, but I actually did take a moment between tomato sandwiches to look forward to fall vegetables. They may not have the same glamour and prestige, but fall crops are comforting, dependable, and versatile. The rainbow of cauliflowers are irresistible. I never seem…